Analysis of the genus thymus of the southeastern part of the northern caucasus

The paper presents the analysis of the genus Thymus of the flora of the South-East of the North Caucasus. Revealed the total species, compiled an aspect of the genus Thymus, and conducted the analysis's bioecological, geographical composition. In the investigated territory, we have registered eight thymus species, distributed mainly in xerophilic types of vegetation: steppe, friganoid, alpine, meadow-steppe, and meadow societies.

FROM THE HISTORY OF HORSEBREEDING AT ABAZINS OF THE NORTHERN CAUCASUS

The aquatic part of this article provides a brief historical information about the Abaza people (Abaza, Abkhaz, Ubykh), who have inhabited the territory of the North-West and South Caucasus since ancient times. The main part of the article examines the history of horse breeding of the Abaza people, starting from ancient times. In the final part, the modern stage of development of the Abaza horse breeding is described

RUSSIAN COSSACKS OF THE SOUTH OF RUSSIA AND THE NORTHERN CAUCASUS: TRENDS AND PROSPECTS

В рамках данной статьи рассматриваются проблемы возрождения казачества на Северном Кавказе и Юге России. Современное казачество – это один из основных факторов, влияющих на социально-политическую ситуацию Северного Кавказа и Юга России. Однако формирование и возрождение казачества в постсоветский период носит достаточно амбивалентный характер, который в разных социально-политических и экономических обстоятельствах способен формировать противоположные тенденции как самих казачьих движений, так и самым серьезным образом влиять на различные процессы, протекающие в регионе. К сожалению, в силу объективных и иных обстоятельств, проблемы возрождения современного казачества не стали предметом серьезных исследований в рамках научного дискурса. При всем видимом многообразии различных публикаций на тему казачества, к сожалению, отсутствуют единые научные методологические подходы к изучению данного явления общественной жизни. Несмотря на то, что процессы «возрождения казачества» охватили значительное количество людей, особенно в начальный период своего развития, однако в научном дискурсе данный феномен так и не стал предметом междисциплинарного анализа и дискурса. «Казачья тема» фактически сразу была застолблена публицистами или псевдонаучными исследованиями, авторы которых или весьма слабо, или весьма ангажировано ориентировались в истории и специфике «возрождения казачества». В предлагаемом исследовании мы постарались отойти от упрощенства, свойственного псевдоисследованиям казачьей тематики, в основе которых зачастую лежит дескриптивный (описательный) подход к оценке как «возрождения», так и специфики современного казачества. Для наиболее плодотворного анализа перспектив и рисков развития современного казачьего движения был использован проблемно-хронологический подход, который позволил проанализировать развитие казачества в достаточно сжатых временных рамках. Within the framework of this article, the problems of the revival of the Cossacks in the North Caucasus and the South of Russia are considered. The modern Cossacks are one of the main factors influencing the socio-political situation in the North Caucasus and South of Russia. However, the formation and revival of the Cossacks in the post-Soviet period is rather ambivalent in nature, which in different socio-political and economic circumstances is able to form opposite tendencies, both of the Cossack movements themselves, and in the most serious way to influence various processes taking place in the region. Unfortunately, due to objective and other circumstances, the problems of the revival of the modern Cossacks have not become the subject of serious research within the framework of scientific discourse. With all the visible variety of various publications on the topic of the Cossacks, unfortunately, there are no uniform scientific methodological approaches to the study of this phenomenon of public life. Despite the fact that the processes of the "revival of the Cossacks" covered a significant number of people, especially in the initial period of their development, however, in the scientific discourse, this phenomenon has not become the subject of interdisciplinary analysis and discourse. The "Cossack theme" was practically immediately privatized by publicists or pseudoscientific studies, the authors of which were either very weak or very biased in the history and specifics of the "revival of the Cossacks." In the proposed study, we tried to move away from the simplification inherent in pseudo-studies of Cossack topics, which are often based on a descriptive approach to assessing both the “revival” and the specifics of the modern Cossacks. For the most fruitful analysis of the prospects and risks of the development of the modern Cossack movement, a problem-chronological approach was used, which made it possible to analyze the development of the Cossacks in a fairly short time frame.

SPECTRAL and FOCAL PARAMETERS of NORTHERN CAUCASUS EARTHQUAKES in 2015

The dynamic sources parameters of 29 earthquakes of the North Caucasus for 2015 with KR=9.5–11.4, determined from 38 S-wave amplitude spectra are analyzed. Records of four regional digital seismic stations, “Anapa”, “Kislovodsk”, “Makhachkala” and “Sochi”, located no more than 300 km from the sources are used. For the environment near these stations, the values of the frequency-dependent Q-factor, necessary for recalculating the station spectra to the focal ones. In 2015, the majority of earthquakes studied were located in the Eastern Caucasus. The dependence between log M0 and KR for this zone was constructed using together with the data for 2010–2014.

SEISMICITY of the NORTHERN CAUCASUS in 2015

Seismic monitoring in the region in 2015 was carried out by a seismic network consisting of 59 stations. Digital equipment was installed at all stations in the second half of the year. The network capability was assessed by the level of seismic noise at the stations: in most of the region, the network provided registration of an earthquake from КR7.0, in the central (including the Greater Sochi region) and eastern parts of the region – КR6.0, and in some local zones with КR5.5. 2,276 earthquakes were registered, 17 earthquakes were felt in the settlements of the Caucasus. The maximum intensity VII at MSK-64 (SSI-17) scale was noted from the earthquake in the territory of Azerbaijan. The earthquake on November 3, which occurred on the platform territory within the Stavropol arch, felt IV at MSK-64. The strongest earthquakes were recorded in the Terek-Caspian and Kura troughs and in the eastern part of the Greater Caucasus. The seismicity of the North Caucasus in 2015 in accordance with the seismicity scale "SOUS-09" was set as the "background average" for the observation period from 1962 to 2015.

Industrial stones of the Northern Caucasus: gypsum, anhydrite, gagate

На основании изучения геологических отчетов и публикаций определены поделочные камни Северного Кавказа, осадочного хемогенного и органогенного проис- хождения. Приведено краткое геологическое описание наиболее типичных проявлений и месторождений гипса, ангидрита и гагата. Рассмотрены время образования, цветовая палитра камней этих типов. Определены территории и геологические разрезы, благо- приятные для их поисков. Based on investigation of geological reports and papers amongst industrial stones of the Northern Caucasus have been defi ned stones of sedimentary chemogenic and organogenous origin. The briefl y geological description of the most typical manifestations and deposits of gypsum, anhydrite, gagate have been depicted. Time of origin, colous palette of these types of stones are discussed. The territories and geological sections which are favourable for prpecting are defi ned.

Fish occurrence in the Kuban River Basin (Russia)

This publication describes a dataset containing information on 1328 occurrences of fishes in the Kuban River Basin, the longest river of Northern Caucasus and representing its own freshwater ecoregion (428 Kuban Ecoregion). All observations have precise geo-referencing with the names of water bodies (rivers, lakes etc.). The dataset is based on both literature data (509 occurrences) and our own sampling (814 occurrences). Observations were carried out between 1889 and 2020. The majority (> 61%) of occurrences in the presented data are published for the first time. This extended dataset contributes significantly to fish fauna survey in the Kuban River ecoregion.

NEW FINDS OF ANTHROPOMORPHIC FIGURINES OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN CULTURE IN THE CENTRAL FORE-CAUCASUS

Статья посвящена публикации погребальных комплексов с алебастровыми и глиняными антропоморфными статуэтками развитого и позднего этапов северокавказской культуры (XXVIII - нач. XXV в. до н. э.), обнаруженными в Центральном Предкавказье в 2000-2014 гг. В работе приводятся описание и датировка пяти погребений, содержавших 14 таких статуэток (рис. 1-3). На основе анализа общей источниковой базы (9 погребений, 21 статуэтка) рассматриваются закономерности расположения захоронений со статуэтками в насыпях курганов и самих статуэток внутри погребений, возрастной состав погребенных, классификация статуэток по материалу изготовления, форме, размерам и орнаментации (рис. 5). Далее приводятся аргументы в пользу происхождения антропоморфных статуэток северокавказской культуры от культовой пластики так называемого серезлиевского типа Северного Причерноморья (конец IV тыс. до н. э.). В заключение на основе картографирования находок статуэток на территории Центрального Предкавказья (рис. 4) предлагается название для данной серии культовых предметов: статуэтки «подкумского» типа. This paper publishes funerary assemblages with alabaster and clay anthropomorphic figurines of the developed and late stages of the North Caucasian culture (XXVIII - early XXV centuries BC) discovered in the central Fore-Caucasus in 20002014. The article describes and dates five graves containing 14 figurines (Fig. 1-3). Based on the analysis of the overall source database (9 graves, and 21 figurines), the paper explores the location pattern of the graves with the figurines in the kurgan mounds and the figurines themselves inside the graves, age composition of the deceased, classification of the figurines by material they are made from, size and decoration (Fig. 5). The authors provide arguments that help trace the origin of the Northern Caucasus figurines to religious cult figurines of the so called Serezlievka type in the North Pontic region (late IV mill. BC). In the final section of the paper this series of the religious cult figurines is proposed to be called the Podkumok type of figurines based on the mapping of the figurine finds from the Central Fore-Caucasus.

Undo Caves Multi-staged Karstic System and Temporary Camp of the Neanderthal Hunters

In Georgia, a strong foundation for scientific study of this period was developed in 1930-ies. Since then more than 500 Paleolithic sites were identified The frequency of paleolithic sites on the territory of Georgia was determined by geographic position of Georgia itself, as it is situated at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe According to some archaeologists the archaeological evidence demonstrates the different local-cultural groups. Despite the small territory we have at least 5 local-cultural versions in the Middle Palaeolithic singled out with us four out of which are represented in the Rioni-Kvirila basin (Fig ). Most quantity of levallois industries were recovered in Imereti region (Western Georgia). 1. Drouchula,-Kudaro Local-cultural group.Mousterian assemblages characterized by blades and elongated points, as recovered in Drouchula, Tsona,Kudaro and other sites, resemble the “Tabun D-type” and Hummallian entities in the Levant.Unfortunatly, we have not the dates from this sites, but we assume that they are younger than Levantian “Tabun-D type”; at the same time, this industry has some similarities with the Northern-Caucasus Miqoqian industries , as well. 2. Tsutskhvati caves Local-cultural group. Multi-stage cave system characterized by the industry which resemble the Zagros region, but there are some differences-the non-Levalloias industry of Tsutskhvati is denticulated; 3. Tskaltsitela local-cultural group- Levalloiasian, denticulated industry (by M.Nioradze); 4. Tsopi Local-cultural.The industry of Tsopi site differs from above mentioned sites by the high quantity of the tools of Quina and Demi-Quina type; 5. Tskhinvali local-cultural group (according to v. Lubin)-Levalois, Unretouched industry. Another type of industry is represented I Ortvala Klde, Djieti open-air site etc.- Mousterian assemblages such as in Ortvala Klde demonstrates similarities with the Middle Paleolithic industries of Anatolia, the Zagros region-recurrent Levallois big number of the convergent tools. Most of the local-cultural groups and the sites are discovered in Western Georgia (Imereti Region) A first evidence of the Middle Paleolithic hunters temporary camp which, possibly has been used as place for some kind of rituals and where is represented a first evidence of the cave rock-art in Georgia has been determined in Rion-Kvirila basin as well. This is a cave-site named “Undo Cave”. Recently, we discovered some other cave-sites near Undo Cave. This fact gave a reason to consider Undo Cave as a one of the caves of Multi-staged cave system which doesn’t belong to any above mentioned groups.