Postscriptum on “Ex Oriente Lux!”: Orientation on Cardinal Directions in Archaic Cultures of Eurasia as an Interdisciplinary Problem

Abstract. In 2024, the anniversary is celebrated — the 2000th anniversary of the completion of Strabo’s work “Geography”. This work of Strabo is, along with Herodotus, the most significant work on the geography of ancient Eastern Europe. Therefore, it is natural to pay attention to this date, which results in this issue of the journal. The review of this book by A.V. Podosinov “Ex oriente lux!” is a symbolic introduction to this issue of the journal with the title “Geography”.
The work, which highlights the traditional images of space in the main archaic cultures of Eurasia, is an example of a large-scale and systematic analysis of spatial representations. Thanks to “Ex oriente lux!”, it became possible to systematically reconstruct spatial representations based on archaeological materials. Spatial images and representations belong to the type of representations in which patterns and principles are revealed
that are universal for many cultures. The worldview system of the ancient peoples was based on general concepts of space. The article shows the importance and stability of orientation schemes and images of space on the example of archaeological sites of the Sarmatian era and the early Middle Ages. Spatial representations are reflected in language, architecture, and archaeological sites, so the study of this problem involves an interdisciplinary dialogue and creates a field of interdisciplinary interaction.

Keywords: Strabo, orientation in space, sacred direction, Sarmatians, Khazar Khaganate, burials.