The magnetic survey of the early Scythian burial site and settlements in the Turan-Uyuk valley in Tuva

In 2019, Polish archaeologists took part in an expedition of the Hermitage Museum, led by K.V. Chugunov, in Chinge-Tey cemetery, Tuva (Russian Federation). This paper presents the result of magnetic surveys carried out within the so-called western chain of barrows and the around the princely barrow of Chinge-Tey I. This method of non-invasive research is very well suited to the landscape and has produced a significant body of information. Among others, the survey of the western chain identified a stone mantle in barrow 8, which makes it different from other barrows from this group, whose mounds were built of earth. Another important result is the identification of a stone circle surrounding a cult feature (certainly associated with eschatological rituals) known as the northern complex. The presence of the circle came as a surprise for the investigators of the site, as it does not manifest itself at all on the surface of the site. On the other hand, it is worth noting one negative result, which nevertheless allows for some conclusions, namely the lack of detectable anomalies connected with one of the tombs in the vicinity of Chinge-Tey I (barrow 15). Despite being clearly discernible in the landscape, and even more evident in LIDAR images, the barrow is invisible on images produced with a magnetometer. This means that one cannot rule out a possibility that other structures undetectable by magnetic surveys may be present within the investigated part of the cemetery. Nevertheless, one cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the results generated by the magnetic research provide significant information concerning the spatial arrangement of the cemetery and are helpful in planning archaeological excavation

The absolute chronology of collective burials from the 2nd Millennium BC in East Central Europe

This article discusses the absolute chronology of collective burials of the Trzciniec Cultural Circle communities of the Middle Bronze Age in East Central Europe. Based on Bayesian modeling of 91 accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates from 18 cemeteries, the practice of collective burying of individuals was linked to a period of 400-640 (95.4%) years, between 1830–1690 (95.4%) and 1320-1160 (95.4%) BC. Collective burials in mounds with both cremation and inhumation rites were found earliest in the upland zone regardless of grave structure type (mounded or flat). Bayesian modeling of 14C determinations suggests that this practice was being transmitted generally from the southeast to the northwest direction. Bayesian modeling of the dates from the largest cemetery in Z· erniki Górne, Lesser Poland Upland, confirmed the duration of use of the necropolis as ca. 140–310 (95.4%) years. Further results show the partial contemporaneity of burials and allow formulation of a spatial and temporal development model of the necropolis. Based on the investigation, some graves were used over just a couple of years and others over nearly 200, with up to 30 individuals found in a single grave

Unraveling ancestry, kinship, and violence in a Late Neolithic mass grave

The third millennium BCE was a period of major cultural and demographic changes in Europe that signaled the beginning of the Bronze Age. People from the Pontic steppe expanded westward, leading to the formation of the Corded Ware complex and transforming the genetic landscape of Europe. At the time, the Globular Amphora culture (3300–2700 BCE) existed over large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, but little is known about their interaction with neighboring Corded Ware groups and steppe societies. Here we present a detailed study of a Late Neolithic mass grave from southern Poland belonging to the Globular Amphora culture and containing the remains of 15 men, women, and children, all killed by blows to the head. We sequenced their genomes to between 1.1- and 3.9-fold coverage and performed kinship analyses that demonstrate that the individuals belonged to a large extended family. The bodies had been carefully laid out according to kin relationships by someone who evidently knew the deceased. From a population genetic viewpoint, the people from Koszyce are clearly distinct from neighboring Corded Ware groups because of their lack of steppe-related ancestry. Although the reason for the massacre is unknown, it is possible that it was connected with the expansion of Corded Ware groups, which may have resulted in competition for resources and violent conflict. Together with the archaeological evidence, these analyses provide an unprecedented level of insight into the kinship structure and social behavior of a Late Neolithic community

New finds of antler cheekpieces and horse burials from the Trzciniec Culture in the territory of western Little Poland.

The subject of this paper are the new discoveries of antler cheekpieces of horse harness at Trzciniec Culture sites in Morawianki, Miechów and Jakuszowice (Little Poland, Poland). It also addresses the issue of double horse burials being parts of sepulchral complexes, with barrows at their centres. The article tackles the problem of the occurrence of such burials and cheekpieces in the Danubian regions, the steppe zone of Eastern Europe and in the territory of Greece. It also considers the function of cheekpieces, as parts of horse gear used for harnessing a horse to a chario

The Gumelnița culture settlements in the Prut-Dniester Rivers area, in light of old and new research from Taraclia I (Republic of Moldova)

The discovery of the first Gumelniţa Culture settlements in the region between the Prut and the Dniester Rivers dates back to the 1960s and 1970s. Currently, thirty three settlements of this culture are known in the territory of Ukraine and Moldova. One of them, representing the Stoicani-Aldeni of Gumelniţa Culture variant, is located in Taraclia (Taraclia district, Republicof Moldova). It has been excavated since 1979. In the spring of 2018, magnetic research was carried out on the site. They revealed the presence of a fortification system surrounding an area of approximately 1.7 hectares. It consisted of two parallel ditches forming a quadrangular arrangement. Similar fortifications have been discovered on sites belonging to the Gumelniţa-Kodjadermen-Karanovo VI cultural complex, located in the South-Eastern European region

Non-intrusive prospection of an early medieval hillfort in Lubomia, Wodzisław district, Śląskie Voivodeship

The three-part hillfort in Lubomia, Wodzisław district (site 1, AZP 103-41/50) is the largest, one of the best preserved and one of the best excavated, early medieval hillforts of Śląskie Voivodeship. The aim of the authors was to integrate the archival research with the outcomes of remote sensing methods and, as a result, to supplement knowledge on the monument. The first of the applied methods was the analysis of data from airborne laser scanning (LiDAR, ALS), the second – geophysical (magnetic) research. They allowed to gather new information about the monument, and above all to discover its second, western subsidiary settlement (C). The objective has been achieved and it has been shown that the non-intrusive prospection of the site was justified, despite various independent constraints. This type of research and preservation activity should be obligatory for other archaeological sites, especially if they have a terrain form, and especially if excavations are planned. Keeping in mind that the preservation of the archaeological site in situ is nevertheless a priority