Finds of Lithospermum Nuts at Archaeological Sites in Ukraine

Lithospermum officinale L. and Buglossoides arvensis (L.) I.M. Johnston [syn. Lithospermum arvense L.] nuts were found among the fossil grains and seeds in the materials of various archaeological cultures of the territory of Ukraine. These finds have attracted the researchers’ attention for their large number, which sometimes reaches tens of thousands. Why were our ancestors interested in these small, unattractive plants? They have neither brightly fragrant flowers, nor edible fruits. The oldest and largest find, more than 40,000 nuts of Lithospermum officinale L., was found in two pots from Trypillia settlement Ozhevo-Ostriv (the last phase of ВІ — В / I stages, Cucuteni A4) dated by the last third of the 5th millennium BC. For what purpose was such a number of nuts collected? In the article there is data on the finds of gromwell nuts in Europe and the reasons for their gathering. There are several of them: the usage of nuts for future crops and preparation of plants roots with red coloring; making beads from nuts; the usage of nuts in herbal medicine as diuretics, anesthetics and as an aphrodisiac. For what purpose was a large number of nuts collected by the residents of Trypillia settlement Ozhevo-Ostriv? The ancient population may have used nuts as a folk remedy and as a dye. However, the laying of vessels with nuts under the platform No. 4 at the Ozhevo-Ostriv settlement did not imply such household usage. Probably, these nuts were collected and placed in vessels for ritual purposes and they should be considered as ritual items. The finds in materials from other archaeological cultures are less numerous. It is possible that gromwell nuts were used as herbal medicine or as a dye. The gromwell nuts are also of interest to modern researchers. Thanks to recent studies by K. Pustovoytov and S. Riehl, the possibility of using biogenic carbonate from the shells of nuts for radiocarbon dating has been established. Thus, the biogenic carbonate of the nut shell is a new source of chronological information. The same researchers established the relationship between the isotopic composition of oxygen from the biogenic carbonate of nuts and climatic conditions.

THE RITUAL OF TWIN BURIALS IN KUDASHEVSKY I BURIAL GROUND OF PERM PRIKAMYE

The article deals with the features of the funeral rite of the ancient population - twin burials on the example of the Kudashevsky I burial ground (3 - 5 centuries AD), located in the Bardymsky district of the Perm Region. In the ground part of the monument in the rows, along with individual pits are allocated a slightly larger size, but having the same orientation to the cardinal directions. All twin burials of the monument have inventory that does not differ from individual burials in the composition and number of items. But some details in the decoration of the burial place twin graves differ from individual graves. The funerary wooden structures in the graves represent separate places for each of the pair and differ in morphological details. Grave items of weapons and household items are found in men's graves, as well as in individual graves. Comparison of the accompanying inventory allows you to determine the gender and status of a person in a pair, to identify important people - men who played a significant role in the military and women who have set neck jewelry - necklaces. Armaments and household items were found in male graves, jewelry and household items in female burials, as well as in individual graves. The study of things in the burials made it possible to date the twin graves to the time of the late 4 - early 5 centuries. The issue of semantics of twin burials is considered. Twin burials are associated with the processes of assimilation of the newcomer population into the local population. Analogs to twin burials from burial sites of the middle of the 1 Millennium AD of the Perm and Udmurt Kama region are given.

ASSYRIAN PARALLELS TO THE NART EPOS OF THE OSSETIANS

Статья рассматривает параллели к нартовскому эпосу осетин в фольклоре современных ассирийцев – этнической группы родом из Месопотамии. Если современные ассирийцы являются потомками древнего населения Ассирии, то осетины – потомки скифов, которые в прошлом атаковали Ассирийскую империю. Фольклор ассирийцев испытал сильное иранское влияние. Их сказки содержат множество иранских мотивов, часть которых перекликается с нартовским эпосом. В частности, в ассирийских сказках присутствует волшебная яблоня, плоды которой похищают сверхъестественные силы. Ложась спать с женой своего брата-близнеца, герой сказки кладет свою саблю между ними. С помощью орла, птенцов которого он спас, герой ассирийских сказок обычно выбирается из подземного мира. В некоторых сказках он попадает во враждебный дом, переодетым в женское платье, под видом невесты, соблазняет там женщину. Он охотится на джейрана, серну или газель, которые оказываются девушками-колдуньями. Находит соответствие в нартовском эпосе и мотив огромной антропоморфной лягушки. В ассирийских сказках есть также волшебное зеркало и чудесный котел, в котором варятся змеи, лягушки и черепахи. Герой похищает этот котел. Фигурируют там и морские кони. Советы коня помогают герою привезти чудесное дерево из охраняемого сада. Три героя состязаются за находку, рассказывая случаи из жизни. История одного из них заключается в том, что он был превращен ведьмой в быка, но девушка-волшебница помогает ему расколдоваться и наказать ведьму. Встречаются и амазонские мотивы. Как и у осетин, в ассирийской сказке есть мотив руки, высовывающейся из морской пучины. С осетинскими преданиями сближается история о трех купленных советах. Мотив рождения ребенка, жеребенка и щенка в сочетании с мотивом женщины, которая неузнанной соблазняет своего мужа, дабы проучить его, особенно близки нартовскому эпосу. The article examines the parallels to the Nart epos of the Ossetians in the folklore of modern Assyrians, an ethnic group indigenous to Mesopotamia. If the modern Assyrians are the descendants of the ancient population of Assyria, then the Ossetians are the descendants of the Scythians who attacked the Assyrian Empire in the past. The folklore of the Assyrians underwent strong Iranian influence. Their tales contain many Iranian motives, some of which have something in common with the Nart epos. In particular, in Assyrian tales there is a magic apple tree, the fruits of which are stolen by supernatural forces. Going to bed with the wife of his twin brother, the hero of the fairy tale puts his sword between them. With the help of the eagle, whose nestlings he saved, the hero of Assyrian tales is usually got out of the underworld. In some tales, he enters in a hostile house dressed in a woman's dress, disguised as a bride, and seduces a woman there. He hunts gazelle, chamois or gazelle, which turn out to be witch girls. The motive of a huge anthropomorphic frog finds a correspondence in the Nart epos as well. In Assyrian tales, there is also a magic mirror and a wonderful cauldron in which snakes, frogs and turtles are boiled. The hero kidnaps this cauldron. There are also sea horses. The horse’s advice helps the hero to bring a wonderful tree from the protected garden. Three heroes compete for a find, telling stories from their life. The story of one of them is that he was turned into a bull by a witch, but a girl sorceress helps him to disenchant and punish the witch. There are also Amazon motives. Like among the Ossetians, in the Assyrian fairy tale there is a motive of a hand sticking out from the depths of the sea. The story of three purchased councils comes close to the Ossetian legends. The motive of the birth of a child, a foal, and a puppy, combined with the motive of a woman who, being unrecognized, seduces her husband in order to teach him a lesson, are especially close to the Nart saga.

Accompanying Burials of Horses in the Funeral Rite of the Population of the Bystryanka Culture of Altai in the Scythian-Saka Time

The article presents the results of the study of one of the elements of the ritual practice of the population of the Bystryanka archaeological culture — the tradition of arranging accompanying burials of horses to a person's burial. The analysis of materials from excavations of all known necropolises of the northern foothills of Altai of the Scythian-Saka time with the involvement of information about the complexes of «early» nomads in adjacent territories is carried out. Despite the known limitations of the source base, including those associated with the robbery of most of the objects, the available data turned out to be sufficient to indicate the key characteristics of horse burials made by the population of the Bystryanka culture. It was found that one horse or several animals were in 59 objects studied at 18 burial grounds, which is about a third of the recorded complexes. As a rule, the horse was placed on the step to the right of the deceased person, parallel to it and was oriented in the same sector of the horizon as the deceased, most often in the western direction. The fixation of elements of equipment on horses probably reflects the key «transport» function of animals in the ritual practice of the ancient population.

Accessing Ancient Population Lifeways through the Study of Gastrointestinal Parasites: Paleoparasitology

Paleoparasitology is a discipline of bioarchaeology that studies human and animal parasites and their evolution through time. It is at the frontier between biological sciences and the humanities, and aims to provide valuable clues about the lifestyles of former populations. Through examples chosen among recent case studies, we show in this review how paleoparasitology contributes to issues related to food, health, hygiene, organic waste management, and site occupation by ancient populations, but also, in the longer term, to questions of the evolution of the human/animal relationship and the history of diseases. This article provides an overview of this research field, its history, its concepts, and in particular, its applications in archaeology and the history of diseases.

BOOK REVIEW: R.N. MIRZOEV. ARMAMENT OF THE ANCIENT POPULATION OF THE NORTH-EASTERN CAUCASUS (III-II THOUSAND BC)

We present to your attention a review of the book by R.N. Mirzoev "Armament of the ancient population of the North-Eastern Caucasus (III-II THOUSAND BC)".

Stabilization of cultural innovations depends on population density: Testing an epidemiological model of cultural evolution against a global dataset of rock art sites and climate-based estimates of ancient population densities

Demographic models of human cultural evolution have high explanatory potential but weak empirical support. Here we use a global dataset of rock art sites and climate and genetics-based estimates of ancient population densities to test a new model based on epidemiological principles. The model focuses on the process whereby a cultural innovation becomes endemic in a population, predicting that this cannot occur unless population density exceeds a critical threshold. Analysis of the data, using a Bayesian statistical framework, shows that the model has stronger empirical support than a proportional model, where detection is directly proportional to population density, or a null model, where rock art detection ratios and population density are independent. Results for different geographical areas and periods are compatible with the predictions of the model and confirm its superiority with respect to the null model. Re-analysis of the rock art data, using a second set of independent population estimates, again supports the superiority of the model. Although the available data is sparse and the analysis cannot exclude all possible sources of bias, this is evidence that population density above a critical threshold may be a necessary condition for the maintenance of rock art as a stable part of a population’s cultural repertoire. Methods similar to those described can be used to test the model for other classes of archaeological artifact and to compare it against other models.

Positive Attitudes To "Dev" In Central Asian People

The article examines the attitude of the ancient population of Central Asia to the culture of Daevаs (Diwas), as well as factors influencing the formation of Zoroastrianism.