Nove interdisciplinarne raziskave neolitskih in eneolitskih najdišč na območju Spodnje Volge

The Neolithic and Eneolithic sites in the Low Volga River region have been poorly investigated in comparison with other territories due to a small number of excavated sites. On the Algay site and the Oroshaemoe I settlement there is evidence of the earliest appearance of Neolithic pottery and the first sign of domestication in the Eneolithic period within the Volgo-Ural territory. Archaeological, lithological, grain-size analyses, mineralogical-geochemical methods and radiocarbon dating of cultural deposits have been applied to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment in the Holocene in this area. The results show that the landscape-climatic conditions in the steppe area of the Lower Volga basin strongly affected the development and adaptation of ancient societies.Neolitska in eneolitska najdišča na območju Spodnje Volge so bila v preteklosti zaradi maloštevilnih izkopavanj slabše raziskana v primerjavi z drugimi regijami. Na najdiščih Algay in Oroshaemoe I smo odkrili najstarejši pojav neolitske lončenine in prve znake domestikacije v obdobju eneolitika na območju Volge in Urala. Za rekonstruiranje holocenskega paleookolja na tem območju smo uporabili arheološke, litološke metode, analize velikosti zrn, mineraloško-geokemične metode in radiokarbonsko datiranje kulturnih ostalin. Rezultati kažejo, da so okoljski in klimatski pogoji na območju stepe ob Spodnji Volgi močno vplivali na razvoj in prilagoditve preteklih družb

Periodization and Chronology of the Eneolithic in the Upper and Middle Kama Regions

The territory of the Upper and Middle Kama regions is important for study on account of the Turbino sites that have been open there. Artifacts of this type have also been found in Finland. Subsequently, there have been several topics of discussion. Some archaeologists considered the Garino cultural complexes to be from an earlier period, while others supposed that they had appeared simultaneously with the Bor cultural type. The single radiocarbon dates were only obtained for the Garino culture. Therefore, the periodization and chronology of the Eneolithic in the Kama region have not been developed. In recent years, new archaeological sites have been excavated and a series of radiocarbon dates have been obtained for both types of cultures. This allowed us to work out the periodization and chronology of the Eneolithic of the Upper and Middle Kama regions in more detail. The chronological framework of the Garino culture was determined from 4500 BP to 3500 BP (ca. 3500-1600 calBC). The sites of the Bor cultural type were occupied from 4200 BP to 3900 BP (ca. 3000-2200 calBC). Thus, the chronological priority of the Garino culture is established. According to the typological and chronological framework, two stages in the development of the Garino culture were elaborated. The coexistence of the Garino and Bor complexes had a place at the end of the early stage of the Garino culture

New Data on the Chronology and Development of Cattle Breading During the Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age in the Southern Ural Region

Introduction. The article considers the features of cattle breeding and consumption of meat products in the Eneolithic cultures (the Samara culture) and the Early Bronze Age cultures (the Repin stage of the Pit Grave culture) on the territory of the Southern Urals (the Samara Trans-Volga region). The paper specifies the chronology of these cultures on the base of radiocarbon dating. The main site for the study was Turganik settlement located in the Southern Ural region (Orenburg region). Methods. More than 800 m2 of the settlement area was excavated. There were six paleosoil layers. Four upper layers were empty, without artifacts. The sixth layer contained Eneolithic finds. The fifth layer contained finds of the Early Bronze Age. The archaeozoological collection was analyzed in accordance with the methodological scheme developed by E.E. Antipina. For radiocarbon dating collagen was treated from bone samples on the base of the standard procedure and radiocarbon activity was measured by Quantulus 1220 low background scintillation counter. Analysis and Results. As a result 32 radiocarbon dates were obtained on animal bones and on organics from pottery of different types from different cultural layers of Turganik settlement. The Eneolithic complex includes ceramics, flint and bone tools. The paper specifies the finds of developed and later stages of the Samara culture. The artifacts of the second stage of the Samara culture were dated to 4900–4500 cal BC. The artifacts of the later stage belong to the period of 4300–3800 cal BC. We suggest that from the Early Eneolithic local people practiced cattle breeding without agriculture. Hunting played a secondary role and fishing was poorly developed. Beef was the main food in the people’s diet during the Eneolithic period. The Early Bronze Age assemblage includes ceramics of the Repin stage of the Pit Grave culture, stone macro-tools, flint arrowheads, items made of bones and copper, slags and scarps of copper ore. The technological analysis supported that ceramics belong to the Pit Grave culture. The layer age is from 3800 to 3300 cal BC. During the Repin stage the role of sheep breeding was increased and consumption of sheep meat prevailed in comparison with the Eneolithic period. This is an evidence of the transition to the nomadic form of stock breeding

Pottery Phenomenon in the Early mounted Nomad communities (“Cimmerian”) in the Northern Pontic region

In the end of the 10th –9th centuries BC in the steppe zone of the Northern Pontic region the communities of the Early mounted nomads (“Cimmerians”) appeared. In their burials different types of pottery were found. In this connection there is the question of the role and place of pottery technologies among mobile early nomadic people in the Early Iron Age. Pottery shards from six different burials (Mayaki 5/1, Kut 32/7, Lymantsy 3/3, Suvorovo 6/1, Semyonovka 2/1, Velikodolinskoye 1/5) were studied by analytic methods such as the thin section analysis, XRF-WD, m-CT. The features of ceramic technology as well as possible raw material sources were reconstructed. The data obtained showed, that pottery was made especially for burial rite. Possible, the nomadic people participated in this process in collaboration with sedentary potters

ABOUT ANCIENT CERAMIC TRADITIONS OF THE POPULATION OF THE NORTHERN CASPIAN REGION

Introduction. The territory of the Northern Caspian region plays an important role in the study of the Neolithic of Eastern Europe. The main criterion of this period is clay pottery. One of the difficult issues is the time of the ceramic technology appearance. Methods and materials. The study of the pottery technology of the Neolithic population of the Northern Caspian region is carried out in the framework of the historical and cultural approach to the study of ceramics, according to the method of A. Bobrinsky. The technique is based on binocular microscopy, tracology and experiment in the form of physical modeling. The basis for identifying technological traces on ceramics is the comparative analysis of the vessels under study with the base of standards. It is made by means of physical modeling in field and laboratory conditions. The age of the Neolithic monuments was determined using traditional methods in radiocarbon laboratories in Russia and Ukraine, as well as using AMS at universities in Sweden and Finland. Analysis. Over the past 10 years, more than 68 radiocarbon dates on different materials such as charcoal, bones, organics from ceramics, charred crusts, humus have been obtained. They give the possibility to determine the time of appearance and spread of the earliest pottery in the Northern Caspian region. This is the middle 7th millennium BC. The chronological framework for the development of the Neolithic in the Northern Caspian region is ca. 6600-5500 BC. The paper establishes the main and specific features of ceramic traditions. Results. The technical and technological analysis allows to reveal the genesis, the features of dynamics and further development of pottery in this region. The complex of results obtained allows to attribute the Neolithic sites of the Caspian region to the earliest pottery areal in Eastern Europe.Peer reviewe

Radiocarbon Chronology of the Burial Ground near the village of Syezzheye

The paper deals with absolute radiocarbon chronology of the burial ground near the village of Syezzheye that was established during long-term archaeological investigations. This burial ground is interesting not only for the study of Eneolithic of forest zone in the Volga River region but also for the entire Mariupol historical and cultural area. This publication is timed to 50 years since discovery of this site in 1973 and anniversaries of archaeologists G.I. Matveyeva and I.B. Vasilyev. The most difficult aspects of this burial ground study are determination of its homogeneity and reliable chronological framework because of lack of inventory at some burials. To determine the chronology of burial grounds, several radiocarbon dates on organics from ceramics had been obtained. These dates gave two chronological intervals: the first interval is the second half of the VI millennium BC and the second one is the first half of the V millennium BC. After that the radiocarbon dates of 6520±30 ВР and 5925±25 ВР on the human bones from two burials were obtained that confirmed earlier determined dates. The repeated radiocarbon analysis of three ceramic samples confirmed just second interval of the first half of the V millennium BC. In 2022 three AMS dates were obtained in the Lab of IAE SB RAS. The bone artifact from burial 10 was dated to the Mesolithic. The bone harpoon from the sacrificial zone was dated to the same age as the “collar” pottery of the Eneolithic (4900–4800 calBC). The chronological framework of the Eneolithic complex of burial ground near the village of Syezzheye coincides with the absolute dates of the Caspian culture

Chronology and Dynamics of Ancient Pottery Traditions’ Dissemination in Steppes of the Lower Volga Region

The territory of the Lower Volga plays an important role in the study of the Neolithic of Eastern Europe. The leading indicator of this epoch is pottery. Determining the chronology of pottery making is one of the most complex issues. Over the past ten years, a large number of radiocarbon dates (43) have been obtained on various materials: coal, bones, organic materials in pottery, crusts, humus. They allowed accurate determining of the initial time of appearance of the most ancient crockery in the Lower Volga region – the middle of the 7th millennium BC. The authors determine the chronological frameworks of the Neolithic development in steppes of the Lower Volga region: 6600 – 5300 BC. The Orlovskaya culture had being developed evolutionarily. The special attention is also paid to identifying the specific features of pottery traditions in the area of interest. The technical and technological analysis made it possible to clarify the genesis, the features of the dynamics and the further destiny of pottery in the region. The combination of the latest data allows referring the Neolithic monuments of steppe territory of the Lower Volga to the area of the ancient pottery in Eastern Europe. A.A. Vybornov has carried out the analysis of archaeological data, the entire base of radiocarbon dates on the Neolithic of steppes of the Lower Volga region, and determined the chronological frames of the Orlovskaya culture. I.N. Vasilyeva has carried out the technical and technological analysis of the Orlovskaya culture pottery, identified its peculiarities, and analyzed the materials from adjacent territories from the comparative viewpoint. M.A. Kulkova has obtained and compared the radiocarbon dates for different layers of the Varfolomeyevskaya site, Orlovka, Algay and Oroshaemoe sites. B. Philippsen has obtained radiocarbon dates on coal and bones with AMS for the Neolithic site Algay in the Lower Volga region. Key words: Low Volga region, Neolithic, Orlovskaya culture, chronology, radiocarbon dating, historical and cultural approach, technical and technological analysis of pottery, pottery tradition

Pottery of Early Iron Age from the Glinjeni II-La Șanț (North-Western Pontic Sea Region): Composition, Technology and Raw Material Sources

Transition to the Early Iron Age was marked by the appearance of innovations such as iron technology and changes in the lifestyle of local societies on the territory of the North-Western Pontic Sea region. One of the most interesting sites of this period is the Glinjeni II-La Șanț fortified settlement, located in the Middle Dniester basin (Republic of Moldova). Materials of different cultural traditions belonged to the Cozia-Saharna culture (10th–9th cc. BC) and the Basarabi-Șoldănești culture (8th–beginning of 7th cc. BC) were found on this site. The article presents the results of a multidisciplinary approach to the study of ceramic sherds from these archaeological complexes and cultural layers as well as raw clay sources from this area. The archaeometry analysis, such as the XRF-WD, the thin section analysis, SEM-EDX of ceramics, m-CT of pottery were carried out. The study of ancient pottery through a set of mineralogical and geochemical analytic methods allowed us to obtain new results about ceramic technology in different chronological periods, ceramic paste recipes and firing conditions. Correlation of archaeological and archaeometry data of ceramics from the Glinjeni II-La Șanț site gives us the possibility to differ earlier and later chronological markers in the paste recipes of pottery of 10th–beginning of 7th cc. BC in the region of the Middle Dniester basin

Pottery of Early Iron Age from the Glinjeni II-La Șanț (North-Western Pontic Sea Region): Composition, Technology and Raw Material Sources

Transition to the Early Iron Age was marked by the appearance of innovations such as iron technology and changes in the lifestyle of local societies on the territory of the North-Western Pontic Sea region. One of the most interesting sites of this period is the Glinjeni II-La Șanț fortified settlement, located in the Middle Dniester basin (Republic of Moldova). Materials of different cultural traditions belonged to the Cozia-Saharna culture (10th–9th cc. BC) and the Basarabi-Șoldănești culture (8th–beginning of 7th cc. BC) were found on this site. The article presents the results of a multidisciplinary approach to the study of ceramic sherds from these archaeological complexes and cultural layers as well as raw clay sources from this area. The archaeometry analysis, such as the XRF-WD, the thin section analysis, SEM-EDX of ceramics, m-CT of pottery were carried out. The study of ancient pottery through a set of mineralogical and geochemical analytic methods allowed us to obtain new results about ceramic technology in different chronological periods, ceramic paste recipes and firing conditions. Correlation of archaeological and archaeometry data of ceramics from the Glinjeni II-La Șanț site gives us the possibility to differ earlier and later chronological markers in the paste recipes of pottery of 10th–beginning of 7th cc. BC in the region of the Middle Dniester basin