Copper Use, Cultural Change and Neolithization in North-Eastern Europe (c. 5500–1800 BC)

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerkko Nordqvist ◽  
Vesa-Pekka Herva
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
New Materials ◽  
Material World ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Cultural Processes ◽  
The Republic

In the context of northern Europe, copper use started early in eastern Fennoscandia (Finland and the Republic of Karelia, Russia), sometime after 4000 BC. This article explores this Stone Age copper use in eastern Fennoscandia in relation to broader cultural developments in the region between the adoption of pottery (c. 5500 BC) and the end of the Stone Age (c. 1800 BC). Stone Age copper use in north-eastern Europe has conventionally been understood in terms of technology or exchange, whereas this article suggests that the beginning of copper use was linked to more fundamental changes in the perception of, and engagement with, the material world. These changes were associated with the Neolithization of eastern Fennoscandia, which started earlier than has traditionally been thought. It is also argued that the adoption, use, and manipulation of new materials played an active role in the emergence of the Neolithic world in north-eastern Europe and beyond. Also, issues related to the Finno–Russian border dividing up eastern Fennoscandia and its effects on the study of early metal use and other prehistoric cultural processes are discussed.

scholarly journals Tracing the Materiality of Feathers in Stone Age North-Eastern Europe

2020 ◽  
pp. 23-46
Author(s):  
Kristiina Mannermaa ◽  
Tuija Kirkinen
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The World ◽  
Traditional Societies ◽  
Mesolithic Period

The use of feathers in ritual costumes and everyday clothing is well described in ethnographic sources throughout the world. From the same sources we know that bird wings and feathers were loaded with meaning in traditional societies worldwide. However, direct archaeological evidence of prehistoric use of feathers is still extremely scarce. Hence, feathers belong to the ‘missing majority’: items that are absent from the archaeological record but which we can assume to have been of importance. Here we present microscopic analysis of soil samples from hunter-gatherer burial contexts which reveal the first direct evidence of the use of feathers in the Mesolithic period of north-eastern Europe.

scholarly journals A Ritual Feature with Bell Beaker Elements in a Late Neolithic Hunter-Gatherer Campsite in North-Eastern Poland

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Dariusz Manasterski ◽  
Katarzyna Januszek ◽  
Adam Wawrusiewicz ◽  
Aleksandra Klecha
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Late Neolithic ◽  
Western Group ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Bell Beaker ◽  
The Bronze Age

The ephemeral nature of religious practices and rituals makes them challenging to trace in the archaeological record of Late Neolithic hunter-gatherer communities in central and eastern Europe. A ritual feature with Bell Beaker elements discovered in north-eastern Poland, a region occupied by hunter-gatherer groups of the Neman cultural circle, is thus exceptional. Its syncretic character indicates its role as a harbinger of wider cultural change that led to the emergence in this region of the western group of the Bronze Age Trzciniec cultural circle.

scholarly journals All these Fantastic Cultures? Research History and Regionalization in the Late Palaeolithic Tanged Point Cultures of Eastern Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Livija Ivanovaitė ◽  
Kamil Serwatka ◽  
Christian Steven Hoggard ◽  
Florian Sauer ◽  
Felix Riede
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Morphometric Methods ◽  
Patterns And Processes ◽  
The Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
Late Palaeolithic ◽  
The Last Glacial

The Late Glacial, that is the period from the first pronounced warming after the Last Glacial Maximum to the beginning of the Holocene (c. 16,000–11,700 cal bp), is traditionally viewed as a time when northern Europe was being recolonized and Late Palaeolithic cultures diversified. These cultures are characterized by particular artefact types, or the co-occurrence or specific relative frequencies of these. In north-eastern Europe, numerous cultures have been proposed on the basis of supposedly different tanged points. This practice of naming new cultural units based on these perceived differences has been repeatedly critiqued, but robust alternatives have rarely been offered. Here, we review the taxonomic landscape of Late Palaeolithic large tanged point cultures in eastern Europe as currently envisaged, which leads us to be cautious about the epistemological validity of many of the constituent groups. This, in turn, motivates us to investigate the key artefact class, the large tanged point, using geometric morphometric methods. Using these methods, we show that distinct groups are difficult to recognize, with major implications for our understanding of patterns and processes of culture change in this period in north-eastern Europe and perhaps elsewhere.

Belarusian

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Sonya Bird ◽  
Natallia Litvin
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
The Other ◽  
Slavic Language ◽  
The South ◽  
The West ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Republic

Belarusian (ISO 639-3 BEL) is an Eastern Slavic language spoken by roughly seven million people in the Republic of Belarus (Zaprudski 2007, Census of the Republic of Belarus 2009), a land-locked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest (Figure 1). Within the Belarusian language, the two main dialects are North Eastern and South Western (Avanesaǔ et al. 1963, Lapkoǔskaya 2008, Smolskaya 2011). Two additional regional forms of Belarusian can be distinguished: the Middle Belarusian dialectal group, incorporating some features of North Eastern and South Western dialects together with certain characteristics of its own, and the West-Polesian (or Brest-Pinsk) dialectal group. The latter group is more distinct linguistically from the other Belarusian dialects and is in many respects close to the Ukrainian language (Lapkoǔskaya 2008, Smolskaya 2011). The focus of this illustration is Standard Belarusian, which is based on Middle Belarusian speech varieties. For details on the phonetic differences across dialects, the reader is referred to Avanesaǔ et al. (1963) and Lapkoǔskaya (2008).

ПРОЦЕСС НЕОЛИТИЗАЦИИ НА ТЕРРИТОРИИ ЛЕСНОЙ ПОЛОСЫ

2021 ◽  
pp. 297-301
Author(s):  
Анастасия Юрьевна Назарова
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
The West ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Late Mesolithic

Статья посвящена анализу наиболее изученных культур неолита лесной полосы от Скандинавии и Восточной Прибалтики до Волго-Камья и Приуралья (VII–IV тыс. до н.э.). Для анализа были отобраны следующие признаки неолитического пакета: керамика, шлифованные деревообрабатывающие орудия, долговременные жилища, крупные могильники, святилища и предметы импорта. В ходе исследования были собраны материалы по 16 археологическим культурам региона. В результате были выделены наиболее развитые неолитические культуры лесной полосы, с учетом данных, которые существуют насегодняшний день. Помимо этого, были выявлены наиболее часто встречающиеся признаки: керамика и шлифованные деревообрабатывающие орудия. Редким признаком является наличие святилищ. Были сделаны выводы об уровне развития исследуемых культур. Библиографические ссылки Выборнов А.А. Неолит степного-лесостепного Поволжья и Прикамья. Дисс. ... докт. истор. наук. СаВыборнов А.А. Неолит степного-лесостепного Поволжья и Прикамья. Дисс. ... докт. истор. наук. Самара, 2009. 393 с. Карманов В.Н. Неолит европейского Северо-Востока. Сыктывкар: Коми научный центр УрО РАН, 2008. 226 с. Лычагина Е.Л. Неолит Верхнего и Среднего Прикамья. Дисс... докт. ист. наук.  Пермь, 2019. 632 с. Назарова А.Ю. Проявление признаков неолитического пакета на территории лесной полосы в VII – IV тыс. до н.э. // Археология Евразийских степей. 2020. №5. С. 69–76. Назарова А.Ю. Сравнение неолитического пакета культур Восточной Прибалтики и Скандинавии // LIII Урало-Поволжская археологическая конференция студентов и молодых ученых (УПАСК, 1-3 февраля 2021 г.): материалы Всероссийской научно-практической конференции студентов, аспирантов и молодых ученых. / Отв. ред. А.А. Евгеньев. Оренбург: ОГПУ, 2021. С. 42-44 Неолит Северной Евразии / Археология СССР / Отв.ред. С.В. Ошибкина. М.: Наука, 1996. 380 с. Никитин В.В. Итоги изучения каменного века в Марийском Поволжье // Поволжская Археология. №3 (21). 2017. С. 168–189. Ошибкина С.В. Понятие о неолите // Неолит Северной Евразии. / Археология СССР / Отв. ред. С.В. Ошибкина. М.: Наука, 1996, С. 6–10. Kriiska A., Oras E., Lõugas L., Meadows J., Lucquinand A., Craig O. E. Late Mesolithic Narva Stage in Estonia: pottery, settlement types and chronology // Estonian Journal of Archaeology. 2017. No 1 (21). P. 52–86. Nordqvist, K., 2018. The Stone Age of north-eastern Europe 5500-1800 calBC. Bridging the gap between the East and the West. Academic dissertstion. Acta Universitatis Ouluensis. B Humanitaria 160. 2018. 164 p. Raemaekers D. Ertebolle and Swifterbant a comparison of attitudes // Anthropologie et Prehistoire. 1998. № 109. P. 155–161.

Republic of Moldova in the Context of Regional Security Challenges in Eastern Europe

2018 ◽  
pp. 299-304
Author(s):  
Stefan Tibuleac
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Security System ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
Strategic Uncertainty ◽  
European Security ◽  
Republic Of Moldova ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

This article analyzes the most current security issues for the Republic of Moldova that are part of the regional security context of Eastern Europe –the region that can be considered the epicenter of international tensions through which the„geopolitical line of fracture”passes. The geographical position of the Republic of Moldova makes this state particularly sensitive to any negative trends in theregion. Growing of international tensions creates security threats and complicates economic development. From a historical point of view, Moldova has repeatedly fallen victim by the confrontation of the great powers. Therefore, the Republic of Moldova has a vital interest in preventing a new conflict in Eastern Europe. This article is based on a number of assumptions made by changes in the European security environment, such as the „shift of weight” to the East, strategic uncertainty, increasing the role of non-state actors, the situation in eastern Ukraine, etc. Based on these assumptions, this article makes an attempt to outline the potential role of the Republic of Moldova in the Eastern European security system, taking into account the desideratum for integration of the republic into the European Union. Other relevant factors will be taken into account for shaping the role of the Republic of Moldova in the European security system, namely: the security deficit; the impact of NATO and EU security policy; the rebirth of the project to create a regional defense alliance, etc. This article will largely take into account the military aspects of security. Keywords: Republic of Moldova, national security, Eastern Europe, NATO, Intermarium, defence, threats, risks, challenges

The Portuguese Astronomer Melo e Simas (1870–1934): Republican Ideals and Popularization of Science

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Simões ◽  
Luís Miguel Carolino
Keyword(s):  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Popularization Of Science ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Republic ◽  
European Periphery ◽  
Scientific Ethos

ArgumentThis paper analyses a process of co-construction of knowledge and its multiple forms of communication in a country of the European periphery in the early twentieth century. It focuses on Lieutenant Manuel Soares de Melo e Simas, a politically engaged Portuguese astronomer, who moved from amateur to professional during the political transition from the monarchy to the republic. Melo e Simas paralleled his professional career in continuous activity of communicating science to the public in the context of republicanism in a double way, by responding to the agenda of republicanism and by playing an active role in shaping it. He aimed at educating lay audiences in the various ways of astronomy, and he reached out to as many people as possible by exploring a multitude of communication channels, from lectures to articles in newspapers and journals. Voiced often within newly created republican institutions, the praxis and the ideas of Melo e Simas helped to mold the new republican scientific ethos. By going beyond mere emphasis on scientism and positivism, usually taken to be the defining characteristics of the new republican ethos, this paper argues that science and the specificities of its multiple forms of communication were central to the way Melo e Simas shaped the republican ideology. Furthermore, popularization of science was used to legitimize the status of professional scientists at the same time that it helped reinforce their institutional setting, still to be negotiated in the forthcoming decades through a complex process which deserves further historical analysis.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates and gonorrhoea treatment in the Republic of Belarus, Eastern Europe, 2009–2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliaksandra Aniskevich ◽  
Iryna Shimanskaya ◽  
Iryna Boiko ◽  
Tatyana Golubovskaya ◽  
Daniel Golparian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Antimicrobial Treatment ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
First Line ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
The Republic

Abstract Background Limited antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data for Neisseria gonorrhoeae are available in Eastern Europe. We investigated AMR in N. gonorrhoeae isolates in the Republic of Belarus from 2009 to 2019, antimicrobial treatment recommended nationally, and treatment given to patients with gonorrhoea. Methods N. gonorrhoeae isolates (n = 522) cultured in three regions of Belarus in 2009–2019 were examined. Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of eight antimicrobials was performed using Etest. Resistance breakpoints from the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing were applied where available. A Nitrocefin test identified β-lactamase production. Gonorrhoea treatment for 1652 patients was also analysed. Statistical significance was determined by the Z-test, Fisher’s exact test, or Mann-Whitney U test with p-values of < 0.05 indicating significance. Results In total, 27.8% of the N. gonorrhoeae isolates were resistant to tetracycline, 24.7% to ciprofloxacin, 7.0% to benzylpenicillin, 2.7% to cefixime, and 0.8% to azithromycin. No isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone, spectinomycin, or gentamicin. However, 14 (2.7%) isolates had a ceftriaxone MIC of 0.125 mg/L, exactly at the resistance breakpoint (MIC > 0.125 mg/L). Only one (0.2%) isolate, from 2013, produced β-lactamase. From 2009 to 2019, the levels of resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline were relatively high and stable. Resistance to cefixime was not identified before 2013 but peaked at 22.2% in 2017. Only sporadic isolates with resistance to azithromycin were found in 2009 (n = 1), 2012 (n = 1), and 2018–2019 (n = 2). Overall, 862 (52.2%) patients received first-line treatment according to national guidelines (ceftriaxone 1 g). However, 154 (9.3%) patients received a nationally recommended alternative treatment (cefixime 400 mg or ofloxacin 400 mg), and 636 (38.5%) were given non-recommended treatment. Conclusions The gonococcal resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was high, however, the resistance to azithromycin was low and no resistance to ceftriaxone was identified. Ceftriaxone 1 g can continuously be recommended as empiric first-line gonorrhoea therapy in Belarus. Fluoroquinolones should not be prescribed for treatment if susceptibility has not been confirmed by testing. Timely updating and high compliance with national evidence-based gonorrhoea treatment guidelines based on quality-assured AMR data are imperative. The need for continued, improved and enhanced surveillance of gonococcal AMR in Belarus is evident.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document