Bronze Items Research Articles

Cultural and chronological features of the Novo-Ufimskii burial ground according to the data of natural science analyses

The Novo-Ufimskii burial ground is one of the largest sites of the Southern Urals, located in the southern part of Ufa, in territorial terms, correlated with the Kara-Abyz culture of the Early Iron Age. Located in the historical part of the city of Ufa, the Novo-Ufimskii burial ground was allocated by R.B. Akhmerov on the territory of the construction of Bashkir State University buildings in 1952-1956. The site of the Novo-Ufimskii burial ground has repeatedly been subjected to destructive anthropogenic impacts since the second half of the 19th century, from the period of active development in the southern part of Ufa. However, a systematic investigation of the territory of the site with the involvement of a wide range of natural science methods has not been carried out. Earlier archaeological studies of the Novo-Ufa burial ground were most often associated with the part of the monument destroyed by construction. Some of the burials discovered during the reconstruction of the Dynamo stadium were investigated. The archaeological research carried out in 2018 set the task of widespread use of interdisciplinary, natural-scientific methods on the materials of 22 burials of the Novo-Ufimskii burial ground. During archaeological work in 2018, a feature was recorded in the burial tradition of the population who left the burial ground. Two-tiered burials were identified. The main focus of the study was bronze and paleosoil items from the Novo-Ufimskii burial ground.

COINS FROM EXCAVATIONS AT THE «T-4» SECTOR IN OLBIA

Coins from the excavations of the «T-4» site in 2018—2020, located in the Terrace City of Olbia, are introduced into scientific circulation. The total number of coins found during three years of research is 154 items, half of which are dolphin-shaped coins. These include a treasure of coins and bronze items, which, in particular, contained 26 casted dolphin-shaped coins. The coin in the shape of a «wheel» from the West Pontic city of Istria also belongs to the Classical period. Coins of the Hellenistic era from the excavations at the «T-4» sector are represented by denominations with images of Apollo, Demeter and the eagle on a dolphin, Tyche in a crown in the shape of a tower and an archer, and borysthenes coins. Among the numismatic monuments of this time is a rare coin of the city of byzantium of the IV c. BC, which confirms the evidence of the Olbian inscription (НО 9) on trade contacts between these cities during the Hellenistic period.
 The latest coins of the pre-Getae Olbia are represented by coins of the Asia Minor city of Amis, which are dated by the end of the II — the first half of the I c. BC. These are tetrachalkos with images of the Ares head in a helmet and a sword in sheath, and Aegis with the head of Medusa and Nike. Their appearance in Olbia is associated with the inclusion of the city in the Pontic state of Mithradates VI Eupator, in particular the localization of the Pontic garrison in Olbia.
 Coins of Roman times are represented by Olbian assarius such as Zeus / eagle of the middle of the I c. AD, dupondius of the second half of the II c, AD and a tressis depicting the Roman Empress Julia Mamaeia, which belongs to the last series of monetary units of the Olbian autonomous minting. In general, the available numismatic material from the excavations of the T-4 site is dated from the second half of the VI c. BC, and until the cessation of coinage in the second third of the III c. AD, i. e. covers all major chronological periods of existence of Olbian polis.

Finds of ornitomorphic images of the End of the Early Iron Age in the Lower Angara region

The paper concerns the ornithomorphic images found at the Pinchuga VI burial ground. The site is located in the lower course of the river Angara (Middle Siberia). The chronological boundaries of the study span the second quarter of the 1st millennium AD (end of the Early Iron Age). All burials at the burial ground were performed ac-cording to the rite of cremation outside the cemetery. Two intact objects and fragments of the third image of a bird were found at the necropolis. Figures were found in different contexts. One of them was found in the filling of a grave pit, the second item within an assemblage of various articles in the inter-grave space. The third item was broken and lost as the result of illegal excavations. All articles share similar characteristics. These are realistic images of diurnal birds of prey “frozen” in a diving flight; the images are shown en face, with a high-relief head, with the tucked wings and feet pulled up with talons. A geometric decor conveys their feather, and a stylized mask is present on the chest of one item. The images are slightly convex, their front side is polished. The closest analogies to the Angara images of birds are known in Western Siberia, including the Tomsk burial ground, the Kholmogory treasure, the Ishim collection, and materials from the Parabel cult place. All this makes it possible to attribute the analyzed items to the Kholmogory stylistic group of the Kulai cult casting. Products of this group be-came widespread in Western Siberia in the second quarter of the 1st millennium AD. The ornithomorphic images found at the Pinchuga VI cemetery extend the geographical range of the items of this style to the territory of Mid-dle Siberia. Apart from the figurines of birds, the necropolis also yields other items of the Western Siberian cult casting, including disks with concentric ornaments, a hollow image of a fish head, and a bird-head belt applique. Bronze items were imported, and in the course of exchange they were spreading over considerable distances. This proves the existence of established cultural ties between the populations of the Lower Angara region and Western Siberia at the End of the Early Iron Age.

Turkic burial accompanied by horses from the Upper Irtysh River region

The second half of the 1st millennium AD is associated with the development and formation of the culture of ancient Turkic peoples, who repeatedly developed several large ethnopolitical associations in the steppe zone of Central Asia. Political and cultural influences of the Turkic state formations were perceived not only by the seden-tary population of the states that existed in the territory of East and Central Asia, but also by further north peoples who lived in the steppe and taiga zones. Under the Turkic influence, or with their direct participation, the Kimako-Kipchak proto-state association began taking shape in the Upper Irtysh River region in the 7th century AD. The initial stage of this process, features of the funeral rite, and characteristic elements of the material culture of the population living in the region are almost unknown due to insufficient exploration of the monuments of the devel-opmental stage of this polyethnic formation. The paper describes the materials of the barrow cemetery of Menov-noye XII, located in the territory of the Upper Irtysh River, 2.1 km southeast of the village of Menovnoye, Tavrichesky district, East Kazakhstan Province. Under the barrow mound, there was a fence with outbuildings containing burials of a man, two horses, and two dogs. The central burial was robbed. The sacrificial pit, located north of the main grave, contained the burial of two horses, laid on their stomachs with their legs tucked under their bodies and with their heads oriented to the east. The buried person was accompanied by two dogs: one was laid across the ceiling of the grave, while the other was buried in a separate pit in an additional annex. The grave goods found with the deceased represented by astragali, a bronze ring, and a fragment of an iron arrowhead. The horse harness included stirrups and iron bits. The bridle belts were adorned with bronze items: bells, triplet plaques, bronze onlays, and belt tip ends. Bronze buckles with iron tongues, which were tucked into clips, were used to adjust the tension of the headband straps. The funeral rite features and analysis of the materials collected during the study of the memorial complex make it possible to associate the burials of the 3rd barrow of the Menov-noye XII with the Early Kimak antiquities within the framework of the Turkic era and to date them to the second half of the 7th — 8th century AD.

The Study of Non-Ferrous Metal Artifacts of the Early Iron Age and Medieval Cultures in the Western Amur Basin

We describe the morphological and quantitative characteristics, and the elemental composition, of 23 bronze artifacts, seven silver ones, and a gold adornment, spanning the period from late 11th century BC to 15th century AD. These items (adornments and tools) belong to the Uril and Talakan cultures of the Early Iron Age, Mikhailovka, Mohe, and Central Asian cultures of the Early Middle Ages, and the Ducher culture of the Late Middle Ages. Elemental analysis of the bronze items at the SB RAS Institute of Nuclear Physics Siberian Center for Synchrotron and Terahertz Radiation Station of Local and Scanning X-Ray Fluorescence Elemental Analysis showed that over about 2.5 thousand years, tin-lead or lead-tin bronze was used for manufacture. Also, the best convergence of concentrations of chemical elements for Talakan and Mikhailovka artifacts testifies to evolutionary continuity between the Talakan and Mikhailovka cultures. Analysis of the elemental composition of Mohe silver and gold items from the Amur basin was carried out for the first time, revealing the high purity of precious metals used for manufacturing early medieval jewelry.

Neue und wiederentdeckte Griffzungendolche mit Ringabschluss. Die Verbreitung einer spätbronzezeitlichen Innovation in Mitteleuropa / New and rediscovered tanged daggers with ring-shaped handle tip. The spread of a Late Bronze Age innovation in Central Europe

The paper presents a Late Bronze Age bronze tanged dagger with a ring-shaped handle tip, which was discovered during an excavation in Süttő-Sáncföldek (Hungary) in 2018. The intact object was found inside a large feature of unknown function together with some other bronze items and hundreds of ceramic, stone and bone fragments. The material can be dated to the period of the Late Tumulus and Early Urnfield cultures. Similar daggers from Europe have been collected and their typology has been revisited in the article. They are known mainly from Moravia and the Carpathian Basin. In particular, the innovation of adding a ring at the end of the daggers has been investigated, together with the distribution of other artifacts sharing the same feature. It has been pointed out that although the tanged daggers with ring were produced in separate workshops, they reflect on an intensive cultural interaction between the Eastern Alps, Moravia and the inner territories of the Carpathian Basin during the Br D and Ha A1 periods.

Letter from the editor

Dear readers,We are pleased to present to you Issue 2, 2021, of the scientific and analytical journal Burganov House. The Space of Culture. Upon the recommendation of the Expert Council of the Higher Attestation Commission, the journal is included in the List of Leading Peer-reviewed Scientific Journals and Publications in which the main scientific results of theses for the academic degrees of doctor and candidate of science must be published. The journal publishes scientific articles by leading specialists in various humanitarian fields, doctoral students, and graduate students. Research areas concern topical problems in multiple areas of culture, art, philology, and linguistics. This versatility of the review reveals the main specificity of the journal, which represents the current state of the cultural space. The article by the outstanding American historian of architecture, Robert Ousterhout, is devoted to the Russian architecture formation and questions of church construction development. E. Menshikova analyses the issues of ancient aesthetics and philosophy through the prism of the realities of the modern world in the article “The Paradox of a Liar – an Incredible Repetition. Part II. The Aristotle-Anokhin Diphthong”. Characteristic of the religious consciousness and philosophy of Confucianism, the ideas of the immortality of the spirit, filial piety, and etiquette, which have become firmly established in the burial culture of Ancient China, are explored by Xiang Wu in his article “Cultural Preconditions for the Formation of Stone Carved Sculpture in Ancient Chinese Mausoleums”. Qiu Mubing continues the theme of the Chinese funerary tradition of the Han period in the article “Items of Burial Cult in the Han Period. Bronze Items. Bronze Aesthetics in the Han Period”. The author analyses bronze items and concludes that the Bronze Age in China began with the emergence of Chinese civilisation and lasted, developing in stages, until the end of the period in question – the Han period. E. Vostrikova analyses the stylistic evolution of the Flowers and Birds genre in her article “The Hwajohwa Genre (“Flowers and Birds”) in Korean Traditional Painting of the Early and Middle Joseon Periods (Late 14th – Late 17th Centuries)”. The study identifies the historical and cultural context and the main terms for its designation, presents individual artistic trends, examines the techniques used in Korean traditional painting. Moreover, the author outlines the leading artists who worked in this genre during the indicated period. P. Kozorezenko investigates the artistic searches of the masters of the Severe style in the article “The Image of an Icon in the Art of the Artists of the Severe Style”. The author believes that ancient Russian art and its main embodiment, an icon, are one of the vivid elements of the creative palette of the Severe style masters. N. Beschastnov and E. Dergileva present the graphic heritage of Moscow artist A. Dergileva, limited by the period between 1980–1990, in the article “The Moscow Metro of Alena Dergileva: the Image of Stability and Features of Change”. The seemingly simple theme, “man and a city”, is developed in a multitude of complex relationships between plastic and compositional research. In the article “History and the Picturesque Image in Sergei Eisenstein’s Film Alexander Nevsky”, N. Lushchenkov examines the theme of picturesque images in films. The author analyses the dialogue of different types of art on the example of the film Alexander Nevsky, believing that these not so obvious, but deep in their idea and artistic structure, allusions to works of painting, book illustration and graphics manifest themselves most vividly and consistently in the context of the film. The fundamentals of the sacred space reconstruction on the example of the play Shakuntala are considered by P. Stepanova in the article “Reactualization of the Ritual Structure in the Performance of Jerzy Grotowsky’s Shakuntala by Kalidasa (1960)”. The author explores the main methods of working on new connections between the actor and the audience in a theatrical performance as a special form of complicity. The author considers the deconstruction of the stage space and the removal of a clear division into the stage and the audience to be one of the main means of expression at this stage of work. In the article “Design Culture of Team Strategies”, Y. Vaserchuk analyses modern forms of design activity that contribute to professional design development and compares the principles of designers’ teamwork that are similar in form but differ in content. The author identifies the types of project design thinking: from engineering and creative types to artistic and resource-based ones. The publication is addressed to professionals specialising in the theory and practice of the fine arts and philology and all those interested in the arts and culture.

Han-era Funerary Art Objects — Works of Bronze. Han-era Bronze Aesthetics

Speaking of bronze here we refer to various objects made of bronze which is an alloy composed of pure copper and tin, which contains a small fraction of lead. Because bronze is an alloy, its melting point is at a lower temperature than that of pure copper, but the material itself is harder. Ji jin 1 (吉金)ritual metal vessels, mentioned in ancient Chinese sources are in fact works of bronze. The invention of bronze alloys was an event of epochal historical importance. Thus, the period from the invention of bronze to ubiquitous use of iron is called the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age in China began with the birth of the Chinese civilization. It lasted until the end of Han dynasty and had several stages of development. Works of bronze first appeared in China in slave-owning society of XiaShang (夏商2070 BC), and reached its zenith at the peak of slave-owning system at the end of Shang (商)and the beginning of Zhou. After the end of Chunqiu period (春 秋475 BC) the slave-owning system began to decline, and the production of bronze items dwindled. In comparison to Shang and Zhou (周朝) bronze, Han objects are much smaller in size because during this period their primary purpose was to be used in common everyday life. Mystical, solemn and even somewhat barbaric bronze of Shang and Zhou was replaced by modest, practical and convenient household utensils.

Культура саков Семиречья: современное состояние и актуальные задачи исследований

Purpose. The article describes the history and analysis of the main issues in the study of archaeological sites of the Saka period in Semirechye. They are presented by three main types on this territory: burial and memorial complexes, settlements and hoards. The first type of monuments includes numerous burial mounds, where the elite burials of “royal” type and ordinary burials are located. Both social groups are combined by the unity of funeral rites, and the main differences are the complexity of architecture, memorial practices, and richness of burial equipment in the “royal” type burial mounds. The second category of monuments is presented by the settlements that are mostly small in size. The constructions like half dugouts were discovered on them, which gave a rich ceramic material. The third type of monuments of the Saka period in Semirechye includes numerous hoards of bronze items. Some of them are represented by the cult objects (sacrificial tables, lamps and cauldrons) that mark the places of worship. A significant percentage of the hoards contain items of weapons, horse equipment and household purposes and, apparently, serve as offerings to the spirits. However, despite the considerable progress in the study of the Saka monuments of the Semirechye Region, the main problem is their cultural attribution at this time. Some researchers suggest that the independent Saka archaeological culture was formed and developed on the territory of Semirechye in the Early Iron Age, while others believe that the Saka monuments of this region belong to the broader historical and cultural community that also covers the neighboring regions of Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang. Results Another important issue in the study of the Saka sites of Semirechye is to clarify the chronology of burial and memorial complexes. Up to now, the significant database of radiocarbon dates has been accumulated, which allows us to consider the chronological positions of a wide range of monuments in a new way. It was of great importance to obtain such dates from several burials of Karatuma necropolis, which showed that it belonged to the Saka period, since burial monuments of this appearance are traditionally dated back to the Wusun period. Conclusion. The necessity of solution of these problems is an urgent task for further research of burial and settlement objects of the Saka period in this region.

Предварительные результаты аварийно-спасательных раскопок погребальных памятников эпохи поздней бронзы на площади могильников Сагайская протока 7 и Аскиз 17 в Аскизском районе Республики Хакасия

The publication contains materials from the three Late Bronze mounds. They are located in close proximity to the railway and highway, which affected the shape of the mounds and stone structures. Four graves were discovered in the excavation area of mound 2 at the Sagayskaya protoka 7 burial ground. Grave 1 with ceramic vessels and bronze items provided the greatest amount of finds: temple rings, two finger rings, small buttons that adorned the funeral costume as well as an awl and a whetstone. Next to the grave pit, a dog was buried. No human remains were found in graves 2 and 3, but there were grave goods similar to those found in grave 1. Two burial mounds were excavated at Askiz 17. In the center of the kerb of kurgan 2, a disturbed grave 1 was found. Judging by the available remains, it was a burial of an adult with offered meat food and a vessel. Clothes and headwear were decorated with a bronze plaque and buttons. Outside the kerb, there was a stone box in which an infant was buried (grave 2). The grave kit included a vessel, an astragalus of a sheep, a bronze knife and an ornament in the form of a small clasp. The barrow of mound 3 covered two kerbs. Grave 1 was located in the center of kerb 1, it was looted. At the northern wall of kerb 2, the grave was not disturbed. The deceased was accompanied by a vessel and meat food. The grave good kit contained bronze ornaments: a large plaque, 6 rings, 4 signet rings, a bracelet, and buttons. Both burial grounds are tentatively dated to the 10th -9th centuries BC, which corresponds to the III (Lugavskoe) stage of the Bronze Age in the periodization of archaeological cultures in the Minusinsk Basin.

КЕРАМИЧЕСКИЕ ЛИТЕЙНЫЕ ФОРМЫ ИЗ ПАМЯТНИКА КРУГЛАЯ ДОЛИНА В ПРИМОРЬЕ: ОПЫТ МЕЖДИСЦИПЛИНАРНОГО ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ

The article presents an interdisciplinary study of casting molds as one of the kinds of old technical (“metalworking”) ceramics. The material of the study is ceramic molds (47 whole and fragmented samples) unearthed at the Kruglaya Dolina settlement in the central Primorye region. The molds and other objects of technical ceramics (crucibles, nozzle) were found in destroyed, non-stratified cultural deposits and connected with the remains of bronze-casting workshops complex which was dated supposedly to the Bohai state period, 698-926. The study aimed (1) to examine the morphological and technological characteristics of the molds, and (2) to detect traces of alloys at the working surfaces of the molds. The study employed methods of binocular microscopy and laboratory refiring testing for (1), and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), portable X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy (pXRF) for (2). The analyzed ceramic molds were intended for the casting of semi-spherical buttons, several kinds of pendants, rosette-shaped openwork ornaments. Original bronze items which could be cast in these molds were not found at Kruglaya Dolina. According to the data on the morphological variability of the molds together with the results of the examination of the ceramic pastes technology, one can suppose that the casting molds were produced by different craftsmen or different workshops. SEM-EDS and pXRF analyses detected the traces of bronze alloys at 15 mold samples with carbonized working surfaces. Chemical elements - metals - lead (Pb), tin (Sn), and copper (Cu) are traced in various combinations at various samples. In some cases together with metals arsenic (As) is detected. The interpretation of these results follows methodological recommendations based on the published data of experimental research. The presence of certain elements can be stated, and their relative concentrations in the spectrum composition can be evaluated. However, it is necessary to take into account that the amounts of certain elements in the spectrum do not correspond to their amounts in the original alloy composition. Therefore, qualitative characteristics of the alloys can be determined, but not quantitative ones. According to the results, the three-component alloys containing copper, tin, and lead are recognized certainly. The tin-copper non-lead alloy and the “pure copper” alloy are supposed in some cases. Previous investigations on the old bronzes chemical compositions in southern Russian Far East revealed that three-component alloys (lead-tin-copper) containing arsenic had been used widely during the Bohai state period. Tin-copper and “pure copper” alloys were known at that time as well. It seems to be likely that the casting molds from the Kruglaya Dolina site are dated to the Bohai state period. Further researches of this site's bronze-casting workshops complex remains will focus on other categories of technical ceramics.

Review of studies of the Noin-Ula archaeological site (Northern Mongolia)

In the article, the author examines and analyzes in detail the publications devoted to the study of the archaeological site Noin-Ula, located in the North of Mongolia. With the discovery of this burial ground began archaeology of the Xiongnu, one of the ancient peoples who roamed throughout Central Asia from late 3rd century BC to late 1st century AD. Fragments of ancient Chinese and Parthian fabrics, embroidery, lacquered, bronze, iron and other items have been preserved in the elite mounds of Noin-Ula. The article summarizes the results of almost a century of study of the archaeological site, provides the most complete bibliography. В статье автор подробно рассматривает и анализирует публикации, посвященные изучению археологического памятника Ноин-Ула, расположенного на севере Монголии. С открытия этого могильника началась археология хунну, одного из древних народов, кочевавших на территории Центральной Азии с конца III в. до н. э. и до конца I в. н. э. В элитных курганах Ноин-Улы сохранились фрагменты древних китайских и парфянских тканей, вышивок, лакированных, бронзовых, железных и других изделий. В статье подводятся итоги почти столетнего изучения археологического памятника, приведена наиболее полная библиография.

RESTITUTIO. OLD DISCOVERIES OF PREHISTORIC BRONZE ITEMS IN BLANDIANA

The discovery of a site journal written by archaeologist Ion Berciu (1904-1986) from 1948 facilitated the recovery of certain important data regarding the prehistoric bronze items from the Blandiana village. The information supports the presentation and the localisation of at least two hoards of bronze items: Blandiana I , found in the location named Farcas , sometime around 1875, and Blandiana II , found in the location named La Vii . Other bronze discoveries could belong to a different hoard ( Blandiana III ?), as well as other isolated discoveries. The items from Blandiana, held by the museum in Deva have been taken into consideration. Some of the items belong to the Blandiana I hoard, but most of them have a chronology (BZ D – Ha A) that clearly shows that they cannot be associated with this discovery, as it has been suggested throughout the years. The artefacts under scrutiny indicate the importance of the area for the Bronze Age and the first Iron Age, documented through the settlements, and the importance of including Blandiana among the areas with rich Vinţu de Jos – Bâlvanesti-type hoards.

The metal forging tools of the Late Bronze Age population of the forest-steppe Tobol River region (experimental-traceological analysis)

The paper reports on the results of experimental-traceological study of stone tools used for metal forging by the Late Bronze Age population of the Middle Tobol River region (Western Siberia). The chronological span of the study, according to the radiocarbon dating, extends from the 17th to 9th centuries BC. This paper aims to substan-tiate and expand the existing knowledgebase on the metalwork production with the aid of experiments in forging copper and bronze. The research materials include about 60 stone tools from the Late Bronze Age sites and 23 experimental tools. The trace evidence analysis and microphotography of the signs of use-wear have been performed using a continuous-zoom microscope MC-2 ZOOM with 10х to 40х magnification and a Canon EOS-1100-D camera. The experimental study involved cold and hot forging of copper and bronze items with different tin content and their surface smoothening. As a result, the efficiency of the stone tools in molding has been con-firmed. The signs of use-wear of the tools have been recorded. Distinctive use-wear features of hammers for cold and hot forging associated with the tool kinematics have been identified. It has been concluded that the wear signs on the hammers used for incomplete hot and hot forging were identical. It appeared that the smooth working area of some flatters was the result of preliminary abrasive treatment. Smoothening and drawing proved efficient in processing of copper items and low-alloyed bronzes. This treatment was carried out on the hot metal. It has been ascertained that the kinematics of processing of the copper and bronze items was the same. The signs of usage of the tools employed for shaping bronze moldings with different tin content differ from those on the tools used on copper by more extensive chipping, which is due to a higher hardness of tin-copper alloys. Prototype multi-functional tools used in different operations, viz., forging and drawing, have been identified. Their specific is the working area with a combination of several groups of wear marks overlapping each other. Therefore, we managed to produce a series of the experimental tools used in copper and bronze forging. This allowed us to elaborate the functional identification and technology of some archaeological instruments from the Late Bronze Age sites of the forest-steppe Tobol River region.

“Portrait” Medallions from the Kazym Hoard

We describe so-called portrait medallions and plaques with similar representations from a hoard found near Kyzym, the Beloyarsky District of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra in the summer of 20I4. We introduce I7 artifacts cast of bronze and differing in shape and technological level. These fall into two groups in terms of quality. The principal questions addressed in the article are where, by whom, and based on which prototypes the Kazym artifacts were made. To resolve them, we analyze similar artifacts, including silver medallions representing a Parthian king and found in northwestern Siberia, and a series of bronze items from various sites in the Surgut and the Lower Ob region. These parallels, like the presence of numerous “Sarmatian bronze mirrors in the Kazym hoard, point to the period between the late 1st century BC and the 1st or 2nd centuries AD. The results suggest that the “portrait medallions and other bronze plaques depicting anthropomorphic characters are local replicas of imported prototypes. This testifies, firstly, to stable trade links with ancient civilization centers in the beginning of the Christian era, and secondly, to the absorption of certain elements offoreign traditions by the local culture.

Preliminary results of an investigation of a single Barrow near the village of Serteya (Smolensk region)

A single burial mound is located on the right bank of the Serteyka River (north-western Russia). It was discovered by E.A. Schmidt in 1951 and is attributed to the Old Russian Period. New researches on the burial mound conducted in 2013 and 2014 have uncovered several diachronic constructions. The first stage was connected to a flint knapping site, which was located on a natural ele- vation. It can be attributed to the 6th millennium BC on the basis of the Early Neolithic pottery fragments found nearby. The next period is dated to the second half of the 3rd millennium BC, when a ritual platform was created. Moreover, on another mound, a ditch was created, which can be attributed to the Long Barrow Culture due to a ceramic fragment found there. Samples from burnt bones and charcoal indicate that the first and second stages of this construction could be dated to between the middle and the second half of the 3rd millennium BC – the late stage of the Zhizhitskaya Culture of pile-dwellers and the initial stage of the Uzmenskaya Culture. Animal bones were cremated along with bronze items, as evidenced by the patina visible on the surface of the bones. Such a rite has been recorded for the first time. Furthermore, a ritual fire-place was set on a flat platform, and additional fireplaces were situated on the slope of the burial mound. This complex, which can be interpreted as a site of worship from the Late Neolithic through the Early Bronze Age, existed for a long period of time. Nowadays, it is difficult to find analogies to such ritual complexes from the 3rd millennium BC from the territory of Poland and the Upper Dnepr region; only the kurgans and burial mounds of the Corded Ware Culture dating to the 3rd millennium BC are known. It might also be supposed that some of the sites with such a sepulchral rite, usually attributed to the Long Barrows Culture, could also be ritual sites – this, however, would require further research.

Cultural Interaction Patterns in the Bronze Age: Ritual Bronze Artifacts from Korea and Japan

This study focuses on ritual bronze items that are very informative for reconstructing cultural ties and migrations between Korea and Japan in 400 BC to 300 AD. Their large-scale introduction to Korea is related to the culture of Korean-type daggers, whose distribution center was located in northwestern Korea. We give a detailed description of Bronze Age artifacts, including weapons and ritual items from that area. They occur mostly in single burials with a complex construction, possibly attesting to high social status. In Japan, Korean-type artifacts fi rst appear in northern Kyushu during the Yayoi age, in burials with wooden coffi ns and urns. The analysis of molds for casting narrow-bladed daggers, socketed spearheads, and picks suggests that Korean-type items spread from northern Kyushu. Late Yayoi ritual bronze artifacts include mostly mirrors of the Han type, evidently indicating migrations from the mainland.

Scythian Barrow of the Second Half of the 5th Century BC in the Lower Dniester Region

Introduction. The article publishes and analyses the materials obtained during excavations of Scythian barrow 9 of the group Vodovod near the Glinoe village, Slobodzeysk district, on the left bank of the Lower Dniester. The barrow was surrounded by a ring ditch and contained two burials of medieval nomads - the main one, the Scythian, and the secondary, the inlet one. Methods. The mound was excavated by the method of parallel trenches, leaving stratigraphic profiles. When analyzing the materials obtained, a comparatively typological method was applied. Analysis. The main burial was made in a catacomb of unusual construction. The entrance well of the catacomb was filled with stone slabs and boulders characterized with utmost accuracy of production. Despite this, in antiquity the burial was robbed three times: through the entrance well, through the roof of the funeral chamber and through the robbery mine, which went to the burial chamber from the north-eastern floor of the mound. The preserved grave goods are represented with a handmade pot, an iron knife, an iron needle and an awl, a lead finial, a stone slab, a burned pebble, a piece of mineral paint, a wooden kneader, a bronze horse harness and golden pendants. The stone slab was made very carefully, and the wooden kneader is the second such find in the North-West Black Sea region. Bronze items of horse harness have no analogues in the Scythian burial complexes of the North Black Sea region. The construction of barrow 9 of the group Vodovod dates back to the second half of the 5th century BC and is determined on the basis of gold pendants, which analogies are known only in the Malyy Chertomlyk barrow in the Lower Dnieper region. Results.The most important is the fact that the studied barrow was found in the microzone (near the Glinoe village of the Slobodzeya district), where at the moment not only the Scythian burial sites of the 5th - 2nd centuries BC are known, but also a settlement of that time. This testifies to the continual dwelling of the Scythians on the left bank of the Lower Dniester River during this period.

Взаимодействие культур бронзового и раннего железного века Южной Сибири, Синьцзяна и Северного Китая

After decades of efforts by archaeologists, the general outline of the cultural exchange between South Siberia, Northern China and Xinjiang during the Bronze and early Iron Age has been clarified. There are several examples. A branch of the Europeoid population entered Xinjiang, leaving their archaeological relicts which held both some similarities to the Afanasievo culture, as well as some distinct differences. Sites of the Andronovo culture (Andronovo historical-cultural community) have been found both in the northern and the southern parts of Xinjiang, thus indicating several main routes of its penetration. Bronze items of Seima-Turbino and Karasuk appearance are wide spread in Northern China and the Central Plain (at Yinxu). The Xiajiadian upper layer culture spread in North-Eastern China (Dongbei) forms the common historical-cultural space with Slab-grave culture of Northern Mongolia and the Transbaikal region. Bronze weapons and ornaments, made in Scythian-Siberian animal style belonging to the Early Iron Age are also widespread in Xinjiang and Northern China. However, at the same time, a series of unsettled archeological issues are also gradually emerging. This article not only gives a brief summary of what has been achieved, but also puts forward our views regarding some problems. Around 2000 BC a European population of ethnic migrants came from the West to Xinjiang and left archaeological remains there, which are represented by early burials in the Сhemurchek cemetery. Andronovo culture monuments were widespread in western and central Xinjiang, and possibly further eastward, which may be reflected in relicts of cultures of the period prior to the Yin dynasty in northern China. From around 1300 BC, some ornamentations on pottery and bronze from Yinxu changed dramatically, and have great similarities with the cultures of the late Bronze Age in South Siberia and Kazakhstan. On the other hand, these factors were not found in Northern China, which shows there could be a population migration from South Siberia or northern Kazakhstan to the Central Plain in a short period of time. The fact that chariots suddenly appeared in Yinxu may be related to this. The curled animals and the shape of double and single birds on the Hongshan jades “in the form of a bent cloud” are very similar to the motifs of the Shang-Zhou culture and the art of the Scythians, their common origin shows that Northern China played an important role in the formation of the «Scythian-Siberian animal style».

The hoard from the “Cioclovina cu Apă” Cave: content, dating, and significations

This study is dedicated to the general presentation of the content, the dating and the significations of the known hoard from LBA II discovered in the “Cioclovina cu Apă” Cave / “Wet Cioclovina” Cave (Hunedoara county), discovery that constitutes one of the most remarkable monuments from the Romanian prehistory (over 7500 artifacts, most of them made of exotic materials). The association of at least four fundamental natural elements inside the archaeological monument under research here (mountain, forest, cave, and water) sets the initial starting points of the transformation of the monument into a cult place/sanctuary. There must have also been some revelation, some sign etc. The sanctuary inside the “Cioclovina cu Apă” Cave has attracted very rich and varied offerings (bronze items, exotic objects, pottery, antler cheek-pieces, and meat offerings) that were deposited in three consecrated spots in the Great Hall, places under the mark of the «spring of divinity». Starting from the fact that almost all of the offerings are jewelry items worn by women or elements that decorate horse harness, I have considered the idea that a Nymph or a Nymph associated with another deity was venerated here, in both cases in association with horses, as being the closest to the truth. I pleaded in favor of the possible presence of oracular components. Also, from the presented perspectives I considered that the exceptional ritual practices that took place in this cave place it in the sphere of inter-regional collective/institutional cult manifestations, in which the elites, including the female, played a dominant role.