Papers by The Lower Volga Archaeologocal Bulletin
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
Основан в 1998 году Учредитель: Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение... more Основан в 1998 году Учредитель: Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Волгоградский государственный университет» Журнал зарегистрирован в Федеральной службе по надзору в сфере связи, информационных технологий и массовых коммуникаций (свидетельство о регистрации ПИ № ФС77-68211 от 27 декабря 2016 г.) Журнал включен в следующие российские и международные базы данных: Scopus, Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI, Web of Science), РИНЦ (Россия), AWOL (США), DOAJ (Швеция), MIAR (Испания), ROAD (Франция), SHERPA/RoMEO (Испания) Редакционная коллегия: М.А. Балабанова-д-р ист. наук, проф., главный редактор (г. Волгоград); М.В. Кривошеев-канд. ист. наук, заместитель главного редактора (г. Волгоград); К.С. Ковалева-ответственный секретарь (г. Волгоград); В.И. Моисеев-технический секретарь (г. Волгоград); Н.Г. Глазкова-канд. ист. наук, доц., редактор текстов на английском языке (г. Волгоград); В.М. Клепиков-канд. ист. наук, доц. (г. Волгоград); Е.В. Перерваканд. ист. наук (г. Волгоград); А.Н. Дьяченко (г. Волгоград); Н.М. Малов-канд. ист. наук (г. Саратов); В.Н. Мышкин-канд. ист. наук (г. Самара) А.С. Скрипкин-д-р ист. наук, проф. (главный редактор журнала с 1998 по 2021 г.) решением Ученого совета Волгоградского государственного университета навечно включен в состав редакционной коллегии в связи с огромным вкладом в развитие журнала
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
During the excavations of a dugout at the Kozhevnikov Cliff site (Cape Schmidt), N.N. Dikov obtai... more During the excavations of a dugout at the Kozhevnikov Cliff site (Cape Schmidt), N.N. Dikov obtained a collection of pottery vessels of the Old Bering Sea culture (fourteen specimens). The technology of ceramic production was analyzed using the methodology developed by A.A. Bobrinsky. It was determined that potters selected iron-rich clays of two subtypes, differing in the amount of natural sand content, for pottery production. Five recipes for the molding clay were identified, including three unmixed: 1) clay + sand (7 specimens); 2) clay + wool (3 specimens); 3) clay + organic solution (2 specimens); and two mixed-4) clay + sand + organic solution (1 specimen); and 5) clay + sand + wool (1 specimen). The vessels were made in a base form, and the shape was additionally formed by paddling. On the outer surface of one artifact, a strap handle with an ear for threading a cord was made, and the remaining hole on the inside was patched with a cloth scrap. The surfaces of the vessels were treated by mechanical smoothing with a hard-smooth tool and/or fingers. Firing took place at temperatures above clay calcination and could be done in bonfires or hearths. The heterogeneity of pottery traditions was found among the population living in the dugout. The two identified twocomponent recipes for molding clay were formed as a result of mixing the adaptive pottery skills of bearers of different traditions of making unmixed recipes for molding clay. This indicates the beginning of cultural integration processes among bearers of different pottery skills that began to occur under the dominance of the tradition of using low-sanded clay of the first subtype and artificial sand addition in a 1 : 1 concentration.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
In 2010, the expedition of the Nasledie State Unitary Enterprise (Stavropol) conducted archaeolog... more In 2010, the expedition of the Nasledie State Unitary Enterprise (Stavropol) conducted archaeological excavations on the territory of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and excavated the kurgan 1 of the Voniuchka-1 kurgan cemetery near the city of Pyatigorsk. The kurgan originated in the Eneolithic era; its construction and use as a cemetery continued up to the Early and Middle Bronze Ages. The most extensive changes in the kurgan are associated with the North Caucasian archaeological culture. The Sarmatian burials of the early Iron Age became the final ones in the kurgan; this study is devoted to their material publication and analysis. Single burials and grave goods (probably the remains of a funeral feast) were compactly located in the central part of the kurgan. The burial rite and the inventory are described in detail and examined in the system of both chronologically close Sarmatian newcomers and Pre-Caucasus aboriginal monuments. In general, the funeral rite of the published burials is quite uniform and corresponds to the canons of the pre-Caucasian Sarmatian kurgans. The burials and the cluster are chronologically close to each other, and the inventory found in them has numerous analogies among the synchronous sites of the Pre-Caucasus. At the same time, some details of the funeral rite, in particular the discovery of three left front legs of sheep in two burials, together with a number of other facts, indicate a kinship relationship between the buried. The Sarmatian burials in kurgan 1 of the Voniuchka-1 cemetery can be considered a small ancestral cemetery created, most likely, during the lifetime of one generation. The general dating of the burials and the accompanying funeral feast fits into the framework of the 3 rd (possibly 2 nd)-1 st centuries BC. There is a high probability of their connection with the Sirak tribal union, and this cemetery is located on the southern border of the territory occupied by it.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
Anthropological features of the Russian city population in the 11 th-18 th centuries were studied... more Anthropological features of the Russian city population in the 11 th-18 th centuries were studied using classical methods of craniometry as well as cranio-and osteoscopy. However, the method of geometric morphometry, which has been actively used since the 1990s and is a recent morphometric tool, has not yet been applied to Russian urban craniological series. We obtained and analyzed by the GM method three-dimensional copies of 225 skulls from thirteen series of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period from the excavations of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Despite the small number of studied samples from Tver and Torzhok, we were able to trace their features and originality relative to other comparable groups and among themselves. Based on historical information, these variations can be explained by political factors. The differences between the political systems of Ancient Rus' and Russia in the Early Modern period also explain the greater morphological homogeneity of the urban population in the 15 th-18 th centuries compared to the 11 th-13 th centuries. The study of variability in the late urban series and comparison of diachronic samples from Yaroslavl and Pereslavl-Zalessky showed morphological similarity between the inhabitants of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, which may indicate the constancy of administrative, trade, and economic ties, as well as the significant contribution of the local rural population to the formation of the anthropological appearance of the townspeople. The revealed greater variability in the female samples compared to the male ones may indicate significant irregularities in the facial skeleton shape of women, which cannot be disclosed using classical craniology data. In general, the obtained results not only confirm many of the conclusions of previous craniological studies of the urban population from Eastern Europe but also make it possible to obtain new data on the degree of homogeneity of the townspeople's anthropological appearance in the Middle Ages and Early Modern periods.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
The article publishes a mortuary complex of the late 3 rd-early 4 th centuries AD of the early st... more The article publishes a mortuary complex of the late 3 rd-early 4 th centuries AD of the early stage of the North Caucasian Alan culture from kurgan 23 of the Oktyabrskiy I burial field in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, which contained a pair of bone skates. Bone skates have been known from written iconographic and ethnographic sources since the 12 th century until the first half of the 20 th century; however, the attribution of these items as skates raises doubts among a number of researchers, most likely due to the fact that almost all such artifacts, along with other similar bone items (tools), were found in the material remains of settlement sites. The researchers' doubts resulted in a discussion, the main aspects of which are specified in the paper. The skates being published are made from the hind metapodia of the right legs of two domestic horses. Each of the artifacts has two holes for strings to attach the skates to the shoes. The skates are part of the grave goods of a young man or a youth, along with other leisure items (astragals) of young people. Finds of bone skates in burials are few in number, and, apart from the North Caucasian finds, there are only four Viking Age complexes in Swedish burial grounds. Bone skates were not a regular part of grave goods for centuries among any of the peoples, as evidenced by the insignificant number of burials with skates. Most researchers are convinced that bone skates were mainly used for entertainment by children, teenagers, and young people, which, in our opinion, is consistent with the material remains from kurgan 23 of the Oktyabrskiy I burial field. The grave goods also included a set of astragals (48 examples) associated with leisure items.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
The paper presents the results of the paleoanthropological materials study of the 5 th-7 th centu... more The paper presents the results of the paleoanthropological materials study of the 5 th-7 th centuries originating from under the kurgan mounds and ground burials located in the Volga-Don steppes territory. Eleven skeletal remains of 8 men, 2 women, and 1 child were studied. The data obtained as a result of the paleopathological analysis of the material dating back to the post-Hunnic-early Turkic period have been introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. In the course of the paleoanthropological material analysis, analogies with nomadic cattle breeding groups residing on this territory in the Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, and Late Middle Ages have been established in terms of gender, age, and pathological indicators. The findings were confirmed despite the small number of the analyzed series. In adult individuals, a number of dental conditions were recorded, indicating that viscous foods rich in fats and proteins had dominated the diet of the early Turkic time population. The mobile lifestyle of the Volga-Don steppes population of the 5 th-7 th centuries was reflected on the skeletal remains of the studied individuals in the form of stress indicators associated with horse riding and body exposure to low temperatures. The presence on a number of skulls of the studied group of traces of the use of deliberate artificial deformation allows us to make the assumption that they had traditions that were characteristic of the nomads of the Eastern European steppes of the first centuries of our era.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
The work presents the results of an analysis of the chemical composition of 82 objects from nonfe... more The work presents the results of an analysis of the chemical composition of 82 objects from nonferrous and precious metals dating from the 4 th century BC-the first half of the 2 nd century AD and originating from the excavation of funeral monuments located in the Lower Volga region. Basically, the analysis of the chemical composition of non-ferrous metal was carried out for objects characteristic of the ordinary population of the region: mirrors, jewelry, clothing or household items, and details of horse harnesses; importantly, sampling was random. The data obtained by the XRF method are very interesting and demonstrate a change in the nomenclature of leading alloys. So, for the period of the 2 nd century BC-the border of eras, there is a significant number of objects from tin as well as from tin-lead bronze, with a slight presence of products from a multicomponent alloy, an alloy with arsenic. For the period of the 1 st-the first half of the 2 nd century AD, there is a significant change in the leading types of alloys: zinc-containing alloys such as two-and three-component brass dominate the sample; also significantly increased the share of triple bronze, highly alloyed with lead; there are also products made of copper and tin bronze. Silver products made of silver from different samples are present in all stages. Analysis of alloying components and impurities in the identified alloys made it possible to distinguish in the sample of the 2 nd century BCthe border of eras, the influence of the North Caucasian center of non-ferrous metalworking; recorded changes in the nomenclature of alloys of the 1 st-the first half of the 2 nd century AD arose, most likely, under the influence of the North Black Sea center of non-ferrous metalworking. The presence of high-zinc brass objects in the sample during the period of the 1 st-the first half of the 2 nd century AD also does not exclude the receipt of this type of brass from the production center located in Central Asia, which is characterized by an extremely high zinc content in the alloy.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
Metal production in the Trans-Ural region in the Early Iron Age is known mainly from materials fr... more Metal production in the Trans-Ural region in the Early Iron Age is known mainly from materials from the Itkul and Sargat cultures. The article introduces into scientific circulation the largest collection of objects (80 items) made of non-ferrous metal of the Baitovo culture of this period from the settlement of Isetskoye 3, located in the Lower Iset river area. The purpose of the study is to morphometrically characterize and determine the complex typology, as well as to conduct a comparative analysis with synchronous materials. The studied series of items includes weapons (arrowheads), labor tools (knives, a celt, an awl), elements of horse harness (a fragment of a bit), toilet items, jewelry (a mirror, rings, plaques), etc., as well as slags, ingots, and waste bronze foundry production. Preliminary conclusions on production technology were obtained, indicating that stone and clay molds were used for casting. The authors experimentally tested the hypothesis, which was not confirmed, on the possibility of using wooden knife models in the manufacture of clay casting molds. Signs of forging and abrasive casting processing were recorded on several metal objects. Based on their typology and the identified analogies, it was concluded that the complex is characteristic of the Scythian-Siberian cultures and can be dated back to the 7 th-6 th /3 rd centuries BC, which testifies to the contacts and connections of the Baitovo population with both the western (Itkul) and the eastern metallurgical centers. The presence of slag, a significant amount of bronze casting waste, and mold fragments confirms its local nature, which, however, does not exclude the import of some metal products from other territories.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
This article provides an overview of modern remote sensing techniques in archaeology and their pr... more This article provides an overview of modern remote sensing techniques in archaeology and their practical applications. The widespread use of GIS technologies and remote sensing methods such as photogrammetry and laser scanning is a distinguishing characteristic of contemporary archaeology. Remote sensing data is employed not only for the analysis of 3D archaeological objects and territories but also in the digital terrain models (DTMs) analysis to search for and identify potential archaeological excavation sites. The introduction of remote sensing methods in archaeology has brought about a change in the approach to conducting archaeological studies. In the field of international research, a distinct stage known as predictive archaeology, which involves preliminary reconnaissance of an area before excavation, has emerged. The study is focused on the archaeological sites of Stantsiya Krasavka and Akhmatskoe Gorodishche, located in the Atkarsky and Krasnoarmeysky municipal districts of the Saratov region. The selected study areas applied the DTM analysis, specifically using the "Hillshade" technique (analytical shading relief), which allows for the detection of previously overlooked terrain features. Based on the results, the potential of this technology for identifying individual archaeological objects using contemporary open DTMs and field geodetic survey data was analyzed. Experimental determination of the optimal DTM resolution for the identification and analysis of objects was conducted in areas previously subject to archaeological research. The experiments and comparative analysis of various laser scanning technologies led to the identification of optimal methods and filtering parameters to "exclude" vegetation and generate DTMs.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
Основан в 1998 году С 2024 г. выходит 4 раза в год Учредитель: Федеральное государственное автоно... more Основан в 1998 году С 2024 г. выходит 4 раза в год Учредитель: Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Волгоградский государственный университет» Журнал зарегистрирован в Федеральной службе по надзору в сфере связи, информационных технологий и массовых коммуникаций (свидетельство о регистрации ПИ № ФС77-68211 от 27 декабря 2016 г.) Журнал включен в следующие российские и международные базы данных: Scopus, Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI, Web of Science), РИНЦ (Россия), AWOL (США), DOAJ (Швеция), MIAR (Испания), ROAD (Франция), SHERPA/RoMEO (Испания) Редакционная коллегия: М.А. Балабанова-д-р ист. наук, проф., главный редактор (г. Волгоград); М.В. Кривошеев-канд. ист. наук, заместитель главного редактора (г. Волгоград); К.С. Ковалева-ответственный секретарь (г. Волгоград); В.И. Моисеев-технический секретарь (г. Волгоград); Н.Г. Глазкова-канд. ист. наук, доц., редактор текстов на английском языке (г. Волгоград); В.М. Клепиков-канд. ист. наук, доц. (г. Волгоград); Е.В. Перерва-канд. ист. наук (г. Волгоград); А.Н. Дьяченко (г. Волгоград); Н.М. Малов-канд. ист. наук (г. Саратов); В.Н. Мышкин-канд. ист. наук (г. Самара) А.С. Скрипкин-д-р ист. наук, проф. (главный редактор журнала с 1998 по 2021 г.) решением Ученого совета Волгоградского государственного университета навечно включен в состав редакционной коллегии в связи с огромным вкладом в развитие журнала
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
There was some important event taking place in the Crimea in the third century AD or a little bit... more There was some important event taking place in the Crimea in the third century AD or a little bit earlier that was probably reflected by the appearance of burial vaults of a special design that had not been previously known in Crimea. These vaults comprised an entrance pit and a burial chamber with a short (0.4-0.8 m long) underground corridor (dromos) dug in between them; the funerals in the burial chamber were made on the floor in one tier. Until recently, only a few short-dromos burial vaults from the third century AD were known in the Crimea. The situation has substantively changed as a result of the cemetery of Opushki excavations, which uncovered 17 burial vaults from the third century AD; every structure contained burials from the first half of the said century, with some burials probably dating back even earlier. This paper publishes some results of these excavations. It has been discovered that the first short-dromos burial vaults appeared in the Crimea much earlier than they were considered before, i.e., in the end or second half of the second century. Initially, dromos was not an inalienable element of the burial structure. The earliest burial structures under analysis obviously kept the Late Scythian traditions, such as many tiers of burials and moving aside the bones of those who were buried earlier. The combination of the burial vault construction, which was new in Crimea, and the traditional burial rites can hardly be explained otherwise than by physical contacts between the migrants and the autochthons. The origin of the migration of people who brought short-dromos burial vaults to Crimea was searched for in the North Caucasus. Among the stable specific rites documented in the third-century burials, there was charcoal bedding on the floor of the burial structure and beads embroidering the hem of gowns. These rites are typical of not only burials in vaults but also in undercut and simple pit graves. The core of the grave goods in the period in question is formed by a quite specific set of artefacts. Precisely the same goods were unearthed in the undercut and pit graves synchronous to the burial vaults.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
The article presents the results of the first geoarchaeological study of the materials of Christi... more The article presents the results of the first geoarchaeological study of the materials of Christian burials identified in the interior of the Middle Zelenchuk temple of the 10 th century in the Nizhne-Arkhyz ancient settlement (Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia). The results of microbiomorphic (phytolith) and total phosphorus content analyses allowed us to reveal previously unknown features of the funeral rites of the multicultural and multi-ethnic Christian population of one of the largest cities of the North Caucasus in the Middle Ages. The differences in funerary practices between the 11 th and 13 th centuries became evident when studying even a small group of funerary complexes in which people of the same social group-representatives of the social elite of Western Alania-were buried. The geoarchaeological study showed an abundance of plant and animal organic matter in the burials. The complex analysis of archaeological materials and data obtained during the microbiomorphic study allowed us to conclude that members of the urban Christian community had several burial traditions: in stone boxes (tombs), in wooden frames, and a mixed ritual when a wooden structure was placed in a stone box. The presence of wooden bark particles in the burials seems to be related not so much to the material from which the burial structures were made as to the presence in the graves of bark or bast objects (bast caskets or boxes, birch bark amulets, toys, etc.). The tradition known from pagan Alanian burials of placing the head of the deceased on a "stone cushion" (more typical for male burials) was preserved in early Christian burials. In one of the four women's graves studied, the analysis showed the presence of a "hay pillow." Probably, before the burial, a ritual of washing the deceased was performed, as evidenced by the presence of diatoms and sponge spicules in the samples.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
The study is devoted to the identification of a group of antiquities of the late 7 th-8 th centur... more The study is devoted to the identification of a group of antiquities of the late 7 th-8 th centuries of the Upper Oka region. On the territory of the region, the sites of the Moshchin culture, which had existed from the middle of the 3 rd century, practically disappeared around the middle of the 7 th century. The end of the Late Dyakovo culture in the Moscow basin and the disappearance of the main part of the Ryazan-Oksk sites in the Middle Oka region belong to the same time. Since the 9 th century, numerous sites correlating with the antiquities of the Romensk culture have appeared in the territory of the region. The ethnocultural situation of the Upper Oka in the "preromensky" period has not been clearly presented until recently. To date, an array of archaeological material has been accumulated that is characteristic of the period. It is represented by finds of ceramic vessels, jewelry and belt details from the hill forts of Supruty, Petrovskoe, Nikulino, Muravlevo, as well as from the settlements of Kamenka-1, B. Triznovo-3, Torhovo-3, Utkino-1. Based on the analysis of the finds, it can be assumed that the main population of the Upper Oka region in the period of the 2 nd half of the 7 th-8 th centuries was the bearers of sakhnovkavolyntsevo type antiquities. Finds of vessels of the Moshchin tradition in the complexes of the 9 th-10 th centuries of the Supruty ancient hillfort and the Kamenka-1 settlement testify to the existence in the pre-romensky and romensky periods of the remnants of the population that lived in the region from the middle of the 3 rd to the middle of the 7 th centuries. The study of a unique memorial complex near the village of Gora Uslan allows us to assume participation in the formation of the ethnocultural situation in the Upper Oka region in the late 7 th-8 th centuries of the steppe of cultures representatives of the early Khazar Kaganate era.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
By the 5 th century AD, massive gold bracelets with widened ends had become prestigious cultural ... more By the 5 th century AD, massive gold bracelets with widened ends had become prestigious cultural elements, symbolizing the power of the barbarian tribal groups' rulers. The areas where such finds were discovered are located primarily in the Carpathian-Danube region and Gallia. Under the influence of this fashion for displaying high social status, bracelets with thickened ends made from silver, the material available to the tribes in the western part of the East European Plain, became widespread in the 5 th century. There are two zones of their concentration: the northern zone in the Baltics, Upper Dnieper region, and Middle Oka region; and the southern zone in the Middle Dnieper region and the left-bank forest steppe of the Dnieper. Bracelets made from silver and its alloys from the Middle Dnieper region were found in women's burials and hoards, indicating their connection with female outfits. Their appearance could be associated with the influence of the "Middle Danube" model of female outfit during the Great Migration period, and this model persisted up until the 6 th-7 th centuries. The second group of bracelets is documented in the antiquities of Nemunas and the Western Dvina basins in the Baltics. They are predominantly found in male warrior complexes dating back to the 5 th century, belonging to the members of goroups involved in strategic control over important routes connecting Scandinavia and Southeastern Baltic with the eastward territories.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
The article presents the study of the Dyalyan tradition of ritual practice characteristic of one ... more The article presents the study of the Dyalyan tradition of ritual practice characteristic of one of the groups of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture of Altai in the last quarter of the 1 st millennium BC-the first half of the 1 st millennium AD. The key features of this tradition are identified, the most significant of which is the burial of an individual oriented to the western sector of the horizon, accompanied by a horse laid "above" or "at the feet" of the buried individual. 45 similar burials localized in the northern and central Altai have been excavated to date. These burials demonstrate the features of the formation and evolution of the Dyalyan tradition throughout the entire period of the existence of the Bulan-Koby culture. This group of the population had the greatest importance in the pre-Turkic period (second half of the 4 th-first half of the 5 th centuries AD). New materials from the excavations of the Choburak-I necropolis, one of the demonstrative objects of which is published and analyzed in the article, confirm that in the nomads of Dyalyan tradition were representatives of the local elite in the Northern Altai. This is evidenced by the composition of the accompanying inventory from the studied burials which included advanced models of weapons and defensive armament, equipment for a person and a riding horse. The possibilities of reconstructing the historical fate of the Dyalyan tradition bearers are presented. It should be stressed that the characteristic features of the rite were not continued in the funeral practice of the early medieval Turks. The available rather fragmentary materials make it possible to outline the western direction of the migrations of the "Dyalyans" (probably as part of the Rouran community), as well as to make an assumption about their participation in the formation of certain population groups of the Srostki culture of the Forest-Steppe Altai.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
This article addresses the study of the chemical alloy composition of the artefacts made of nonfe... more This article addresses the study of the chemical alloy composition of the artefacts made of nonferrous and precious metals and discovered in the cemetery of Levadki in Central Crimea. The elemental composition of the finds was studied with non-destructive standardless X-ray fluorescence at the Storage Department of the Central Museum of the Taurida. The research used a sample of 68 artefacts and their components discovered in 23 burial structures dated from the Late Hellenistic and Roman Periods. From the formula of the main alloy components, the sample under study comprises: 17.65% of "pure" copper, 8.82% of brass, 11.76% of multicomponent zinc-containing alloys, 1.47% of lead bronze, 19.12% of tin bronze, 38.24% of tin-lead and lead-tin bronze, 1.47% of lead, and 1.47% of silver. The analysis of alloy composition by categories of grave goods has revealed that tin and zinc were the main alloying species in brooch production. The belt and sword-belt parts were made of alloys featuring various formulae, ranging from "pure" copper to three-component bronze variants. The research on ornaments and accessories has uncovered that this group includes the artefacts of "pure" copper along with the pieces alloyed with tin and lead, with the latter component comprising from one-third to a half of the composition, particularly in cast ornaments. This group divides into at least three subgroups, differentiated by the technique applied in the making of the artefacts and the composition of the alloy. Weaponry items are represented by the arrowheads. There are three cases of the arrowheads made of lead-tin bronze and one case more of "pure" copper.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
This article is devoted to analyzing 24 fibulae originating from the Ust-Kamensk kurgan cemetery.... more This article is devoted to analyzing 24 fibulae originating from the Ust-Kamensk kurgan cemetery. Typologically, these finds are not very diverse. The bow fibulae (18 pieces) are the most numerous among them. Hinged arc-shaped brooches (3 pieces) and military clasps (2 pieces) are represented in a significantly smaller number. The spring fibulae with the button at the end of the continuous lamellar receiver are observed only in one fibula. The overwhelming majority of the specified decorations (21 pieces) form a single chronological group dated according to different chronological schemes to the second-third quarters or the second half of the 1 st centuryearly 2 nd century AD. Only three pieces do not belong to this group: two military fibulae date back to an earlier period and one spring fibulae with the button on the receiver end was made later. Taking into account modern research, military brooches cannot date back later than the early 1 st century AD. The brooch with the button on the receiver dates back to the first half-middle of 2 nd century AD. Considering that fibulae are the most reliable and precisely dated indicators in the inventory of the Ust-Kamensk kurgan cemetery, their dating can be confidently extended to the chronology of the whole burial ground. Thus, the monument was used for at least 100 years, from the early 1 st century AD up to the first half-the middle of the 2 nd century AD, but not just in the middle of the 1 stbeginning of the 2 nd centuries AD, as it was considered earlier. The majority of fibulae from the Ust-Kamensk collection have possibly been made in Olbia or delivered through it from the Roman provinces. Only the military brooches and the spring fibulae with the button on the receiver end, apparently, are of a different origin.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
The article is devoted to the reconstruction of the relations of the nomads' social elite from th... more The article is devoted to the reconstruction of the relations of the nomads' social elite from the Southern Urals buried in the cemetries of the kurgans Filippovka 1, 2. The total craniological series of these monuments consists of 22 skulls (9 male and 13 female) representing brachycranial broad-faced Caucasoids. The aim of the study is to determine the historical roots of this group including their migration patterns, as well as their contacts with the surrounding population. The study is based on a comparative analysis of 35 craniological series of the Early Iron Age sites in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Eurasia. The comparison was carried out according to the canonical analysis method using the Multican and Statistica 12 programs. In terms of morphological features, the individuals buried in the Filippovka kurgans are as close as possible to the nomads of the Southern Urals and the Lower Volga region of the Sauromatian (6 th-5 th /4 th centuries BC) and early Sarmatian (4 th-3 rd centuries BC) time. They probably come from the local nomadic population who resided in this territory in early Sauromatian time. Representatives of the Filippovka group are also morphologically close to the Saka of the Aral Sea region and to the bearers of the Tasmolа culture from Central Kazakhstan. The formation of the pastoral population of the Early Iron Age (5 th-4 th centuries BC) of two regions-the Southern Urals and the Aral Sea-might have taken place on a single anthropological basis, which is associated with the nomadic tribes of Central Kazakhstan including the bearers of the Tasmolа culture who had contacts with the Southern Siberia settled groups. As a result of mestizo processes on the contact territory, a special type of population the so-called Eastern Caucasoids with a small Mongoloid admixture was formed, which then spread in the southern Aral and western Ural directions. The spatial connections of the population that left the Filippovka kurgans are geographically wide. Judging by the archaeological data, they were grounded primarily on the basis of trade and economic relations. The craniological source shows some heterogeneity of the Ural nomads, but it is difficult to speak confidently about the time and mixing forms of their constituent components; the recorded phenomenon is also relevant among other synchronous groups of mobile pastoralists from Central Asia.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2024
Introduction. This paper presents results of an anthropological and paleopathological studies of ... more Introduction. This paper presents results of an anthropological and paleopathological studies of newly excavated materials from the Karanayevsky cemetery located in the Southwestern Bashkortostan and attributed to Srubnaya culture. The goal of this study was to introduce new data from kurgan 2, as well as to compare this sample with the samples from other Karanayevsky kurgans, and with synchronous population characteristics of the region. Discussion involves skeletal material from 12 individual burials (nine children and three adults). Methods. Sex, age and the state of preservation/completeness of the remains were assessed. We performed a morphometric study, an analysis of dental morphology, description of pathologies and individual characteristics, taking into consideration the recommendations in the specific literature. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to test for the relationship between skeletal preservation, sex, age, and grave construction. A single cranium from the kurgan was compared with the pooled samples from the region using Heincke's method. The Fisher's exact test was used to assess the possible statistical differences in frequencies of dental non-metric traits between the Karanayevsky kurgan 2 sample and the pooled Srubnaya samples of the Pre-Urals. Analysis. The skeleton preservation appears to be related to the age of the buried, but to a greater extent varies depending on the depth of the grave. The female skull from kurgan 2 shows characteristics of European ancestry and has mesomorphic morphology with a medium or slightly weakened horizontal and vertical profiling. It shows similarity to the pooled Srubnaya craniological series from the forest-steppe subareas. The dental morphology observed in the sample corresponds to the archaic gracile variant of European ancestry. Osteometric data characterize adult individuals as representatives of the mesomorphic, moderately massive group with reduced or medium limb length. Like in other groups of the region, the sample is defined by the predominance of dental calculus and dental chips, some markers of physiological and mechanical stress and the absence of indicators of specific infections. Results. In general, the Karanayevsky kurgan 2 skeletal sample corresponds to the characteristics of other Karanaevsky cemetery samples, and is consistent with the results on the synchronous sites of the Pre-Urals and Trans-Urals.
The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin / Нижневолжский археологический вестник, 2023
Основан в 1998 году Выходит 2 раза в год Учредитель: Федеральное государственное автономное образ... more Основан в 1998 году Выходит 2 раза в год Учредитель: Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Волгоградский государственный университет» Журнал зарегистрирован в Федеральной службе по надзору в сфере связи, информационных технологий и массовых коммуникаций (свидетельство о регистрации ПИ № ФС77-68211 от 27 декабря 2016 г.) Журнал включен в следующие российские и международные базы данных: Scopus, Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI, Web of Science), РИНЦ (Россия), AWOL (США), DOAJ (Швеция), MIAR (Испания), ROAD (Франция), SHERPA/RoMEO (Испания) Редакционная коллегия: М.А. Балабанова-д-р ист. наук, проф., главный редактор (г. Волгоград); М.В. Кривошеев-канд. ист. наук, заместитель главного редактора (г. Волгоград); К.С. Ковалева-ответственный секретарь (г. Волгоград); В.И. Моисеев-технический секретарь (г. Волгоград); Н.Г. Глазкова-канд. ист. наук, доц., редактор текстов на английском языке (г. Волгоград); В.М. Клепиков-канд. ист. наук, доц. (г. Волгоград); Е.В. Перерваканд. ист. наук (г. Волгоград); А.Н. Дьяченко (г. Волгоград); Н.М. Малов-канд. ист. наук (г. Саратов); В.Н. Мышкин-канд. ист. наук (г. Самара) А.С. Скрипкин-д-р ист. наук, проф. (главный редактор журнала с 1998 по 2021 г.) решением Ученого совета Волгоградского государственного университета навечно включен в состав редакционной коллегии в связи с огромным вкладом в развитие журнала
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