Barrow Group Research Articles

ARCHAEOZOOLOGICAL COMPLEXES OF SCYTHIAN BARROWS

Archaeozoological studies of the complexes of the Scythian burial mounds Babina and Vodyana Mohyly, the Berdyansk Kurhan and barrow group 1 near the town of Kamenka-Dneprovska allow to make the following generalizations. As the studied materials show, the horse was widely used in the funeral rites of the Scythians. Parts of the carcasses of horses were placed in the burial as a farewell food, meat horses were used for conducting funeral rites, horses were buried with their owners. Sheep and cattle were also used as food. During the funeral rites parts of the carcasses of wild animals — European deer and wild boar — were used as well.
 In some cases sex and age of animals that were selected for ritual and funeral rites can be established. Commonly the horses of two age categories — young (4—5 years) and middle age (9—10 years), were used in funeral rites.
 The vast majority of the horses belonged to the groups of stunted (128—136 cm at the withers) and medium growth (136—144 cm) horses according to their sizes. The exception are the horses from the Vodyana Mohyla: the Mare from burial 3 (very small, height 118.96 cm); the horse from the ditch and horse 2, which had above-average growth and belong to the group of tall.
 According to the indices of massiveness of metacarpal and metatarsal bones, horses belonged to the groups of thin-legged (2 specimens), half-thin-legged (8 specimens) and medium-legged (4 specimens) horses, that is, most animals were half- thin-legged.
 Horse 2 and horse from the ditch of the Babina Mohyla: moved fast gaits (trot and gallop) quite often, whereas horse 1 rarely resorted to it. Horse 1, obviously, a significant part of the first half of life could graze in the herd, where it formed a type of movement slow gait. This horse could inherit the massiveness of the leg from their ancestors, which were brought from another region. Horses from the Vodyana Mohyla: probably has moved mostly at a slow pace — by-step and slow trot.
 Horses from the Berdyansk Kurhan were half-thin-legged, small and medium height at withers. They were formed on fairly hard and dry soils, and their type of movement was mainly fast.
 Horses from the tumulus 1 of Kamenka-Dneprovska was a thin-legged and half-thin-legged, mostly — average growth and was approaching the horses running type.
 A mixture of features, which are characteristics of horses of various types and, respectively, adaptation of animals to different types of movement may be indicative of their content in the herds for a long time. As a rule, such mixture of signs characterizes the wild animals that do not fall under targeted selection. However, in this case we can talk about large portion of the population of the Scythian horses, which is not selected «under the saddle» of persons of high social status.

CHERTOMLYK AND KOZEL: BARROWS, HORSES AND CROSSING

According to Dr. Yu. Boltrik’s works the Scythian royal barrows were situated on the high places (watersheds) as well as along the roads. One of the biggest roads marked by Oguz, Solokha, Kozel, Chertomlyk and Alexandropol barrows run in meridional direction and crossed the Dnieper. The Dnieper crossing was a start point in barrow creation: the later is a barrow, the more distant from the Dnieper crossing it is placed. Kozel and Chertomlyk barrows situated across the Dnieper (Kozel on the left coast, Chertomlyk — on the right one), both dated to the second half of the 4th century BC, are similar in planigraphy, quantity of buried horses and some details of their arrangement.
 In both barrows the horses were buried in special tombs situated to the West of the central tomb. Each horse tomb consisted of three large rectangular separate pits formed a line situated North-South.
 In both cases 11 horses were buried. Their bridles were made of two metals: of silver and gold in Chertomlyk and of bronze and silver — in Kozel. Some had also saddles with golden plates and some had bronze breast (neck) dressings.
 We compared the arrangement of horses in the tombs of Kozel and Chertomlyk concerning the Dnieper crossing and observed a kind of bilateral symmetry in it. So we may suppose they had in mind this crossing not only constructing barrows but burying horses too.
 River crossing in archaic cultures is a border dangerous to overcome. Because of that some rituals should be performed and some constructions installed at that place. Near the Dnieper crossing a group of Scythian barrows is known. The Dnieper direction in this place is latitudinal and the direction of road — meridional, so the place of crossing looks like a center of sacred space, and the way to it is also sacred.
 So we do not except the Dnieper crossing was significant for arranging horses’ tombs in Kozel and Chertomlyk barrows.

Результаты трехуровневой аэромагнитной съемки на археологическом памятнике «Ивановка-I, курганная группа» (Шелаболихинский район Алтайского края)

В статье отражены результаты геофизических исследований на территории археологического памятника «Ивановка-I, курганная группа», располагающегося в Шелаболихинском районе Алтайского края. На указанном комплексе отмечены 19 курганов разной степени сохранности, большая часть таких объектов распахана. Два из них имеют крупные размеры и относятся к категории «элитных» погребальных объектов. В задачи геофизического исследования входили выявление магнитных аномалий на месте визуально не фиксирующихся насыпей на площади памятника и выяснение структуры надмогильных сооружений крупных курганов. В ходе работ применялся метод магнитной аэротомографии (разновысотной аэромагнитный съемки с использованием беспилотного воздушного судна и портативного высокочастотного магнитометра), разработанный в Новосибирском государственном университете и Институте нефтегазовой геологии и геофизики СО РАН. Трехуровневая аэромагнитная съемка двух участков на территории памятника Ивановка-I позволила уточнить информацию об особенностях кольцевых рвов, зафиксированных вокруг земляных насыпей. Исследования северного участка площади могильника с распаханными курганами выявили аномалии в зоне, где наличие предполагаемых объектов определено по снимкам из космоса. Это позволяет применять методику работы с данными спутниковой съемки для обнаружения курганных насыпей, полностью разрушенных в ходе распашки.

Погребение воина-всадника из курганной группы Яшкуль

Погребение воина-всадника из курганной группы Яшкуль

Позднесарматские погребения курганной группы Ергенинский (по материалам раскопок 1981–1982 гг.)

Начавшиеся в 1970-х гг. планомерные раскопки в Калмыкии, проводимые экспедициями из гг. Москвы, Петербурга и Элисты, выявили новые памятники позднесарматской культуры. В данной статье рассмотрены подробно четыре погребения раннего железного века, исследованные в курганной группе Ергенинский. Три погребения из этого числа — впускные и единственное погребение в кургане № 7 — основное. И одно впускное, женское захоронение безынвентарное. Проанализированы особенности погребального обряда и инвентаря, установлена их датировка и этнокультурная принадлежность к позднесарматской культуре. Позднесарматская культура была распространена в степной зоне от Южного Приуралья до Северного Причерноморья в II–IV вв. до н. э. Первые элементы позднесарматской культуры в Нижнем Поволжье появляются на рубеже I–II вв. н. э. — начале II в. н. э. За это время сложились характерные для позднесарматского сообщества черты погребального обряда. К тому же наряду с новыми сохранялись и старые традиции погребального обряда.

THE SPECIFICITY OF THE CERAMIC COMPLEXES ISOLATED BURIAL GROUPS NO. 1-4 NORTHERN SECTION OF THE PALACE SYRTSOVA BURIAL GROUND (EXCAVATIONS 1982-1985)

The article deals with the specifics of the ceramic collection of 4 separate groups of burials (№1-4) of the Northern section of the Palace-Syrt burial ground of the IV–V centuries (hereinafter – the Northern Palace-Syrt), the excavations of which were carried out in 1982-1985. the Purpose of the study is to identify the features of this ceramic complex and to compare the data with the available results of the classification of ceramics of the barrow groups of the southern section of the burial ground (hereinafter – the southern Palace-Syrt), which was studied in 2009-2016.Separate burial mounds are essentially closed collective burial complexes connected by common social factors. Analysis of materials, such as certain groups of graves, and the comparative parsing of the entire series of mound groups located in the same area of the burial ground (planigraphy burials, funeral rites, especially the inventory, etc.), allows to determine in the burial traditions of the manifestations of the social structure of the population, and to identify common and particular in the ethnic composition of a large Union of tribes. The method of step analysis of the ceramic collection of burial mounds groups used in this work: burial – group of burials – group of burials of a separate certain area of the burial ground – group of burials of 2 sites of the burial ground, tested on the materials of the southern Palace-Syrt. It allows us to record both the General trends in the formation of the ceramic complex among the socially distinguished population, and to identify the principles of creating a clothing component of the funeral rite of the population. The authors give the characteristics of the sets of ceramics of each of the groups of burials of the Northern Palace-Syrt, on the basis of which a summary classification of the entire collection of ceramics is carried out. According to the authors ' conclusion, in the barrow groups №1-4 of the Northern Palace-Syrt there was no typological monotony of ceramic vessels, both in the sets of dishes of individual burial groups.

New Sarmatian grave on the left bank of the Lower Dniester

In 2018, a secondary Sarmatian burial with an impressive inventory (molded pot, pottery jug, silver earring, necklace of beads) was discovered in the Scythian mound in the course of the study of the barrow group Garden near the Glinoe village, Slobodzeya region, on the left bank of the Lower Dniester. Orientation of the buried head to the south-southeast is quite rare in the North-West Black Sea region. The cult of fire is fixed by the finds of three burned pebbles from the left to the head. A handmade pot combines features known for the dishes of a given cultural and chronological period. At the same time, the wave-like ornament in the upper part of the body was fixed only once on a similar vessel in the Danube-Dniester interfluve. Of particular interest is a pottery jug from the complex. Such forms were not previously known in the North-West Black Sea region. The closest analogies to the vessel come from the sites of the Volga-Don interfluve. Earrings identical to those found in the published grave are widely represented in the materials of the Prut-Dniester interfluve, the Middle and Lower Dniester. Necklaces of various shapes and beads belong to the most mass material received by the Sarmatians from ancient centers. The burial dates back to the 2nd century based on the analysis of the grave goods.

Full-volume 3D seismic interpretation methods: A new step towards high-resolution seismic stratigraphy

Following decades of technological innovation, geologists now have access to extensive 3D seismic surveys across sedimentary basins. Using these voluminous data sets to better understand subsurface complexity relies on developing seismic stratigraphic workflows that allow very high-resolution interpretation within a cost-effective timeframe. We have developed an innovative 3D seismic interpretation workflow that combines full-volume and semi-automated horizon tracking with high-resolution 3D seismic stratigraphic analysis. The workflow consists of converting data from seismic (two-way traveltime) to a relative geological time (RGT) volume, in which a relative geological age is assigned to each point of the volume. The generation of a horizon stack is used to extract an unlimited number of chronostratigraphic surfaces (i.e., seismic horizons). Integrated stratigraphic tools may be used to navigate throughout the 3D seismic data to pick seismic unconformities using standard seismic stratigraphic principles in combination with geometric attributes. Here, we applied this workflow to a high-quality 3D seismic data set located in the Northern Carnarvon Basin (North West Shelf, Australia) and provided an example of high-resolution seismic stratigraphic interpretation from an Early Cretaceous shelf-margin system (Lower Barrow Group). This approach is used to identify 73 seismic sequences (i.e., clinothems) bounded by 74 seismic unconformities. Each clinothem presents an average duration of approximately 63,000 years (fifth stratigraphic order), which represents an unprecedented scale of observation for a Cretaceous depositional system on seismic data. This level of interpretation has a variety of applications, including high-resolution paleogeographical reconstructions and quantitative analysis of subsurface data. This innovative workflow constitutes a new step in seismic stratigraphy because it enables interpreters to map seismic sequences in a true 3D environment by taking into account the full variability of depositional systems at high frequency through time and space.

From quantitative 3D seismic stratigraphy to sequence stratigraphy: Insights into the vertical and lateral variability of shelf-margin depositional systems at different stratigraphic orders

Abstract A major challenge in sequence stratigraphy is objectively identifying stratigraphic surfaces and sequences across multiple scales of observation. Identification is commonly dependent on the resolution of the data used (i.e., seismic vs. well data), its dimension (i.e., 1D vs. 2D vs. 3D) or the criteria chosen to select sequence boundaries. Through shelf-edge trajectory analysis, the clinothem (i.e., highest order seismic sequence identified on seismic data) can constitute the elementary building block of an observation-based and data-driven quantitative workflow to develop sequence stratigraphic frameworks across different orders and ranks of hierarchy. Here, we use high-quality 3D seismic data to interpret a Late Tithonian–Early Cretaceous shelf margin, the Lower Barrow Group (LBG), developed in the Northern Carnarvon Basin on the North West Shelf of Australia. Based on full-volume seismic interpretation techniques that integrate the 3D variability of the data when identifying seismic unconformities, a high-resolution seismic stratigraphic framework was built (73 interpreted clinothems with an average time duration of ~63,000 yrs). The computation of high-frequency shelf-edge trajectory angle (Tse) curves on selected seismic cross-sections is used to objectively pick sequence stratigraphic surfaces based on the accommodation succession method, thereby highlighting small changes in trajectory and proposing a method reproducible by interpreters based on the same quantitative data. Within the D. lobispinosum interval (142.3–140.9 Ma), the definition of stratigraphic sequences and composite stratigraphic sequences through this workflow is used to discriminate the controls at high and low temporal frequency on the vertical and lateral variability (which is here quantified) of this shelf-slope-basin system. The results show that the high-frequency interplay between short-term glacio-eustasy (i.e., Milankovitch eccentricity cycles of ~100,000 yrs) and sediment supply (locus of fluvial input along the margin) impacted the three-dimensional stratigraphic architecture of the LBG. In contrast, tectonic subsidence had a significant impact on the stratigraphic architecture of the LBG within the main depocentre at lower temporal frequency by overprinting the eustatic signal and accelerating/decelerating the rates of accommodation creation. However, identification of long-term glacio-eustatic Milankovitch cycles (~400,000 yrs) outside the main depocentre, where the rates of accommodation creation due to rift-related subsidence are moderate, also suggests low-frequency eustatic control. Therefore, the vertical and lateral variability of the LBG results from variations in sediment supply and subsidence regime under local (i.e., process regime, currents), regional (i.e., tectonics) and global (i.e., eustasy, climate) forcing parameters interplaying across timescales. In contrast to standard sequence stratigraphic workflows that are based on model-dependent choices to select sequence boundaries, quantitative 3D seismic stratigraphy constitutes an improved method to interpret 3D seismic data in shelf-margin depositional systems within a sequence stratigraphic framework, which provides an observation-based and model-independent tool allowing the definition of stratigraphic sequences with results that are reproducible across multiple stratigraphers. This work highlights the need for developing new sequence stratigraphic tools and methods that integrate the 4D variability of depositional systems and moves beyond the two-dimensionality inherent to current sequence stratigraphic methods. Quantitative 3D seismic stratigraphy represents a first step towards the creation of 3D sequence stratigraphic workflows that could improve the prediction of stratigraphic patterns and facies relationships (source, reservoir, seal distribution) across shelf margins.

The Complex of Bronze Snaffles from the Area of Malye Semibratnye Barrows

Anapa archaeological museum stores a bronze snaffle complex, which was found on arable lands near Chekon khutor in 2013. The complex was found in the area of the barrow group known as Malye Semibratnye barrows. Complex includes two pairs of two-hole snaffles: a pair with a sickle-shaped blade and an L-shaped pair. Sickle-shaped snaffles have analogies in the materials of the IV Semibratnyy barrow. L-shaped snaffles are among the most common ones in Scythian burial monuments. They are famous by finds from the burial mounds of the necropolis of Nymphaeum and Semibratnye barrows. The existing analogies allow us to date the complex to the 5th century BC. The complex of horse equipment items found in the inter-burial space is similar to the topography of Scythian and early Sarmatian necropolises famous for individual burial complexes and complexes of ritual items including horse equipment found outside of the barrows. Perhaps the complex was a set of pair horse harness of a funeral wagon. The discovery expands the idea of the funeral and memorial rites of the Sindian nobility, allowing to connect it with traditions that existed in the Scythian and early Sarmatian societies.

Full-volume interpretation methods: Applications for quantitative seismic stratigraphy and geomorphology of the Lower Barrow Group, Northwest Australia

Following decades of technological innovation, geologists have now access to extensive 3D seismic datasets. How these data will help understanding the complexity of the subsurface relies on developing stratigraphic workflows that allow very high-resolution interpretation in a cost-effective timeframe. Here, the use of full-volume, semi-automatic horizon tracking tools allowed interpreting ultra-high resolution seismic sequences (^0,000 yrs duration) within a Cretaceous prograding shelf-margin (Lower Barrow Group; LBG) on the North West Shelf of Australia. Initially, semi-automated horizon tracking allowed mapping key regional unconformities defining 3rd order seismic sequences. In a second step, a very high resolution grid (nodes corresponding to seismic traces) was generated in each 3rd order sequence. An automatic propagation algorithm then linked the nodes based on their similarities, resulting in a very dense network of “proto”-seismic horizons. Volume interpolation resulted in the creation of a Relative Geological Time (RGT) model from which a very high number of chronostratigraphic surfaces were extracted. This allowed a full volume 3D mapping of every clinoform in each 3rd order sequence, from which quantitative data (clinoform height, slope, topset vs bottomset thickness) and seismic attributes (seismic geomorphology) were extracted. This analysis unveiled the high resolution changes in sediment supply and accommodation in time and space in the LBG, and provided new insights on the distribution of shallow and deep marine plays in the basin. This innovative workflow constitutes a new step in sequence stratigraphy as it allows interpreters to map sequences in a true 3D environment hence taking into account the full variability of depositional systems in time and space.

Shelf-margin architecture and shoreline processes at the shelf-edge: Controls on sediment partitioning and prediction of deep-water deposition style

The Lower Barrow Group (LBG; Latest Tithonian – Early Valanginian) is a shelf-margin that prograded during a late phase of rifting under various subsidence regimes and supply-dominated conditions. A 3D semi-automatic, full-volume seismic interpretation method allow identifying high-order clinothems presenting an estimated cyclicity of ~40,000 yrs, in which a quantitative analysis of the shelf-margin architecture and shorelines processes was conducted. Overall, three and four main types of hydrodynamic regimes and deep-water systems were identified, respectively. Falling to flat shelf-edge trajectories are associated with sediment bypass, whereas rising shelf-edge trajectories are linked with increasing sediment storage on the shelf. While fluvial to wave processes can be dominant in all A/S conditions, results show that fluvial-dominated coastlines are associated with steep high-angle slope clinoforms and short to longer run-out turbidites. Conversely, wave-dominated coastlines are linked to low-angle slope clinoforms and poor turbidite system development (occasional sheet sand and MTDs). The short and longer run-out turbidite systems present a tripartite architecture (canyon / slope valley; channel; lobes) which mostly appear as short-lived, vertically / laterally stacked elements fed my multiple small rivers forming linear ramp systems. Due to the shallow configuration of the margin (<500m), the presence of short slopes and overall high sand-to-mud ratio, the turbidite systems are smaller scale (<50 km) and probably shorter lived than most modern turbidite systems (100-1000 km). This study sheds new lights on the significant role of shelf-margin architecture (slope gradient, hydrodynamic regime) in predicting the deep-water sediment delivery behavior (sediment partitioning, type of deep-water system).

A Jug from Sarata

The results of the visual study of well-known and repeatedly published jag from grave no. 13 of the barrow no. 10 near Sarata village in Odesa Region are shown in the paper. The barrow was excavated by professor of the Kyiv St. Volodymyr University F.I. Knauer in 1888—1890. According to the publication of the first results of study, the localization and composition of the barrow group is specified. In the paper the burial no. 13 and the vessel which was placed behind the scull are described. The study of the decoration of Sarata jug de visu in the National Museum of History of Ukraine allows to conclude that the volutes typical for the Basarabi Culture were ending not only with curls as was previously considered but with two heads of snakes (fig. 4, 3). The volute with the snake head was filled with white paste on the right side, and with pink paste on the left. The enlargement of images suggests that the heads appeared later. They were marked by deep notches, not by a small-notched stamp by which the ornament of the vessel was spouted. The white paste filling the head of snake is more dense on the right side. These observations somewhat change the opinion on the image on Sarata vessel. Probably the images were made in different time. So, the initial decoration was engraved during the manufacture of the vessel among Culture of Basarabi. The image of the snake heads was added later. Perhaps it was done while preparing the vessel for a funerary ritual — after all the snake image had a chthonic meaning in many cultures. There was made a conclusion that the jug was decorated not with geometrical but with subject ornament. The aviability of realistic depicted heads of snakes allows recall the Scythian animal style. No one can exclude that the Sarata burial had been made just in the Early Scythian time using the vessel preserved as a relic for a long time. If such observations will receive additional arguments the burial no. 13 of the barrow no. 10 near Sarata could be included in the small group of Early Scythian burials of the Steppe zone.

The Eneolithic Ritual Barrow Complex in Prydnistrianske, Vinnystia Oblast: Magnetometric Surveys

Abstract The article presents the results of magnetometric surveys carried out in the village of Pridnistryanske on two barrow sites. In the site 1, the principal objectives were to capture the course of barrow ditches - not covered by the excavations - and investigate the space between the mounds. On site 2 relying on photographs was a group of nearby barrows selected for geophysical investigations.

ПОГРЕБЕНИЯ ЭПОХИ БРОНЗЫ С ОРУДИЯМИ ТРУДА И ОРУЖИЕМ ИЗ КУРГАННЫХ ГРУПП ВОСТОЧНЫЙ МАНЫЧ

The article is devoted to the analysis of burials of the Yamna and catacomb cultures, with tools and weapons of stone and metal in the composition of grave goods from the barrow groups in the Eastern Manych. The study has revealed various aspects associated with the cultural-chronological and age characteristics of the buried. The social status of the buried is also reflected in the qualitative composition of the stone and bronze tools and weapons. Most clearly on the material studied monuments manifested the professional specialization of artisans and craftsmen. Keywords: Eastern Manych, barrows, burials, tools, weapons, altars, cenotaphs, gender and age features.

Borum Eshøj Revisited – Bronze Age monumental burial traditions in eastern Jutland, Denmark

ABSTRACTBorum Eshoj is one of the internationally most famous monuments from the Nordic Bronze Age, key to understanding burial customs, social identities and societies. Its uniqueness is reflected in its extraordinarily well-preserved oak log coffin burials, its landscape setting in a distinct barrow group and its complex monumental architecture. Since 1988, new investigations have been conducted at the barrow group, and in 2011, the remains of the classic Borum Eshoj were investigated. The new investigation reveals a monument with an extraordinarily long and complex use-life. It demonstrates a consecutive construction procedure with basic building principles which provide a basis for reinterpreting the barrow and suggesting an initial burial ground compounded beneath one large barrow construction phase. The kerbstones were constructed before the barrow was finished, and the barrow partly covers the kerbstone construction. In a larger perspective, the new investigations indicate that Borum Eshoj, with it...

The stratigraphic record of prebreakup geodynamics: Evidence from the Barrow Delta, offshore Northwest Australia

The structural and stratigraphic evolution of rift basins and passive margins has been widely studied, with many analyses demonstrating that delta systems can provide important records of postrift geodynamic processes. However, the apparent lack of ancient synbreakup delta systems and the paucity of seismic imaging across continent-ocean boundaries mean that the transition from continental rifting to oceanic spreading remains poorly understood. The Early Cretaceous Barrow Group of the North Carnarvon Basin, offshore NW Australia, was a major deltaic system that formed during the latter stages of continental rifting and represents a rich sedimentary archive, documenting uplift, subsidence, and erosion of the margin. We use a regional database of 2-D and 3-D seismic and well data to constrain the internal architecture of the Barrow Group. Our results highlight three major depocenters: the Exmouth and Barrow subbasins and southern Exmouth Plateau. Overcompaction of pre-Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the South Carnarvon Basin, and pervasive reworking of Permian and Triassic palynomorphs in the offshore Barrow Group, suggests that the onshore South Carnarvon Basin originally contained a thicker sedimentary succession, which was uplifted and eroded prior to breakup. Backstripping of sedimentary successions encountered in wells in the Exmouth Plateau depocenter indicates that anomalously rapid tectonic subsidence (≤0.24 mm yr−1) accommodated Barrow Group deposition, despite evidence for minimal, contemporaneous upper crustal extension. Our results suggest that classic models of uniform extension cannot account for the observations of uplift and subsidence in the North Carnarvon Basin and may indicate a period of depth-dependent extension or dynamic topography preceding breakup.

Курганы эпохи энеолита на могильнике Инской дол (Алтай)

The article is devoted to the preliminary results of the st udy of burial mounds № 4 –7, 9 on the burial ground of the Inskoy Dol, situated in the Krasnoshchekovskiy district of the Altai Territory (Western Altai). Investigated objects complement the information on the late Stone Age of souther n Siber ia. A nalysis of planig raphy, the burial rite and inventory provided the opportunity to distinguish two of the small groups of mounds on the Inskoy Dol burial site. The f irst group of barrows № 4–5, 9 has the characteristic features of Afanasyevo culture and pre-dated to 3rd Millennium BC. The characteristic signs of Afanasyevo culture include planographics of the particular location of the object and the tomb designs of a round shape, where along the perimeter one can find the ring plates, set vertically and the stones laid flat; ground graves where the dead were placed on the back with bent knees and feet oriented the head to the west; painting the dead with red ochre; the receptacles ovoid. The second microgroup of mounds № 6–7 refers to the so-called Kurtusk type of burials and dated to pre- mid-3rd Millennium BC. This type is characterized by the following features of the burial rite: round structure of tombs, the position of the dead in subterranean graves on the back with bent knees feet; the orientation of the dead head to the east, north-east; painting of the dead with ochre. In addition, as a rule, such burial do not contain any inventory or they contain mainly the vessels of the jar type. Further study of the monument, as well as carrying out radiocarbon analysis will allow providing new data for chronological attribution of the objects. DOI 10.14258/izvasu(2016)4-39

Depletion of bromadiolone in tissues of hogs following oral exposure

Objectives: To assess bromadiolone depletion in the edible tissues of swine and propose post-exposure withdrawal periods. Materials and methods: Two groups of barrows and two groups of gilts were given a single oral dose of bromadiolone: low dosage (LD, 0.05 mg/kg; n = 20; 10 males, 10 females) and high dose (HD, 0.5 mg/kg; n = 20; 10 males, 10 females). Coagulation parameters were assessed before and after administration. Animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 weeks (LD) and 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9 weeks (HD) post dosing. Loin muscle, skin-adherent fat, liver, feces, and blood were analyzed for bromadiolone using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Partial thromboplastin times exceeded control values in the LD and HD groups 6 and 9 weeks post dosing, respectively. In the HD group, bromadiolone concentrations exceeded the limit of detection (LOD) at all time points in liver and skin-adherent fat and for up to 6 weeks in feces, muscle, and plasma. In the LD group, bromadiolone concentrations exceeded the LOD at all time points in liver and up to 3 weeks in fat, feces, and plasma. Estimated withdrawal periods for bromadiolone in liver were 83 and 176 weeks in the LD and HD groups, respectively, and 62 weeks in muscle in the HD group. Implication: Bromadiolone residues persist in tissues such that it is impractical to wait for the hog to eliminate the rodenticide to a concentration that is safe for entry into the human food chain.

Field experience with surgical castration with anaesthesia, analgesia, immunocastration and production of entire male pigs: performance, carcass traits and boar taint prevalence

Male piglets are castrated to reduce boar taint and also to reduce aggressive and sexual behaviour. However, the procedure as traditionally performed is painful and negatively affects performance. Large-scale results about the consequences of implementing alternatives on farms are lacking. We, therefore, investigated the practical applicability of the following five alternatives that can be implemented in the short term: surgical castration (1) without pain relief (CONT, control group), (2) with analgesia (MET, Metacam, 0.2 ml, 10 to 15 min before castration), (3) with general anaesthesia (CO2, inhalation, 100% CO2, 25 s, 3 l/min), (4) vaccination against boar taint (IM, two injections with Improvac) and (5) production of entire males (EM). The study consisted of the following two trials: (1) an experimental farm trial with 18 animals/treatment and (2) a large field trial on 20 farms with ~120 male pigs/farm per treatment and all treatments performed on each farm. Performance results as well as data on carcass traits, boar taint (hot-iron method) and testes development and weight were collected in both trials. Neither castration nor administration of analgesia or anaesthesia had an effect on daily gain of the piglets in the farrowing crates (P>0.05). Farmer records indicated that mortality in the farrowing crates (1.1%), nursery pens (1.8%) and fattening stable (2.2%) was not influenced by MET or CO2 compared with EM, IM or CONT (P>0.05). No significant differences were found for daily gain (P>0.05) nor slaughter age (P>0.05). Immunocastrates and EM had a better gain-to-feed ratio (P<0.05) compared with the groups of barrows (CONT, MET and CO2). Lean meat percentage was higher for EM compared with the barrows, and intermediate for IM (P<0.05). Carcass yield was lowest for IM (P<0.05). The hot-iron method indicated that boar taint was eliminated in barrows and IM compared with EM (P<0.001). Average prevalence of strong boar taint was 3% for EM, but varied from 0% to 14% between farms. As the effect of treatment on performance as well as the level of boar taint of EM was farm dependent, farmers should be encouraged to pre-test the different alternatives in order to make a well-considered choice for the best practical and profitable alternative for their farm.