“Bolshie Klyuchishi” (Ulyanovsk Oblast) as a New Archaeological Complex: Preliminary Results

The authors introduce for discussion materials of archaeological studies conducted by the team of the Volga Archaeological Expedition of the Mari State University in Ulyanovsk Oblast of the Russian Federation in 2010. Two of the studied archaeological sites seem to be most interesting: they are situated near Bolshie Klyuchishi village (Ulyanovsk District, Ulyanovsk Oblast). Archaeological materials collected during the excavations of these settlements have a very broad time span, which allows suggesting that Bolshie Klyuchishi is a multilayered archaeological complex. Both settlements yielded the Srubnaya culture handmade ceramics of 16th – 13th centuries BC. Moreover, Bolshie Klyuchishi-7 contained items of iron and slag, and Bolshie Klyuchishi-8 yielded sherds of 13th – 14th centuries wheel- made Bulgarian ceramics

Object Collection from the “Kukshylidy” Burial Ground in the Funds of the Chuvash National Museum (materials of the 1926 excavations by P. P. Yefimenko)

The object collection from the 17th-century Mari burial ground site near Kukshylidy village (Gornomariisky district, Mari El Republic), which was excavated in 1926 by the Middle Volga archaeological expedition led by P.P. Yefimenko, is made public for the first time. Most of the burials were executed in pits lacking additional wooden structures (Russian: grobovishche), in an extended position on the back, with a predominantly north-western orientation. The burial ground site is dated according to the numismatic material. The grave goods mainly consist of jewelry items and costume accessories; a variety of household items (knives, axes, fire lighters, etc.) are represented, and occasional arrowheads were found. The finds are described in accordance with the modern classification, and their chronological and ethno-cultural identity is attributed

Spatial Analysis of Placement and Topography of Early Iron Age Settlements in Chuvash Sura Region

An analysis of the arrangement system of ancient fortifications dating back to the Early Iron Age allowed to distinguish a special coastal group of sites located on the right bank of the Sura river within the boundaries of the Chuvash Republic. Determination of the topographical features of settlement arrangement, connection between fortified and unfortified settlements, and residential areas are the primary objectives of the spatial analysis. The authors established that the central sites of the micro-regions are settlements surrounded with several satellites located within two kilometers from the settlements. They can be individual or group sites consisting of two sites located in close proximity to each other. The cartographic method allowed to distinguish a group of coastal monuments clearly associated with the riverbank of the Sura. The settlements differ from other sites by their size and diverse system of fortifications. The association between settlements and fortifications is traced by the authors on the example of a group of sites in the vicinity of Ilyina Gora, Vyselok No. 1 and No. 2 in the Yadrinsky district. The gravitational model reveals a weak association factor due to the small size of the sites and their remoteness from each other

Jewelry from the Anatkasi Burial Ground: Towards Cultural Attribution of the Site

The authors introduce into discussion and examine jewelry from the Anatkasi burial ground situated on the right bank of the Volga River. They developed typology of these jewelry items and provided a wide range of analogies. The jewelry dates the site by 10th – 11th centuries, which is confi rmed by coins. The identifi ed ethnical markers (details of headdress, temple rings, nakosnik (braid charm), and also certain types of rings and bracelets) point to a similarity of this site to the synchronous Mari burial grounds of from the Vetluga-Vyatka area. Beside the jewelry and the elements of costume typical for the Mari culture, the Anatkasi burial ground also yielded a range of foreign artefacts: Bulgarian, Old Russian, Mordovian, Kama or Cis-Uralic, which emphasizes the originality of this site. Most of the borrowed things could penetrate into this area through trade contacts encouraged by location of this burial ground on the river Tsivil, near the Volga River