Dwellings of the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic in the Mari Volga Region

The paper studies the construction of residential buildings in the Stone Age of the Mari Volga Region. We have analyzed buildings on the settlements of the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic periods of the Mari Volga Region. The main principles of house building of the Mesolithic era of the Mari Volga Region are highlighted. In view of the fact that the complexes under consideration are located in the same landscape zone, a number of indicators may be similar. However, there will be differences on several points of comparison that may lead to discussions. For example, such an indicator as the prevalence of finds in the inter-dwelling space or their absence. In total, 38 structures of the Mesolithic and 35 structures of the Early Neolithic era were analyzed. To summarize, seven indicators of housing construction were selected. It is characteristic that in the Mari Volga Region most of the Neolithic sites are multilayered, however, none of the Mesolithic sites in the region has yet been found to contain early Neolithic ceramics. You can trace the difference in buildings more clearly. The presence of ground structures on the Neolithic settlements is obvious, while the local Mesolithic ones are ubiquitous semi-dugouts. Having a topographic distribution of settlements and short-term sites, a planigraphy of dwellings, as well as a presence of separate industrial and residential buildings in the Early Neolithic and Late Mesolithic, we face the problem of chronological division of the Neolithization process in the forest belt.

Stone Kurgans of the Southern Urals, “Irendyk-Kryktyn Group of Nomads” and “Settled Down Sako-Sarmatians”

Based on the available archaeological material, the article covers a number of issues related to the kurgans of nomads from the middle of the 1st millennium BC within the sub-mountain zone of the Bashkir Trans-Urals, embankments of which were built using stone. The author analyses the representativeness of archaeological records, provides typological and chronological attribution of the burial complexes. Previously these materials allowed to identify the “Irendyk-Kryktyn nomadic group” which existed in the considered landscape zone. According to the author, the investigated stone kurgans are divided into two groups. The first one might be dated back to the Saka Age (VII-VI centuries BC), the second one belongs to the Savromatian-Sarmatian period (not earlier that the mid of V-IV centuries BC). Within the existing chronology there is no explanation for the time gap between those periods. Hereby, this fact may indicate the presence of two culturally unrelated nomadic groups. The analysis of the archaeological material allows us to say that the signs of the burial rite, which are typical for the monuments of the foothill strip of the Bashkir Trans-Ural (Irendyk-Kryktyn group), are widespread far beyond this landscape zone, and are common for nomads who left stone kurgans in the steppe part of the region on both sides of the Ural Ridge. Furthermore, the author draws attention to the existing statement about the process of sedentarization of nomads of this region in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. The study of the source base on this issue shows that single finds of ceramic in “settlements” of nomads are their common locations. Settlement monuments in the mountainous Urals and steppe Trans-Urals, where few fragments of Kenotkel and Gafurian tableware were found, demonstrate the lack of dwellings, tools and remnants of handicraft production. This fact testifies to the temporary or episodic nature of the appearance of small groups of population at such monuments, and is not associated with nomads. Moreover, the sedentarization of nomads in the northern marginal zone is not confirmed by either historical or ethnographic sources. The article contains materials to supplement the archaeological records for studying issues related to stone kurgans.

Geotourism on XIII Koto Kampar: an Approach for Sustainable Eco-Geo System

XIII Koto Kampar has become one of the potential geotourism destinations in Riau Province. The beauty of geomorphological view of XIII Koto Kampar is the main attraction for tourism. This study aims to expose the uniqueness of geological conditions that form the geomorphological of study for educational, social and economic purposes. The method used for this study is a combination of geological and geomorphological mapping and assess the inventory of geosites. Geomorphological of study area is consist of wide lake with some islands on it. Based on the elevation, geomorphology of study area devided into four which are flatland, gentle hill, steep hill and very steep hill. The result of geological mapping shown there are two dominated rock claystone and sandstone. Geotourism potential of study area classified into three main zone namely geomorphological landscape zone, water play zone and waterfall zone. Sustainable system of geotourism of XIII Koto Kampar is potential livelihood to increase the economical of local society.

Production landscapes and their demutation (on the example of sugar beet industry of Ukraine)

The production landscapes including territories of the plants, factories, mines, power plants, industrial zones are considered as a product of an industrial tehnogenesis, and tehnogenesis itself is considered as a process of landscape formation. Industrial landscape is regarded as production landscape formed under man-made cover - industrial building and remote equipment. As a functional unity, the production landscapes of a given technological cycle form an industrial-landscape zone. Production landscapes of sugar plants of Ukraine are considered. The diversity and specificity of morpholitogenic basis, soils and plant communities peculiar to different types of production landscapes of sugar plants are shown. The processes of demutation of different industrial landscapes of sugar plants, which were abandoned in different periods of XX century, have been studied. The stages of destruction of their man-made cover, transformation of terrain, change of soils and vegetation are described. On the basis of the field survey of 68 operating and abandoned sugar plants of Ukraine, 8 stages of destruction of industrial building and 4 phases of demutation of industrial landscapes have been identified.