scholarly journals «Pseudo-chambers» from the excavations of Kateryna Melnyk as a transitional link in development of the burial rite of Volyn population in the Early Middle ages

Author(s):  
Dmytro Bibikov

The article is devoted to a specific category of ancient Rus burial monuments of X–XI centuries. They combine the features of both elite chamber tombs of the Viking Age and ordinary Christian burials of the beginning of the II millennium AD. The author considered to combine such burials under the term «pseudo-chambers» or «imitation chambers». There are four types of them: 1) chambers with coffins; 2) ground chambers; 3) «earthen» chambers with wooden flooring, but without wall coverings; 4) «large burial pits» without wooden structures. In the article there is first analysis of the structural and ceremonial features of each of these chamber types. Moreover, the author identifies their peculiarities. The basis of the sample is taken from the materials of excavations headed by K. Melnyk in 1897–1898, which was the source of the greatest number of such monuments. Obviously, the erection of classical chamber tombs in the southern Rus territories ceased with the beginning of Christianization. However, the ancient Rus elite could not abandon this tradition completely, which was reflected in the appearance of imitation cameras. The vast majority of them inside permanent wooden structures contain a movablecoffin. This fact contradicts the basic idea of the classical chamber tombs as «houses of the dead» and indicates at least a significant influence of the Christian doctrine. The spread of pseudo-chambers in the territory of Volyn should undoubtedly be linked to the governmental activity of Volodymyr Sviatoslavych that may have been accompanied by an influx of people («greater men») from the Middle Dnieper. According to the composition of the funerary inventory and analogies from the adjacent territories, they can be dated from the end of X – the first half of XI centuries. Comprehensive analysis of construction features and funerary inventory of imitation chambers from the territory of Volyn does not allow us uniquely associate them with representatives of the ancient Rus elite. Within the region, mentioned monuments are not a direct line of development of classical chamber tombs, but merely imitate socially prestigious ceremonial elements of the latter. Key words: Ancient Rus, Volyn, funeral rite, imitation cameras, Christianization.

2013 ◽  
Vol 401-403 ◽  
pp. 1119-1123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Shu Lin ◽  
Jin Zhuo Wu

The elm wood samples were tested by the technique of stress wave, and the testing results were analyzed by using the statistic software of SPSS. The results showed that the moister content of wood, wood crack, the sizes of holes and numbers of holes have significant influence on propagation parameters and dynamic modulus of elasticity. Under the same specifications, the propagation time of the stress wave was longer in the wood with holes or cracks than the perfect wood samples, and the time become longer with the increasing the sizes and numbers of holes or cracks. The studying results of the thesis will provide a sound background for the application of stress-wave technique in detecting the inner defects of wood products and other wooden structures.


Author(s):  
Seregin N. ◽  
◽  
Tishkin A. ◽  
Matrenin S. ◽  
Parshikova T. ◽  
...  

The article presents a collection of iron tools from the burials of the Rouran period, studied at the Choburak-I funeral complex. The published materials come from eleven undisturbed burials excavated by the expedition of the Altai State University. The article provides information about twelve knives, four awls, and products with an unidentified functional purpose. The authors provided information on the peculiarities of the location of these items in the graves, made a morphological description of the recorded specimens, compared them with already known items from other sites of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture of Altai, and from complexes excavated in adjacent territories. It was established that the analyzed objects had a rather long period of existence within the framework of the Xianbei-Rouran period (2nd - 5th centuries AD). The published materials expand the source base for studying the life support system of the Altai population at the turn of the late antiquity and the Middle Ages. The presented findings actualize the continuation of research in the field of a comprehensive analysis of tools and household items of cattle breeders in the region in the indicated period. Keywords: altai, Bulan-Koby culture, tools, knife, Awl, chronology


2020 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 117-142
Author(s):  
Igor Shpyk ◽  

Background: The idea of the origin of the Slavic peoples from a single genetic root originated in the early Middle Ages and in all subsequent historical periods it served as a starting point for various mythologemes, ideologemes, theories and concepts. Even now, despite numerous attempts at deconstruction, they continue to function, producing “necessary” meanings and fueling established stereotypes. The later stages of their development are generally well studied, but the origin and initial establishment still remain a mystery. The greatest difficulty lies not so much in the small number and fragmentation of written reports on the early Slavs but in the absence of radically new, comprehensive interpretations. Purpose: The proposed investigation aims to initiate the filling of this gap by comprehensively considering the problem of forming the Slavic identity of Rus, through the prism not only of the original close interaction of Slavic peoples, but also the unique conditions and experience of their own Christian cultures, their remoteness, differences and alienations - perspectives still unexplored in the scientific literature. Results: Analysis of the episodes of the introductory part and Article dated 898 of the Tale of Bygone Years, which contain fragments of the oldest Slavic ethnogenetic ideas, shows their non-native origin. The image of the ancient Slavic community developed in the bosom of the Cyril and Methodius tradition. It penetrated Rus, apparently, in line with Western and South Slavic religious and cultural influences. At the same time, there was no single, more or less integral narrative. Rus chroniclers were forced to synthesize texts of different content and ideological direction and even genre, adapting them to their own historiographical concept. Although the term “Slavs” in Rus was actively used in the days before the writing of the Tale of Bygone Years, its functional potential was fully used only in the early XII century – thanks to the inculcation of the Rus identity – one of the pivotal and most deeply rooted structures of the collective historical consciousness. Key words: Rus, ethnogenetic notions, Slavic identity, The Tale of Bygone Years, Slavs, Cyril and Methodius tradition.


Author(s):  
Mila Samardžić

Languages in contact: a case of linguistic prestige The article aims to offer a review of the influences exerted by the Italian language (and the Venetian dialect) on the Serbian literary language as well as on the local dialects. These impacts date back to the Middle Ages and, in practice uninterruptedly, persist to the present day. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate how, due to socio-economic and cultural circumstances, Italian has been able to establish itself as a prestigious language compared to Serbian and how the relationship between the two languages over the centuries has always been essentially monodirectional. Key words: Language loans, Contact Linguistics, Italian, Serbian, Linguistic Prestige


2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
Lindsay Dunbar ◽  
Mike Roy

The islands of Orkney have long been associated with examples of Viking-age activity and often yield unique and well preserved records from the Viking and Late Norse periods. Investigations on the island of Sanday in Orkney, as part of a call off contract for human remains between Historic Environment Scotland and AOC Archaeology Group, have revealed the presence of an inhumation in association with an iron knife. Further investigation reveals that the burial is that of an adolescent skeleton (12–17 years). The north-east/south-west alignment of the body, in a flexed position, and its association with an iron knife indicates a pre-Christian burial rite, in line with a 9th or 10th century AD date, which corresponds with radiocarbon dating carried out on the skeletal remains. This burial contributes a new record to the wealth of evidence from around this period within the surrounding landscape on the island of Sanday.


Author(s):  
O.F. Khairullina ◽  
E.M. Chernykh

The paper is focused on burial grounds of the Mazunino Culture (or Mazunino stage of the Cheganda Cul-ture of the Pyany Bor Cultural-Historical Community by R.D. Goldina) in the Middle Kama Region. They date to the 3rd–5th c. AD and chronologically correlate with the Great Migration Period. The processes of major and minor migrations of that time had an impact on various components of the autochthonous Kama Region cultures. The focus of our research is the burials with throwing weapons, primarily arrowheads found in the Mazunino archers’ burials. The interest in throwing weapon was trigged by the heuristical observation of anthropologist Ivan G. Shi-robokov for the Boyar «Aray» cemetery, where the existence of morphological differences in a group of buried men with arrowheads was statistically proven. To examine this phenomenon, a working hypothesis was put for-ward: intra-group differences of one small necropolis could be reflected in the burial rite and the grave goods of all Mazunino archers’ burials. In total, 148 burials and 146 skeletons with arrowheads from 12 necropolises of the Mazunino Culture have been examined. The comparative analysis of the burial rite features demonstrated a sta-ble correlation between the presence of arrowheads and male burials. The archers’ burials correspond to the burial practices of the majority of the Mazunino population. Rare deviations suggest close relations between local communities and other cultures and ethnicities, primarily with nomadic tribes. Bone arrowheads as a primary weapon of the Mazunino warriors continue the previous traditions of the Ananyino, Pyany Bor (Cheganda) / Kara-Abyz Cultures. A comprehensive analysis of the inter-occurrence of implements in male equipment with arrow-heads allowed distinguishing two conventional groups of burials. The first one is characterized by the presence of only arrowheads in the burial equipment. These grave goods were typical for Mazunino population and consisted of ordinary belts, iron knives, beads, etc. The second group was significantly different, as these were individuals who were skilled in using various weapons, and their kit included various types of weapons for both close and long-range combat. Probably, there was a military gradation among such archers, which needs to be supported by analysis of a larger number of the Mazunino burials. The results of our work need to be verified using the an-thropological materials from other Mazunino burial grounds.


Author(s):  
Taras Mylian

Territory of the upper reaches of Western Bug River, especially the annalistic of Belz in Solokiya and its surroundings, is rich in archeological sites. In 2016, as part of the Program «Protection and Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of the Lviv Region for 2016–2018», conservation research was conducted at the settlement Belz 22 (Hora). It is a multi-layered settlement with cultural and chronological horizons from the final Paleolithic to modern times. Information and research on it were conducted with advantages during XX century however, for the first time in the settlement; remains of a Slavic dwelling-semi-dugout (object 20) of the Prague culture were discovered and studied. Research has shown that dwelling had two periods of functioning. Traces of restructuring were confirmed, which led to a reduction of the area and changing of the shape – from rectangular to square. Evidence of the reconstruction was the remains of two clay ovens, the oldest of which was partially cut down by a later wall. Under the remains of this wall above the furnace a Roman denarius of the II century was found. Ovens are built on special sites made of compacted clay. The older oven has a dome lined with special rollers. Discovered material is represented mainly by handmade ceramic pots, some of them are reconstructed. Some of the forms of utensils were common during the late V – early VI centuries, and the other part – during the second half of VI – early VII century. This division corresponded to the periods of housing. An important find was the weights for the loom, which were reused to build the oven. An additional evidence of the development of weaving in the settlement is a bi-conical spinner with flat platforms, which comes from dwelling. The settlement on the outskirts of the annalistic Belz is characterized by permanence and genetic connection throughout the Middle Ages – from individual Slavic settlements in this region to the creation of a separate principality around the big city. Key words: Prague culture, Belz, Solokiya, dwelling, oven, ceramics, denarius.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 93-107
Author(s):  
N. Eniosova ◽  
◽  
V. Singkh ◽  

The paper presents a study of the wooden finial in the form of a ram head that was found in Novgorod the Great on the Troitsky XII site. The ornament of fragmentarily preserved object combines elements of Mammen, Borre and Winchester styles that are characteristic for the Viking Age applied art of Scandinavia and the British Isles. Possible attribution of the detail as the skillfully carved wooden chair-throne finial testifies for the high social status of the Prop- erty owner. It indicates to Scandinavians among the first settlers of the Property and reflects their pagan cult practices. The dendrochronological dating obtained for the wooden structures fits well with the dates (950–1050 A. D.) proposed for the Mammen style within Scandinavia and the British Isles.


Kavkaz-forum ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 101-119
Author(s):  
Г.Н . Вольная (Керцева)

Материальная культура позднего средневековья Дигорского ущелья Северной Осетии недостаточно хорошо изучена по сравнению с другими периодами. В статье впервые представлен комплекс археологических памятников, расположенных на Поляне Мацута Дигорского ущелья: памятники, их расположение, история изучения. Цель исследования – рассмотреть Поляну Мацута как погребальный и культовый комплекс, где находятся позднесредневековые полуподземные склепы, каменные ящики, менгиры, цырты, «нартовский» ныхас, поселения кобанского и аланского периодов. Это памятники являются почитаемыми у местного населения, упоминаются в нартовском эпосе. В статье использовались полевые методы исследования, метод анализа и аналогий. В статье представлен авторский материал спасательных раскопок 2020 г. «Грунтового могильника Мацута I, средневековье» XVI-XVIII вв. в зоне реализации проекта «Строительство фельдшерско-акушерского пункта в с. Мацута». Могильник представляет собой погребения в каменных ящиках. Всего было раскопано 75 ящиков, в которых покойные лежали вытянуто на спине головой на запад с широтными отклонениями. Некоторые ранние погребения сопровождаются обрядом кремации. Погребальный обряд находит аналогии в горной Балкарии. Для погребального обряда характерно отсутствие керамической посуды в погребениях. Над ранними погребениями могильника была устроена тризна с кремацией и большим количеством фрагментированной керамики, скорее всего местного производства. Погребальный инвентарь достаточно беден и характерен для горнокавказской культуры позднего средневековья. Во взрослых погребениях найдены одежда, обувь, пояса, головные уборы, пояса; в женских – украшения; в мужских – ножи, оселки. В детских погребениях (в большинстве случаев) слева от головы обнаружены только куриные яйца, либо погребальный инвентарь совсем отсутствует. Отмечается высокая детская смертность. Детские погребения составляют почти 50% от всего числа раскопанных погребений. The material culture of the late middle ages of the Digor gorge in North Ossetia is not well studied in comparison with other periods. The article presents for the first time a complex of archaeological monuments located in The Matsuta Glade of the Digor gorge: monuments, their location, and history of study. The purpose of the study is to consider the Matsuta Glade as a funerary and cult complex, where there are late medieval semi-underground crypts, stone boxes, menhirs, tsyrts, "nartovsky" Nykhas, settlements of the Koban and Alan periods. These monuments are revered by the local population, mentioned in the Nart epic. The article uses field research methods, the method of analysis and analogies. The article presents the author's material of rescue excavations in 2020 of the "Ground burial ground of Matsuta I, middle ages" of the XVI-XVIII centuries in the area of the project "Construction of a paramedic and midwifery station in the village of Matsuta". The burial ground is a burial in stone boxes. In total, 75 boxes were excavated, in which the deceased lay stretched out on their backs with their heads facing West with latitude deviations. Some early burials are accompanied by a cremation ceremony. The funeral rite finds analogies in the mountainous Balkaria. The funeral rite is characterized by the absence of ceramic dishes in the burials. A funeral feast with cremation and a large amount of fragmented pottery, most likely of local production, was built over the early burials of the burial ground. The grave goods are rather poor and typical for mountain Caucasian culture of the late middle ages. In adult burials found clothes, shoes, belts, headwear, belts; women's jewelry; the men's knives, whetstones. In most children's burials, only chicken eggs are found to the left of the head, or there is no burial equipment at all. Children's funerals account for almost 50% of the total number of excavated graves.


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