Materials of the Neolithic settlement of the Komarin 5 in the Verkhny Dnepr River basin (Gomel Podneprovie), on the basis of excavations 1998, 2005-2007, 2011

Abstract

In the article the authors summarize the archaeological studies of the Neolithic settlement Komarin 5 in vicinity of Rogachev, Gomel region. The settlement is situated in the northern periphery of the area of the Dnepro-Donetsk ethno-cultural community. In the introductory part of the article the authors present the main approaches in interpreting of the Neolithic monuments with comb-stroke ceramics in the upstream of the Dnepr. The excavations were carried out in the southern part of the man site during 4 field seasons. There is a brief description of the stratigraphy of the studied settlement, the most representative burial and utility objects of the excavation-2 in 2006, the main categories of flint tools, and the ceramic complex of the Neolithic period in the article. With the help of the ceramic complexes we can fix several stages of the development of the territory, from the Neolithic Age till the Late Middle Ages. The overwhelming part of the archaeological materials, especially ceramics, is considered in the context of the III stage of the development of the Dnepro-Donetsk culture and covers a chronological interval within the IV millennium BC. This is confirmed by the only absolute dating of 478090 BP (Кі-15033) with the soil from the pit filling in the utility building (object 2 of the excavation in 2006). The issues of relative and absolute dating of the monument Komarin-5, in particular the top chronological boundary of the Neolithic Dnepro-Donetsk culture, are considered.