Soil Pollen Indicators of Historical Arable Horizons from the Zvenigorod Biological Station of the Moscow State University

In this work we present the results of spore and pollen analysis of forest soils from the Zvenigorod biological station of Moscow State University (Moscow Region, Russia). A comparative analysis of forest soils formed on the site of historical fields of the XVIII–XIX centuries and beyond showed that a specific complex of pollen and spores remains in the residual arable horizons, characteristic only of soils that have passed through the stages of plowing and fallow. It includes pollen from cultivated cereals and arable weeds (buckwheat, cornflower blue), spores of the mace-shaped plaunus (Lycopodium clavatum), as well as spores of the mosses Riccia glauca and Anthoceros spp. The latter are exclusive indicators of fallows, since they are practically not found in other habitats. The identified pollen indicators can be used in landscape and archaeological research to interpret the data of spore-pollen analysis of cultural layers, buried soils, gully-ravine sediments. They can also be used to define the boundaries of ancient fields under modern vegetation.

An Early Version of the Bulgarian Copper Dinars of the 13th Century

The author considers copper coins of the so-called “archaic” type minted in Bulgar. According to the author, they were issued in the mid – late 1230s. The main feature of these coins is a kind of legend handwriting and great weight. The work is the Corpus – the publication of all copies of the “archaic” dinars known to date. In addition to weight and diameter, the article provides photo images of most of the coins presented in the table. Materials are presented from the funds of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, State Historical Museum (Moscow), ZENO database. Coins from the Bolgar State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve are first presented. After analyzing the weight histogram compiled from materials of weight 84 dinars, the author calculates the average weight – 6.01 g. Later, in the 1240s, copper coins with a weight of 3.1–3.3 g began to be issued in the Bulgar region. The article also provides rare versions of heavy-weight dinars minted, according to the author, immediately after the “archaic” type.

Zoomorphic Motifs on the Ceramics from the Selitrennoe Settlement

During the archaeological study of the Selitremmoe settlement, a significant number of ceramic materials were discovered, among which a special category is represented by fragments of vessels with zoomorphic motifs. The discovered fragments belong to local and imported ceramics. For the first group, the largest category of finds is represented by fragments with ornithomorphic images, among which a duck, a goose, a heron, as well as one image of a hoofed animal were identified. For imported ceramics, the image of fish is characteristic. The published materials supplement the information about the material and artistic culture of the population of Saray al-Jedid city, its cultural and trade relations.

Muslim Tombstones of Kamak (Turkestan Region) as a Historical and Archaeological Source

In 2013, an archaeological and ethnographic expedition of the Scientific Research Institute of Culture LLP explored the southern regions of Kazakhstan. The main priority was given to field research on the issues of archaeology, ethnography, culture and art of nomads. In the village of Karnak, Turkestan Region, unique tombstones were discovered, which are an integral component of the moral foundations of Muslim culture. Karnak necropolis is located in the northern part of the village of the same name and covers more than 3 hectares of area, the main part of which is occupied by modern memorial complexes of the 20th century. The researchers' interest was aroused by a part of the Karnak cemetery, where monuments of funerary and cult architecture of the late Middle Ages and modern times were located. The novelty of this study is associated with an attempt to clarify a number of provisions in the study of the funeral and cult architecture of South Kazakhstan. Many people believe that traditional burial and cult architecture has survived only in the western regions of the republic. Nevertheless, the Karnak memorial complex studied for the first time and the materials contained in it prove that an attempt to reconstruct the history of the tombstones, identify its origins, the factors that caused the formation of various attributes are still far from being solved. The study of burial and cult architecture in the context of Muslim archaeology makes it possible to solve a number of issues in the humanities dedicated to the memorial complex and folk craft, including the stone-cutting art of the southern regions of Kazakhstan.

Landscapes of Smolensk Oblast as a Consequence of Ancient Anthropogenic Activity: Paleoecological Study of Radomsky Mokh Swamp

The results of a paleoecological study of a peat deposit in Radomsky Mokh area (Smolensk Oblast, Krasninsky District) made it possible to reconstruct the history of the region's landscapes over the last 4 thousand years and identify its 4 contrasting periods. The reservoir was a lake at first, after which the pollen spectrum is dominated by pollen from native tree species. After a series of fires on the boundary of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages (3173–2969 14C calendar years ago) (2σ, 99.7%)) a forested mesotrophic swamp formed at the site of the lake, and pollen from pioneer trees with an admixture of alder started to dominate the pollen spectrum. At the third stage, the swamp became mesotrophic, and the landscapes around it become open, which is evidenced by an increase in the proportion of grasses and anthropogenic indicators in the pollen spectrum. The same period is marked with the appearance of pollen of cultivated grasses (2992–2912 simulated years ago), which coincides with the distribution of the monuments of the Dnieper-Dvinian culture in the study area. At the last stage, the swamp became oligotrophic, and a stable curve of cultivated grasses appeared (mid-1st Millennium AD), indicating the spread of agriculture in the study area. The absence of known archaeological sites in an 8-kilometer radius around Radomsky Mokh most likely indicates an insufficient archaeological study level of the area, whereas the economic development of the vicinity of the tract started at the boundary of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages.

Modern Analog Assemblages of Phytoliths Under Various Plant Communities of the Middle Volga and their Applicability for Archaeological Reconstructions

The article describes the results of investigations of the sub-recent assemblages of silica phytoliths in top soils of various modern plant communities of the Middle Volga region in Tatarstan, Samarskaya and Ulyanovskaya oblasts conducted in 2017–2020. Counts of various phytolith morphotypes from 40 samples suggest a relatively low level of vegetation community specificity as revealed by multivariate statistical analyses. Nevertheless, coniferous and mixed forests can be distinguished based on the presence of a suite of conifer phytoliths, while steppes can be identified based on high proportion of rondels. Deciduous forests of the region can be detected based on high proportion of straight elongates and acutous bulbosus (trichome) type. Some matchings are made to 10 archaeological samples from various strata and ages across the region. Such samples reveal high proportion of cultured grass phytoliths and are most similar to steppes or agricultural assemblages in the modern dataset.

Temporal Decoration of the Female Head Gear of Upper Volga Region of 13th-15th Centuries

The author examines temporal decoration of the female head gear, revealed in the burial sites and on the settlements of the Upper Volga region of the 13th – 15th centuries. Throughout the 13th century the cast "imitation" jewelry was used, imitating pre-Mongolian precious attire with colts and temporal rings with grain and filigree beads. The most common decorations were the temporal rings with smooth beads, preserved in the attire until the end of the 14th century, and simple temporal rings of small and medium-diameter with entering ends and bent ends. The cast lunar false-woven rings were also revealed. In the 13th century the new forms of jewelry appeared. These are the temporal rings with a shaped blade, modifications of which used during the 13th –1th centuries. Probably the temporal rings were used in a combination with a rigid headgear and earrings, which became a part of the costume in the 14th century.

Building Ceramics of the Ancient Settlement of Akchakhan-Kala

The Akshakhan-kala is located on the right bank of the Amu Darya, in the Biruni district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Over the years of archaeological study of the site, a large ceramic material was collected, dating back to the 3rd cent. BCE - 5th cent. AC. In the archaeological collection of the site, a group of finds is distinguished, attributed to the category of building ceramics. The article is devoted to the analysis of this collection and an attempt to determine the field of application of certain types of building ceramics. Among the building ceramics of the Akshakhan settlement stand out spillway pipes and ceramic tiles. The use of fragments of ceramic vessels in the construction was also recorded. The obtained analysis results suggest that in ancient Khwarezm, ceramic building materials were used to solve such problems as protecting structures from atmospheric precipitation, improving settlements and increasing the strength of adobe structures.

The Entry Into Jerusalem Archaeological Complex of Tsarevokokshaysk (17th - 19th Centuries)

The article presents the historical and archaeological characteristics of the territory adjacent to the Entry into Jerusalem Church of the Tsarevokokshaysk. The substantiation is presented that in this part of the historical center of Yoshkar-Ola there is a complex of interrelated archaeological objects that existed here in the time interval from the first decades of the life of the Tsarev town on Kokshaga River to the beginning of the 20th century. The Entry into Jerusalem archaeological complex consists of a historical necropolis of the 17th – mid-18th century, foundation of the Entry into Jerusalem Church built in 1759, remnants of the Rozhdestvenskaya Sloboda of the second half of the 18th – 19th centuries and structures belonging to the Bogoroditse–Sergievsky Monastery of the late 19th century. The authors use archival sources, which, when compared with the data on archaeological research, give an idea of the historical topography of this part of Tsarevokokshaysk in the 17th – 19th centuries.

Burials with Signs of the Muslim Rite Among the Nomads of the Golden Horde

The article presents the typological characteristics of the nomadic burials of the Golden Horde, interpreted as Muslim. The burial grounds located in the depths of the Steppe at a distance from the urban centers of the Golden Horde were taken as a source base. This approach allows the authors to consider the genesis and evolution of the Islamic funeral rite among nomads without taking into account the influence of urban Islam on this process or through the prism of its minimal impact. On the example of the Linevsky burial mound in the Southern Cis-Urals, it is shown that the signs of the Islamic rite, characteristic of urban and suburban burial grounds, are present among the nomads, but mainly in the form of separate reminiscences.