The Khazar Economy: Economic Integration or Disintegration? 189
almost all the places, where the migration of the Bulgars can be traced to after
the mid-seventh century. This applies to monuments from the region of Danube
Bulgaria, the Crimea, the lower reaches of the Don and the Taman Peninsula.82
Their spread can be associated with the collapse of Great Bulgaria. This is
how M. Artamonov explains the emergence of this type of monuments in
Danube Bulgaria with the presence of Kutrigurs among Aspharukh’s Bulgars.83
According to V. Maiko, under the pressure of the Khazars the Kutrigurs were
forced to migrate to the Danube region, Pannonia and possibly Taurica. “There
they mixed with the kindred Onogur population, but managed to retain some
distinct features of their pottery complex which differed from the Onogur one.
This mixing led to the creation of the Saltovo-Maiaki pottery complex of the
Crimean version of this culture”.84 It should be borne in mind that the latest
monuments of the Penkovka culture (until the late ninth century) are situ-
ated in the area of the Saltovo culture along the upper reaches of the Severski
Donets and along the Oskol River.85
The area of the Pastyrskoe-Penkovka culture, associated with the strong
presence of a steppe population of Bulgar origin, contains most of the monu-
ments of the Malaia Pereshchepina type. The monuments in question are
nine, four of which (Malaia Pereshchepina, Makukhovka, Novye Sanzhary
82 Rashev 2007a, 142–143; Artamonov 1969, 7–8; Baranov and Maiko 1995, 76–78; Maiko 1996,
136; see also Angelova and Doncheva–Petkova 1990 and 1992.
83 Artamonov 1969, 8.
84 Maiko 1996 138. According to Tortika 2006a, 93–94, the Khazar invasion led to a “par-
tial destruction of the former system of settlement of the Proto-Bulgarians, along with
their tribal structure”. Consequently, “the large Proto-Bulgarian alliances and even tribes
ceased to exist. Fragments of nomadic groups of various tribal origins—Kutrigurs, Utigurs,
Onogurs, etc.—sought refuge from the Khazars in the outskirts of the steppe region in the
Crimea, on the left bank of the Dnieper and in the Donetsk forest-steppe zone [.. .]
The result was a mixture of various traditions, including burial ones, and the emergence
of new versions of burial rites. In each case the proportional composition of representa-
tives of the various ethnic groups in the new clan and tribal structures was different. This
determined the formation of certain cultural traditions and features of the burial ritual-
ism of their descendants” (Tortika 2006a, 94).
85 Pletneva 1999, 46–48; see also Liubichev 1994. The issue of the so-called Sakhnovka type
monuments (pottery) is closely related to this topic, and to the origins of the Volyntsevo
culture. It is assumed that this culture (considered to be Slavic) emerged on the middle
reaches of the Dnieper River around the middle of the seventh century and existed until
the mid-eighth century. The emergence of the Sakhnovka monuments in the area of the
Severski Donets, and their existence alongside the Saltovo ones give grounds to believe
that parts of the “Sakhnovians” resettled there from the area along the middle reaches of
the Dnieper around the second half of the eighth century (Liubichev 2002 and 2004).