Einmal ist keinmal. Peculiar burial practices of prehistoric communities settling the Lublin-Volhynia Upland in the Early Iron Age

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz J. Chmielewski ◽  
Agata Hałuszko ◽  
Maksym Mackiewicz ◽  
Igor Pieńkos ◽  
Agata Sady-Bugajska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Funeral Ritual ◽  
Burial Practices ◽  
Unique Character ◽  
Exposed Point ◽  
Pastoral Communities ◽  
Funnel Beaker Culture ◽  
Scythian Period

Abstract The study addresses remains of two peculiar graves unearthed at the site Mikulin 9 in the Dobużek Scarp (Pol. Skarpa Dobużańska) area in Western Volhynia. Unique character of the burials under consideration consists in the peculiarity of funeral ritual performed, scenario of which was basically divided into two acts of burning of the deceased – once on cremation pyres, and then in the eventual places of their interment (grave pits). Both the graves under consideration as well as analogical finds from the western part of the Lublin-Volhynian Upland and its northern foreland can be connected with an impact form the Pontic area and dated back to the Early Scythian Period. Historically, their presence is commonly considered as a result of westward migrations of forest-steppe people form the area of nowadays Ukraine triggered by the appearance of Indo-Iranian Scythian tribes. In the case of the presented burials no less significant from the peculiar eastern burial rite performed seem their localization. When discussing the Dobużek Scarp area as a destiny point of one of such migrations, clearly Pontic character of the escarpment’s physiography should be taken into consideration. The local conditions of the already unsettled loess paha of Dobużek escarpment must have peculiarly attracted pastoral communities arriving from the east. Moreover, the graves were placed in a very exposed point within the preexisting prehistoric landscape, to wit – they were dug into today non-existent but then dominating the area long barrows of the Funnel Beaker Culture. It seems likely that by the act of burying their kinsman into the exposed Eneolithic mounds the incomers tried to create an ancestral tie with the area and thereby justify their presence “here and now”.

scholarly journals Denis Topal, The specificity of the Scythian panoply of the Lower Danube

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-110
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Main Type ◽  
Archaic Period ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Danube Region ◽  
Scythian Period ◽  
The Right ◽  
Archaeological Landscape

The archaeological landscape of the Lower Danube was changing with the importance of the Danube itself, which either became, or a cultural water¬shed, or an artery, connecting the ancient communities. In the Early Iron Age, it seems that the Danube did not become an invincible barrier for the spread of offensive weapons of Scythian origin. Moreover, Dobruja itself looks like a ter-ritory mastered by the Scythians, starting from the Archaic period. The Lower Danube group forms a separate “steppe” cultural assemblage together with the Lower Dniester, South Carpathian and South Danube groups, for which the spear became the main type of weapon. However, these preferences were re¬flected in the morphology of the Scythian akinakes. So, for this steppe or Dan-ube enclave, swords are more characteristic than daggers. Daggers are connected mainly with the forest-steppe part of the Carpathian-Dniester region and Transylvania. The warrior graves of the Lower Danube region mainly belong to the Classical Scythian period, while the only exception is related to the right bank of the Lower Danube. However, there are no burials with akinakai and even stray finds in Classical time outside the steppe.

scholarly journals INVESTIGATION OF THE EARLY IRON AGE MOUNDS IN THE BASIN OF THE ROS RIVER

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-263
Author(s):  
V. V. Romanyuk ◽  
D. S. Grechko ◽  
O. D. Mogylov
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Natural Boundary ◽  
Burned Bones ◽  
Burial Mounds ◽  
Scythian Period ◽  
Secondary Burial ◽  
The Village

The paper is devoted to the publication of materials of two early Iron Age burial mounds in Porossya on the territory of the Dnieper Right Bank Forest-Steppe. Monuments were located near the Lysa Gora natural boundary and the village Novoselytsya near Tarascha. Small barrows with a height about 0.5—0.65 m and a diameter near 10—14 m contained burials in rectangular graves with a small entrances. Above on them the special ground areas were constructed, then they were covered with a mound. The burial ceremony could be either incomplete cremation on the site of the mound, or the secondary burial of burned bones. Complexes can be dated by the pre-Scythian time or the beginning of the early Scythian period, and belong to the local settled population.

scholarly journals MIGRATION FLOWS IN THE SOUTH OF WEST SIBERIAN PLANE DURING THE LATE BRONZE AGE TO IRON AGE TRANSITION

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-133
Author(s):  
V. I. Molodin
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
West Siberian Plain ◽  
The South ◽  
Living Space ◽  
Migration Flows ◽  
Scythian Period ◽  
The One ◽  
Archaeological Cultures

The article is dedicated to anniversary of a brilliant scientist, an outstanding scythologist S. A. Skoryy. I suppose this essay, devoted to the Early Scythian period in the south of West Siberian Plain, will be interesting for our hero of the day. The atricle present the reconstruction of migration flows during the Late Bronze to Iron Age transition in the south of West Siberian plane based on archaeological data from Chicha 1 and Bolshoy Log settlements. The main vectors of migration flows, revealed and described in this article, indicate a strong penetration of different archaeological cultures to the Ob-Irtysh forest steppe. The bearers of Suzgun, Atlym, Berlik and other cultures that occupied nearby territories for more than two centuries have adapted to aboriginal late Irmen population. The Ob-Irtysh area was an attractive place for living. The abundant pastures with a stable herbage yields and the wealth of fish and game equally attracted both herdsmen and fishermen-hunters. Apparently, during this time the migration flows changed their directions and didn’t get in each other’s way. The mosaic of cultural formations peacefully shared Ob-Irtysh area was developed in the south of West Siberian plane during Bronze to Iron Age transition. This has been possible because of the different orientation of paleoeconomy of these societies. Besides, it must be noted that the bearers of aboriginal late Irmen culture were quite tolerant. They involved newcomers in their influence arena and even lived with them on the one living space area, e. g. on settlements. This evidence of this behavior was discovered on Chicha 1 and Bolshoy Log sites for instance.

Late-glacial and Post-glacial history of the Chalk escarpment near Brook, Kent

1964 ◽  
Vol 248 (745) ◽  
pp. 135-204 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Valley Floor ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Late Neolithic ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Arable Farming ◽  
History Of

This paper describes the morphology of a small piece of the Chalk escarpment near Brook in east Kent, and reconstructs its history since the end of the Last Glaciation. The escarpment contains a number of steep-sided valleys, or coombes, with which are associated deposits of chalk debris, filling their bottoms and extending as fans over the Gault Clay plain beyond. Here the fans overlie radiocarbon-dated marsh deposits of zone II (10 000 to 8800 B.C.) of the Late-glacial Period. The debris fans were formed and the coombes were cut very largely during the succeeding zone III (8800 to 8300 B.C.). The fans are the products of frost-shattering, probably transported by a combination of niveo-fluvial action and the release of spring waters; intercalated seams of loess also occur. The molluscs and plants preserved in the Late-glacial deposits give a fairly detailed picture of local conditions. The later history of one of the coombes, the Devil’s Kneadingtrough, is reconstructed. The springs have effected virtually no erosion and have probably always emerged more or less in their present position. In the floor of the coombe the periglacial chalk rubbles of zone III are covered by Postglacial deposits, mainly hillwashes. They are oxidized and yield no pollen, but contain rich faunas of land Mollusca, which are presented in the form of histograms revealing changing local ecological and climatic conditions. During most of the Post-glacial Period, from the end of zone III until about the beginning of zone VIII, very little accumulation took place on the coombe floor. But below the springs there are marsh deposits which span much of this interval. They yield faunas of considerable zoogeographical interest. The approximate beginning of zone VII a (Atlantic Period) is reflected by a calcareous tufa, which overlies a weathering horizon, and represents an increase in spring flow. Two clearance phases are deduced from the molluscan record. The first may have taken place at least as early as the Beaker Period (Late Neolithic/earliest Bronze Age); the second is probably of Iron Age ‘A’ date. In Iron Age times the subsoil was mobilized and a phase of rapid hillwashing began. As a result the valley floor became buried by humic chalk muds. The prime cause of this process was probably the beginning of intensive arable farming on the slopes above the coombe; a possible subsidiary factor may have been the Sub-Atlantic worsening of climate. The muds yield pottery ranging in date from Iron Age ‘Kentish first A’ ( ca . 500 to ca . 300 B.C.) to Romano-British ware of the first or second centuries A.D. Evidence is put forward for a possible climatic oscillation from dry to wet taking place at about the time of Christ. In the later stages of cultivation, possibly in the Roman Era, the valley floor was ploughed and given its present-day form.

scholarly journals REVISITING THE LIFE STYLE OF THE DON FOREST-STEPPE BELT POPULATION DURING THE SCYTHIAN PERIOD (THE CASE STUDY OF THE KSIZOVO-19 CEMETERY)

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-144
Author(s):  
И. К. Решетова ◽  
М. В. Добровольская ◽  
А. Н. Меркулов
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Stress Level ◽  
Life Style ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Steppe Belt ◽  
Scythian Period ◽  
Very High

В статье рассмотрены палеоантропологические материалы грунтовых захоронений середины I тыс. до н. э., расположенных на территории Верхнего Дона. Находки получены в результате раскопок многослойного памятника Ксизово-19. Работы проводились Раннеславянской археологической экспедицией ИА РАН под руководством А. М. Обломского. Исследование антропологических коллекций проводилось по комплексной биоархеологической программе и позволило осветить ряд вопросов об образе жизни населения этой эпохи. Были проанализированы показатели уровня стрессов и физических нагрузок в рассматриваемой группе. Следует обратить внимание на очень высокий процент присутствия зубных патологий. При сравнении серий из грунтовых погребений и подкурганных захоронений выявлены различия в состоянии зубочелюстной системы и присутствие патологических состояний, фиксируемых на зубах в большей степени в группе из курганов. The paper provides an overview of paleoanthropological remnants from ground burials dating back to the mid I mill. BC located in the Upper Don region. The finds were obtained during excavations of the Ksizovo-19 multi-layer site. The excavations were carried out by the Early Slavic Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology, RAS, led by A. M. Oblomskiy. The study of the anthropological assemblages was performed according to a comprehensive bioarchaeological program. This makes it possible to cover a number of issues regarding the life style of the population at that time. The stress level and physical activity in the studied group were analyzed. A very high percentage of dental pathologies should be noted. Comparison of series from the ground burials and the kurgans burials revealed differences in the conditions of the dentofacial systems and presence of a greater number of pathological conditions of the teeth in the kurgan series.

scholarly journals IN-GROUND CEMETERY OF THE SCYTHIAN PERIOD NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KSIZOVO IN THE UPPER DON REGION (NEW DATA)

2021 ◽  
pp. 127-147
Author(s):  
Ю. Д. Разуваев
Keyword(s):  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Sedentary Population ◽  
Spindle Whorls ◽  
Don River ◽  
Steppe Belt ◽  
Scythian Period ◽  
The Village ◽  
Insight Into

Комплекс памятников конца V - III в. до н. э., расположенный на р. Дон у с. Ксизово в Задонском районе Липецкой обл., включает городище, селище и грунтовый могильник. В результате радиоуглеродного датирования и анализа вещевых находок к названным столетиям отнесено пять захоронений, ранее соотносимых с гуннским временем. В итоге стало известно 17 погребений скифской эпохи, включая два парных. В них по обряду ингумации и в сопровождении довольно скудного инвентаря (стрелы, браслеты, серьги, бусы, пряслица) были захоронены 9 мужчин, 9 женщин и ребенок. Данные бескурганные комплексы дают представление о погребальных традициях оседлого населения донской лесостепи. The studied group of sites dating to the end of 5 - 3 cc. BC is located on the Don river near the village of Ksizovo in the Zadonsk district, Lipetsk region. The group includes a fortified settlement, an unfortified settlement and an in-ground cemetery. The radiocarbon dating and analysis of the found artifacts refer the five graves earlier dated to the Hun period to the above-mentioned centuries. Today the number of the Scythian graves totals 17, including two double burials. Nine males, nine females and one child were buried in these graves performed according to the inhumation funerary rite with rather scarce funeral offerings (arrowheads, bracelets, pendants, beads, spindle whorls). These burial sites without kurgans give an insight into funerary traditions of the sedentary population inhabiting the Don forest-steppe belt.

scholarly journals PROBLEM OF FUNERAL RITES OF THE POPULATION OF SCYTHIAN AGE IN THE SEYM RIVER BASIN

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-262
Author(s):  
O. O. Bilynskyi
Keyword(s):  
Local Population ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Skull Bone ◽  
Burial Practices ◽  
Funeral Rites ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Burial Rites ◽  
The Common ◽  
Burial Rite ◽  
Grave Goods

The author analyzed the problem of burial sites of the population of Scythian Age in the Seym region. Currently there are several locations associated with the local population. These are the burial sites from the Moiseevo and Maritsa hillforts and the necropolis near Dolinske village. The burials from the Moiseevo hillfort probably date back to the medieval times and the necropolis at the Maritsa settlement belonged to the Yukhniv culture. According to the available data, burial in the territory of this site was carried out after the hillfort ceased to function as a settlement — ca. 4th century BC. Necropolis near the Dolynske village is well known in the literature as an example of ground burials of the forest-steppe population of Scythian Age. However, detailed analysis of the circumstances of discovery of burials and the grave goods suggests that the burials were actually covered by the mounds but they did not survive due to the removal of soil. The grave goods is reminiscent of the nearby Sula necropolises. The lack of common burial sites in the region prompts the search for other burial rites. Traditionally cremations with the further dispersal of ashes are the common types of burial that do not leave visible burial sites but despite the complexity of their detection there are still no finds that would indicate this rite. The fragments of human bones at Shyryaevo, Kuzina Gora and Moiseyevo hillforts are the only hints that could indicate this. A round amulet which was made of human skull bone was discovered at the latter. Stray finds of human remains occurred at the sites of the entire forest-steppe territory in Scythian Age and many sites of Central Europe but the irregularity of such finds at the Seym region demonstrate that they could not be a mandatory consequence of a certain burial rite. The wide variety of analogies offers the options for the reconstruction of special burial practices that could lead to the deposition of human bones. By analogy with other cultures, the cannibalism, temporary burial at the site, and the deliberate storage of bones that may have been obtained from the burials can be assumed.

New AMS Dates for Verteba Cave and Stable Isotope Evidence of Human Diet in The Holocene Forest-Steppe, Ukraine

Radiocarbon ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah H Ledogar ◽  
Jordan K Karsten ◽  
Gwyn D Madden ◽  
Ryan Schmidt ◽  
Mykhailo P Sokohatskyi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Discrete Events ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Freshwater Reservoir

ABSTRACTExcavations at several locations in Verteba Cave have uncovered a large amount of human skeletal remains in association with faunal bones and Tripolye material culture. We aim to establish radiocarbon (14C) dates for eight sites and to evaluate whether these deposits are singular events, or slow accumulations over time.14C measurements, along with stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from human and faunal remains, were collected from 18 specimens. Stable isotope values were used to evaluate human and animal diet, and whether freshwater reservoir effects offset measured dates. We found diets of the sampled species had limited to no influence from freshwater resources. Human diet appears to be dominated by terrestrial plants and herbivores. Four new sites were identified as Eneolithic. Comparisons of dates from top and bottom strata for two sites (7 and 20) reveal coeval dates, and we suggest that these deposits represent discrete events rather than slow continuous use. Lastly, we identified dates from the Mesolithic (8490±45 BP, 8765±30 BP), Iron Age (2505±20 BP), Slavic state era (1315±25 BP), and Medieval Period (585±15 BP), demonstrating periodic use of the cave by humans prior to and after the Eneolithic.

Trakhtemirov: A Fortified City site on the Dnieper

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
YU. V. BOLTRIK ◽  
E. E. FIALKO
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Central Place ◽  
The Other ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
The West ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
Scythian Period ◽  
A Site ◽  
The City

This chapter focuses on Trakhtemirov, one of the most important ancient settlements of the Early Iron Age in the Ukraine. During the ancient period, the trade routes and caravans met at Trakhtemirov which was situated over the three crossing points of the Dneiper. Its location on the steep heights assured residents of Trakhtemirov security of settlement. On three sides it was protected by the course of the Dnieper while on the other side it was defended by the plateau of the pre-Dneiper elevation. The ancient Trakhtemirov city is located around 100 km below Kiev, on a peninsula which is jutted into the river from the west. Trakhtemirov in the Early Iron Age was important as it was the site of the Cossack capital of Ukraine. It was also the site of the most prestigious artefacts of the Scythian period and a site for various items of jewellery, tools and weaponry. The abundance of artefacts in Trakhtemirov suggests that the city is a central place among the scattered sites of the middle course of the Dneiper.

scholarly journals MONUMENTS OF THE EARLY IRON AGE THE ENVIRONMENTS OF THE MOTRONIN CITY

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-244
Author(s):  
Yu. Yu. Lyashko
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Main Population

Motroninsky ancient settlement belongs to the most famous monuments of the Scythian epoch of the Dnieper Forest-Steppe Right Bank. Since the late 1980s and until today, work is underway to study the monuments of this time in the vicinity of the site of the ancient settlement. This work is based on materials that identify the chronological and periodic frames of the surveyed monuments. In total 21 settlements of Scythian time of VII—III centuries BC were surveyed and opened. The results of this work confirm the version of the researchers of the site of ancient settlement that its main population lived outside the fortification in a radius of several kilometers.

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