Western Elements in the Late Sarmatian Monuments

The Late Sarmatian culture has oriental origin. This culture practically does not have the features of funeral rite, which can be associated with the influence of ancient word. After the middle of the 2nd century AD, imported items of Roman or Provincial-Roman origin began to occur in the Late Sarmatian burials. The most mass category of findings is represented with metal tableware. As a rule, metal, more often bronze, vessels are represented with jugs, basins, strainers and ladles. In some cases, they are found as parts of table set. The burial complexes with such sets are found throughout the territory of the Late Sarmatian culture – from the Trans-Urals to the Northern Azov region. The Sarmatians started to use the import metal tableware later than the inhabitants of the Roman provinces. The Late Sarmatian burials also contain the antique vessels made of glass. Such vessels are often found in complexes with metal tableware. A few finds of Roman articulated fibulae with enamels are known in the Late Sarmatian burials in the territory of the Southern Urals and the Trans-Urals. Oriental things are often found in burials along with the Roman things: Chinese, middle-Asian, etc. Roman products often mark graves of high social status, which differ in burial rites from ordinary burials. Findings of things of Roman or provincial Roman origin in high-status burial mounds confirm their value in the Sarmatian society. There are several opinions regarding the penetration of Roman imports into nomadic culture. They could get to the Sarmatian leaders as trophies or as a result of trade relations. Standardization of both sets and types of Roman tableware allows assuming their appearance in steppe monuments of late Sarmatians as political gifts

Climatic Optimum as a Factor of the Economic Crisis of Steppe Nomads in the 4th Century AD

Introduction. Archaeological sites of the 4th century AD absent on most of the area of the Late Sarmatian culture. This may be both due to the difficulties of their identification and absence of chronological indicators and due to migrations of nomads from the steppe zone. Perhaps unfavorable climatic conditions for nomadic cattle breeding affected the decrease in the number of nomadic population in the 4th century AD. Methods and materials. The paleosoil data allow reconstructing the ecological situation in dry and desert steppes in the first centuries AD. The initial stage of the Late Sarmatian era (the late 2nd – the early 3rd centuries AD) was marked by arid conditions with cold winters with little snow, which were favorable for cattle breeding in the steppe zone. In the late 3rd century and at the turn of the 3rd – 4th centuries, the processes of humidization began – an increase in climate humidity, which favorably affected the ecological situation in the steppe: high grass, area watering. Such situation provided successful livestock grazing in summer. However, in winter, an increase in humidity led to heavy snowfalls and snowstorms, an increase in snow cover, frequent winter thaws, rain, fog, that were replaced by periods of cooling. At this time, grass icing and ice crust formation occured. Analysis. In those conditions, the number of days, when cattle grazing was impossible, increased. As a consequence, there was weakening and disease of the livestock, until the complete loss of the herd. This was followed by the decrease of population. Results. The humidization processes primarily affected the Southern Urals and in the final of the 3rd century reached the Volga-Don steppes. This could be the reason for the outflow of the Late Sarmatian population from the Southern Urals to the Volga regions. In the 4th century AD, the steppes from the Urals to the Lower Don were practically depopulated. The beginning of the humid period, which was unfavorable for the nomadic economy, had a positive effect on settled agricultural societies. The Early Alanian culture of the Central Caucasus demonstrates the dynamics of active development throughout the Late Sarmatian period, including in the 4th c. AD. The duration of this humid period is difficult to estimate, however, in the Hun Epoch, steppes remained almost uninhabited, as evidenced by the small number of sites of this time

Details of the Horse Bridle from the Burial of the Sarmatian Horseman from Kovalevka Kurgan Cemetery

Introduction. The article publishes and analyzes the materials founded by the kurgan research near the village of Kovalevka in the southern part of the Volga-Don interfluve. Kurgan No. 13 is part of a kurgan cemetery, where the burials look relatively simultaneous and can be interpreted as a cemetery of nomadic migrants, settled in this territory in the confrontation with other Sarmatian groups. Methods. The authors pay special attention to the details of the horse bridle, to the type of the bits and cheek-pieces, and to the plaques, which decorated the straps of the headband. The traditional method of analogies is used for the analysis and interpretation of the material. Analysis. The type of rod cheek-pieces with two rectangular loops for fixing the rein in the central part and disc-shaped tips at the ends became widespread in the Sarmatian environment at the turn of the era. The cheekpieces and plaques were decorated with gold foil applications. Such burials are known in the Lower and Middle Volga region, Lower, Middle and Upper Don region, Kuban and in the Crimea. The authors find the origins of the tradition of making and using bits and cheek-pieces of this type in the East, in the regions of Transbaikal, Tuva, Altai and Northern China. The analysis of the bridle allows making the conclusion that it belonged to professional warriors-riders of upscale status. Results. The appearance of such burials coincides with the process of changing Sarmatian cultures at the turn of the eras, and probably the horsemen were active participants in these historical changes. However, it is impossible to define them as an ethnic group, or even to combine them within one archaeological culture. Therefore, the authors propose to see such riders as representatives of an intertribal aristocratic military group

Eastern Traditions and Innovations in Sarmatian Monuments of Second Half of the 2nd – 4th cc. AD

The appearance of the monuments of the late Sarmatian culture has been recorded since the middle of the 2nd century AD on a vast territory from the Southern Urals to the Lower Don. The new culture is characterized by its own characteristics that distinguish it from the previous culture. This is the northern orientation of the buried, narrow pits and graves, artificial deformation of skulls, square censers, long stalks, mirrors with a central loop, stone tops and staples of swords. In different regions the formation of culture is characterized by specific features. In the Southern Urals, the late Sarmatian culture is represented in the purest form. In the Lower Volga region, a complex is formed, in which the signs of both late Sarmatian and Middle Sarmatian cultures are combined. This is due to the large number of the previous population which remained here. In the Lower Don region, there is a rapid change of cultures. The given article attempts to determine the area of distribution of elements of the late Sarmatian culture and the degree of their influence in different regions. The analysis shows that as for second half of the 2nd –first half of the 3rd century AD, we can talk about a unified late Sarmatian culture from the Trans-Ural to the Lower Don. Some features of the late Sarmatian culture are revealed in the Northern Black Sea region, but they are disjointed and not dominant. This does not allow to include the Northern Black Sea Coast in the area of distribution of the late Sarmatian culture. Finds of eastern origin in the late Sarmatian monuments indicate the absence of stable trade and economicties with the territories of Middle and Central Asia. The occurrence of such things was of an accidental nature, and they were distributed together with their owners. At present, there is no reason to talk about the possible functioning of the northern branch of the Silk Road through the steppes of the Ural-Don region in the late Sarmatian period

"Flora of Russia" on iNaturalist: a dataset

The "Flora of Russia" project on iNaturalist brought together professional scientists and amateur naturalists from all over the country. Over 10,000 people are involved in the data collection.Within 20 months the participants accumulated over 750,000 photo observations of 6,853 species of the Russian flora. This constitutes the largest dataset of open spatial data on the country’s biodiversity and a leading source of data on the current state of the national flora. About 85% of all project data are available under free licenses (CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-NC) and can be freely used in scientific, educational and environmental activities

"Flora of Russia" on iNaturalist: a dataset

The "Flora of Russia" project on iNaturalist brought together professional scientists and amateur naturalists from all over the country. Over 10,000 people are involved in the data collection.Within 20 months the participants accumulated over 750,000 photo observations of 6,853 species of the Russian flora. This constitutes the largest dataset of open spatial data on the country’s biodiversity and a leading source of data on the current state of the national flora. About 85% of all project data are available under free licenses (CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-NC) and can be freely used in scientific, educational and environmental activities

"Flora of Russia" on iNaturalist: a dataset

The "Flora of Russia" project on iNaturalist brought together professional scientists and amateur naturalists from all over the country. Over 10,000 people are involved in the data collection.Within 20 months the participants accumulated over 750,000 photo observations of 6,853 species of the Russian flora. This constitutes the largest dataset of open spatial data on the country’s biodiversity and a leading source of data on the current state of the national flora. About 85% of all project data are available under free licenses (CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-NC) and can be freely used in scientific, educational and environmental activities