scholarly journals Anthropological Composition of the Population of the Early Iron Age from the Lower Volga Region (According to the Materials of the Kurgan Group of Krivaya Luka)

2020 ◽  
pp. 18-55
Author(s):  
Mariya Balabanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
Profile Line ◽  
Current Article ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Upper Level

The article is devoted to the craniological materials of the early Iron Age from the kurgans of Krivaya Luka tract in the Astrakhan region, which were excavated during ten field seasons. The rich anthropological material was obtained as a result of the excavations studied by A.V. Shevchenko, A.A. Kazarnitskiy, M.A. Balabanova, L.T. Yablonskiy. The anthropological materials of the Early Iron Age consisted of 85 skulls are studied in the current article using the traditional method of simple and multivariate statistics. As a result of the study, it was found out that the morphological appearance of cultural-chronological groups is similar to the rest of the synchronous population both from other burials grounds of the Lower Volga region and from adjacent territories. The Sarmatian type or the type of the ancient Eastern Caucasian is inherent for a small group of the pre-Savromatian period, as well as for the groups of the Savromatian and Early Sarmatian period. A small Middle Sarmatian male group demonstrates the combinations that characterize the subsequent Late Sarmatian population – the type of long-headed Caucasians. Whereas the female craniological type of the Late Sarmatian time is characterized by a set of features that define it as a Mongoloid-Caucasian mestizo. Both the total group of skulls and individual cultural-chronological groups turned out to be heterogeneous in terms of the intragroup structure. The anthropological type of the Early Iron Age population who left burials in the Krivaya Luka tract demonstrates diachronic variability, which was apparently associated with migrations. However, in the pre-Savromatian period, in comparison with the Late Bronze Age, this territory was occupied mostly by the type of ancient Eastern Caucasians which combines a mesobrachicranial lowvaulted cerebral box with a wide face, the horizontal profiling of which at the upper level is weakened, and the nose protruding sharply towards the profile line. The latter type remained there until the start of the Common era, and starting from the Middle Sarmatian time it changed to the type of long-headed Caucasians, which is associated with the penetration of alien groups. Among these migrants, apparently, there were also found carriers of the mixed Mongoloid-Caucasian complex.

scholarly journals Trepanations in Sauromato-Sarmatian Crania from the Lower Volga

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-148
Author(s):  
E. V. Pererva ◽  
N. Y. Berezina ◽  
M. V. Krivosheev
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Western Siberia ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
First Millennium ◽  
Medical Traditions

We describe artificial openings in crania of the Early Iron Age nomads of the Lower Volga region, owned by the Moscow State University’s Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology. Such openings were found in two male specimens of the Sauromato-Sarmatian age from Bykovo (burial 4, kurgan 13) and Baranovka (burial 2, kurgan 21). Using macroscopic and X-ray examination, we attempt to identify the surgical techniques and the reasons behind the operations. The cranial vault of the Bykovo individual was trepanned by scraping and cutting, for medical purposes. The man survived the surgery, as evidenced by healing. In the case of Baranovka, the operation was performed postmortem or peri-mortem by drilling and cutting, possibly for ritual purposes. Collating these cases with others relating to the Early Iron Age nomadic (Sauromato-Sarmatian) culture of the Lower Volga region and adjacent territories and with written and archaeological sources suggests that the closest parallels come from Central Asia, and Southern and Western Siberia, where the custom of post-mortem ritual trepanations was very common. The surgical techniques practiced in the Lower Volga region were likely due to the penetration of Greek and Roman medical traditions in the mid-first millennium BC.

scholarly journals Burials of the Early Iron Age of the Kurgans Cemetery “Bogomolnye Peski-I”

2020 ◽  
pp. 279-305
Author(s):  
Alexey Timofeev ◽  
◽  
Damir Soloviov ◽  
Georgiy Stukalov ◽  
Dmitriy Vasiliev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
The Village ◽  
The Bronze Age ◽  
Burial Rite

The article is dedicated to the publication of the materials of burials from the Early Iron Age, discovered during excavations of a crumbling kurgan which is a part of the cemetery “Bogomolnye Peski-I” close to the village of Nikolskoye, Enotaevsky district, Astrakhan region. In total, 14 burials were investigated during the rescue excavations, two of them relate to the Middle Ages, other seven belong to the Bronze Age. The article describes in detail 5 burials of the Early Iron Age. The dating of the burials is defined based on the materials and details of the burial rite. The earliest burial (No. 2) dates back to the Savromat era. It contained a decapitated rams carcase and a molded pot which is typical of assumed era. The rest of the burials belong to the Middle Sarmatian period (1st – 2nd centuries AD). One of the Middle Sarmatian burials was completely destroyed by robbers in ancient times. It was possible to find a lot of gold stripes of clothes among its containment, as well as a bronze cauldron with a tamga. Plaques and stripes are not typical of either the Savromat or the early Sarmatian cultures. Indeed, they are widely used in prestigious burials of the Middle Sarmatian culture. The burials No. 5 and No. 13, accompanied by a rich inventory, are of the greatest interest. A set of gold decorations for a funeral veil and a belt set of gold with turquoise inserts were found in burial No.5, which belong to the products of the Sarmatian polychrome style, typical of the Middle Sarmatian period. In addition, a gilded bronze dish related to Roman provincial dishes and an alabaster vessel were discovered there – a typical find of the Middle Sarmatian era. In burial No. 12, the most interesting findings, in addition to a large number of various beads, are intaglio gemstones made of red glass with plots of ancient mythology depicted on them, which are unique in their own way. Moreover, an interesting vessel shaped as a bird (duck) was found there as well. The close analogs to the latter are known in cemeteries of the 1st – 2nd centuries AD in the Kuban region. A feature of this kurgan is a large number of inlet burials of the Middle Sarmatian culture, whereas in general, the burials under individual mounds predominate in the Middle Sarmatian epoch. Key words: early Iron Age, barrow, Lower Volga region, Sarmatians, burial rite.

scholarly journals New Pre-Scythian Burials from the Volgograd Region. Interpretation Problems

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
Alexandr Dyachenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Late Bronze Age ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
Funeral Rite ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
Volgograd Region ◽  
Burial Mounds ◽  
Scythian Period

The article is devoted to the publication and analysis of new burial materials of the pre-Scythian period (9th – 7th centuries BC), obtained as a result of excavations of several burial mounds in the Volgograd region. The work was carried out by the expedition of Volgograd State University from the end of the past to the beginning of the present century. The burial mounds were located on the coastal terraces of the Don river and some of its tributaries, as well as on the steppe watersheds associated with the Don basin. The sample includes seven pre-Scythian burials, the burial rite and clothing material of which allows us to correlate them with the previously discovered monuments of the Chernogorovskaya Culture of the southern Russian steppes and date them within the boundaries of the initial stage of the early Iron Age. According to archaeological and anthropological data, various components were involved in the formation of this culture in the Lower Volga region and the neighbouring Don and the Volga-Ural regions. The basis was autochthonous substrates of the Late Bronze Age, as well as cultural formations derived from them at the final stage of the Late Bronze Age. The combination of local and imported cultural traditions is also reflected in the grave inventory of the studied series, especially in the ceramic complex, which shows technological and typological features of various origin. The variety of elements of the funeral rite and the mixed nature of the accompanying inventory of the presented burial series reflect the complex processes of cultural genesis in the Lower Volga region in the pre-Scythian period during transition to a nomadic economy.

scholarly journals The Population of the Bronze Age of the Lower Volga Region in the Works of Russian Anthropologists

2019 ◽  
pp. 205-223
Author(s):  
Evgeny Pererva ◽  
Alexandr Djachenko
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Bronze Age

Introduction. This work is a review of scientific publications on studying paleoanthropological materials of the Bronze Age originating from burial mounds of the Lower Volga region. Materials and Analysis. The paper begins with the analysis of articles and monographic studies of domestic authors, whose works were written in the period from the 30s to the late 80s of the 20th century. The so-called Soviet period in Russian anthropology is characterized by the dominance of the individual-typological approach in describing skeletal series of representatives of the Bronze Age cultures. The osteological collections from burial complexes of the Bronze Age of the Lower Volga region accumulated at this stage of the study were distinguished by a small number and low representativeness. The main conclusions were based on studying craniological samples. A great contribution to developing ideas on the racial and ethnic history of the Lower Volga region during this period was made by researchers G.F. Debets, V.V. Gizburg, V.I. Vuich, B.V. Firshtein, A.V. Shevchenko. The second part of the article is devoted to analyzing the results of anthropological research in the region in the works of modern Russian scientists.A distinctive feature of these works is that they are based on studying large-scale craniological series of broad temporal and territorial coverage. The studies of such scientists as A.A. Khokhlov, E.F. Batieva, A.A. Kazarnitsky, M.A. Balabanova use the complex approach in which classical methods of physical anthropology (craniology, osteology) are combined with the methods of statistical analysis and using data from Archaeology, Paleodemography, and Paleoecology. Results. The work shows the importance of using anthropological data as an independent source in paleohistorical constructions, as well as in the process of the archaeological study of various cultures of the Bronze Age that existed in the Lower Volga region.

scholarly journals Paleopathological peculiarities of the population of timber-grave (Srubnaya) culture of the Late Bronze Age originating from the burials of Archedino-Chernushensky Kurgan group

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Evgenii Vladimirovich Pererva ◽  
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Sitnikov
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
The Body ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Late Bronze Age ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
First Time

Skeletal remains from the burials of timber-grave period of the Late Bronze Age originating from kurgans of the Archedino-Chernushensky group served as the material for this research. The archaeological monument is located in the territory of the Frolovsky Municipal District of Volgograd Oblast. The remains of 12 individuals (6 adults, 4 children, and 2 adolescents) were explored. In the course of this research, the author applied the method of account for the occurrence of discretely varying traits on the skull and bones of postcranial skeleton, as well as evaluation program for dissemination of pathological characteristic developed by the national researchers A. A. Movsesyan, E. V. Pererva, A. P. Buzhilova. The archaeological explorations of group Archedino-Chernushensky Kurgan group were carried out in 2020. Therefore, the acquired anthropological materials are introduced into the scientific discourse for the first time. The author was able to establish that the equal number of children and adult burials can be attributed to timber-grave period. The examined skeletal remains of the Late Bronze Age of the Lower Volga Region demonstrate the signs of episodic stress (enamel hypoplasia) and distribution of diseases related to the deficiency of microelements in the body (porosis of the diaphysis in individuals who did not reach the age of puberty). The records of such type of deviations on anthropological materials of deviations indicates chronic stress associated with systematic occurrences of famine, which is natural for the population of the Late Bronze Age of the Lower Volga Region, who were involved in mixed farming. The excavations reveal the series of injuries of household and battle nature among adult population. The prevalent burial method of timber-grave culture Archedino-Chernushensky Kurgan group of appears to be the cremation ritual.   

scholarly journals Paleopathology Data on the Early Sarmatians of 4th – 3rd Centuries BC from the Lower Volga Region

2020 ◽  
pp. 74-91
Author(s):  
Evgeniy Pererva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Main Idea ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
Standard Assessment ◽  
Inflammatory Processes ◽  
Male Part ◽  
Culture Development ◽  
Continental Climate

The main idea of the article is to study paleoanthropological materials of the nomads dating back to the 4th – 3rd centuries BC from the territory of the Lower Volga region using paleopathological methods. The reason for addressing this topic was an attempt to identify pathological features of the early nomads from the Sarmatian epoch due to the existence of the problem of identifying monuments of 4th – 3rd centuries BC. The standard assessment program of pathological conditions on postcranial skeleton and skull bones developed by A.P. Buzhilova was applied in the course of work with the anthropological material [Buzhilova, 1995; 1998]. The main material for the current study was the bone remains of 16 individuals originating from burials under the barrows of early Sarmatian era within the territory of the Lower Volga region, dated 4th – 3rd centuries BC. As a result of the conducted research it was established that there is a common genetic origin, which unites all nomads of the early Iron Age of the South Russian steppes for the Savromatian-Sarmatian tribes. Furthermore, the settlement of population across the Volgograd Trans-Volga region in the 4th – 3rd centuries BC happened by the arrival of mainly male part of the population who adopted successfully to the negative environmental factors. The diet of the Sarmatians of the early Sarmatian culture development was based on meat and dairy products. A striking feature of the Sarmatians of the 4th – 3rd centuries BC is a lack of signs of inflammatory processes, which indicates an insignificant density of nomadic groups migrating to the Trans-Volga steppes. The high frequency rate of injuries and signs of exposure to low temperatures was detected among early Sarmatians compared to the nomads from a later period may be a result of a complex political situation provoked by a difficult environmental situation due to extremely continental climate and its aridization at that epoch.

scholarly journals Reticulated Ceramics of Umilenie Settlement

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (35) ◽  
pp. 49-64
Author(s):  
Alexander V. Novikov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Characteristic Feature ◽  
Ceramic Material ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Molding Compound ◽  
Low Profile ◽  
The Bronze Age ◽  
Important Site

The paper addresses the reticulated ceramics discovered in 1927 by V.I. Smirnov during the excavation of Umilenie settlement located in the vicinity of Lake Galichskoye. The characteristics of reticulated ware are provided, their local features are outlined, and the specifics of ceramic complexes is determined. The collection includes reticulated ceramics with speckled and thread imprints, smoothed and shaded; ware decorated with speckled prints is predominant. The most common molding compound recipe is sandy ferruginous clay with debris. The ceramics was ornamented only with imprints only, and the edge of the pot was often decorated. A characteristic feature in the ornamentation of reticulated ceramics is outlined, which is a zigzag of pits, sometimes consisting of two rows, in the upper part of the vessels. Low-profile pot forms prevail; profiled ceramics with a prominent ribbed shoulder and jar-shaped ware are present in smaller numbers. Umilenie settlement is an important site, and the study of its ceramic material makes it possible to raise urgent questions concerning the formation of reticulated ceramic traditions at the turn of the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age in the Kostroma Volga Region.

scholarly journals Paleopathological peculiarities of the Lower Volga Sauromates

2020 ◽  
pp. 171-183
Author(s):  
Evgenii Vladimirovich Pererva
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
History Of ◽  
First Time

This article discusses the paleopathological peculiarities of nomadic population of Sauromates, which originated from the kurgan burials of the Lower Volga region. The skeletal remains of 20 individuals were examined. In the process of work with anthropological material, was applied a standard program for assessing the instance of pathological conditions on skeleton developed by A. P. Buzhilova (1995, 1998). The national scholars of Soviet and post-Soviet period (B. N. Grakov, K. F. Smirnov, D. A. Machinsky, V. E. Maksimenko, M. G. Moshkova) dealt with the problems of genesis, periodization and evolution of the culture of the Lower Volga Sauromates. The history of anthropological examination of the nomads of the Lower Volga region of the VI – V centuries BC is scarce. This research is the first attempt for analyzing the pathological conditions on skeletal remains of the Lower Volga Sauromates. Paleopathological studies of skeletal remains of the nomads of the VI – V centuries BC from the territory of Lower Volga have not been conducted prior to that. Paleoanthropological materials are introduced into the scientific discourse for the first time. Some sculls of Sauromatian period have traces of unnatural deformation. The revealed pathologies on the anthropological materials of population of the VI – IV centuries BC from the territory of Lower Volga allow including it into the group of nomadic cultures of the Early Iron Age. The anthropological materials of the VI – IV centuries BC show evidence of using the skills of primitive medicine, as well as the knowledge of military field surgery.

scholarly journals Spearheads from Burials of Savromato-Sarmatian Time from the Territory of Volgograd Region (Materials for Catalogue)

2019 ◽  
pp. 34-50
Author(s):  
Vladimir Moiseev ◽  
Igor Budaev
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Early Iron Age ◽  
Lower Volga Region ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
Volgograd Region ◽  
The Social ◽  
Further Development

Introduction. Information about the armament and military arts of nomads of the Early Iron age can be obtained from writings of Greek and Roman authors, who note the warlike temper of Savromatian and Sarmatian tribes. They mention bows, swords and spears among the armament of nomads in their works. This information is confirmed by the archaeological material. Finds of spearheads in burials are quite rare and are ranked third after arrows and swords in percentage. Methods. The typological features of spearheads are based on the shape of their pen, which allows distinguishing two types of spears – leaf-shaped and lence-shaped. Analysis. This article is the beginning of the catalog of spearheads, darts and spear counter-weights found in the Lower Volga Region in Savromatian and Sarmatian monuments. At this moment, the authors have taken into account a sample of 29 spearheads, 3 darts and 3 spear counter-weights and made their typological analysis. Results. The typological analysis, which forms the basis of our classification of spearheads, allows tracing the development of this type of armament in Volgograd region. The further development of this topic will help to find typological interrelationships of spearheads, to clarify their chronological positions and features of mutual occurrence in burials with other types of armament and equipment. In turn, this analysis will help to determine the social status of the buried persons and their role in ethnopolitical processes.

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