Geochemical, lithological and archaeological studies on an Early Bronze Age barrow destroyed by modern tillage in Petrove, central Ukraine

Abstract

This study discusses the impact of land tillage, particularly plowing, on Chernozem soil profile transformations, focusing on the exploration of a barrow in Petrove, Ukraine. Using lithological and geochemical methods, soil profiles from the barrow and its surroundings were analyzed, as well as the post-depositional processes that transformed the mound and grave pit of a Yamnaya culture barrow dating back to the Early Bronze Age. The effects of mechanical denudation of the barrows were observed. Despite organic matter having originally constituted a considerable proportion of the barrow mound, its loss is evident, mainly as a result of accelerated mineralization. Moreover, the distribution of geochemical components within a barrow depends on the original distribution of organic matter in the barrow mound and its transformation by animals. Barrow and grave pit structures were examined, and intervention rituals were reconstructed. A bed of sand (lithologically distinct) was found on the floor of the grave pit. This may have underlain the mat on which the body was placed. Higher phosphorus and iron contents confirmed the presence of burials and ochres in the grave pit.