Burial Inventory Research Articles

Mykola Makarenko ir Mariupolio neolitinis kapinynas. Tragiškas ukrainiečio archeologo ir vietovės likimas

Mariupol Neolithic burial site, unique by its exclusive rich and diversiform inventory, was excavated by Ukrainian archaeologist and art critic Mykola Makarenko in 1930. The author of the excavations was executed by Soviet punitive authorities. The top-level and highly informative publication of the materials on the cemetery, made in 1933, was confiscated. Part of the burial inventory was taken to Russia. Anthropological materials were destroyed during World War II.The tragedy of Mariupol Cemetery continued in 2022. This was the year which became the tragedy in the history of Ukraine and inherently influenced the history of Europe. The Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian nature, and the Ukrainian culture suffered irretrievable losses. So did Ukrainian archaeology.Hundreds of archaeological sites in the war zone, in the zone of occupation and in the annexed territories were completely destroyed or irreparably damaged. Among them, there were the scant surviving artifacts from Mariupol Cemetery.This article is devoted to the history of excavations of Mariupol Burial Complex and the tragic fate of the collection of artifacts.

Burial Rite of the Chuvash People in the 16th –19th Centuries

The analysis of the elements of the burial rite of the Chuvash people was carried out through statistical processing of burial grounds materials. Tombstone structures, pit construction, burial equipment and remnants of traditional costume are considered. Position of the skeleton is detailed in various ways of laying the arms (along the body, on the pelvis, stomach, chest), rare deviations from the elongated corpse position on the back (crouched, half-turned). The all-Chuvash traditional burial rite can be characterized by the presence of the following elements: shallow grave pits with steep walls and a flat bottom, an elongated position of the skeleton, a coffin or a wooden structure, household equipment, a suit and jewelry worn during life, rarely things that were of particular importance to the deceased. Massively, regardless of gender and age, the presence of a coffin or an iron knife is recorded, while the fragments of a sickle are characteristic of children's burials. The burial inventory is an integral part of the ritual of all ethnographic groups of the Chuvash people. Among the cults, the cult of fire and the horse are widespread. Statistical data allow us to establish the frequency of occurrence of individual elements in different burial grounds, binding to the sex and age groups of burials.

The Excavations of the Cemetery Malaya Ryazan I in 2020

The paper represents the archaeological materials found in 2020 during the excavations of the cemetery Malaya Ryazan I, located in the south-western part of Samara Bend. Four burial complexes were recorded in the excavation, which find clear analogies among the materials of the Novinki cultural type of the Saltovo-Mayaki cultural community. Typical are gravestone structures in the form of stone slabs and memorial sites marked with clusters of livestock bones, as well as traces of ritual destruction of graves aimed at neutralizing the deceased. Analysis of the burial rites and the burial inventory of the Malaya Ryazan I necropolis shows that its functioning generally fits into the period of the middle – second half of the 8th century.

Детские погребения с большой пряжкой из Юго-Западного Крыма

In the burial ground near the village of Luchistoe, in vaults 104 and 268, two unique children’s burials of the turn of the 6th—7th century were revealed, in which a complete set of metal accessories of clothing and jewelry characteristic of the costume of adult women of the Crimean Goths was recorded. The article describes the inventory of burials, discusses the features of the use of individual parts of the costume and jewelry. According to the state of things fixed in situ on the bones, a children’s suit with a large buckle is reconstructed. Placing things of adults in children’s burials is most likely connected with the peculiarities of the funeral rite. In vault 104, a prematurely deceased teenage girl of 9—12 years old, who had reached the marriageable age, was buried in a ceremonial female “wedding” costume. In vault 268, a set of women’s accessories was placed in the burial of a two-year-old child, probably a girl, as a gift from her mother, as a symbolic offering to a child whose premature death did not allow her to use «women’s gifts» during her lifetime.

Ethnic and Cultural Affiliation of the Xichaogou Burial Ground Based on Materials of the Xiongnu Culture Belt Plaques

Purpose of the work is to determine the ethnic and cultural affiliation of the population that left the Xichaogou burial ground. Xichaogou is an expressive archaeological complex located in the Liaoning region of China. The uniqueness of this necropolis lies in the fact that several hundred burials of varying degrees of preservation have been recorded in it. Inventory complexes of burials include ceramics, objects made of bronze, iron and stone. The materials of the site demonstrate the features of various cultures – Xiongnu, Buyeo, Han, Xianbi and etc. Since the burial inventory of the Xichaogou burial site demonstrates multicultural features, the question of the ethnic and cultural affiliation of the population that created this site is debatable.Materials and methods. In previous works, the problem of ethnic identification of the Xichaogou burial ground was solved on the basis of certain categories of grave artefacts. In this paper, the questions of the ethnic and cultural affiliation of the Xichaogou sie are considered on the material of the belt plaques decorated in the animal style. The main reason for this choice of material is that the shape and ornament of belt plaques reflect the ethnic and cultural identity of an individual or group in nomadic cultures. 17 belt plaques were found at the Xichaogou site. The entire amount of material is divided into 3 types according to such features as shape, rim ornament (teardrop-shaped, dotted, herringbone), manufacturing technique (presence of through openwork holes), method of fastening (presence of eyelets on the back side), function as part of a belt set (presence peg). A search for analogies to the groups of belt plaques in the Xiongnu culture, identified in the materials of the Sichagou site, has been undertaken.Result. It has been established that belt plaques from the materials of the Xichaogou burial ground find analogies in the vast territory of the Xiongnu culture in Northern Eurasia.Conclusion. It can be concluded that the population that created the Xichaogou site does not belong to the Xiongnu by ethnic origin, but was strongly influenced by this culture. The population of Xichaogou was formed on the basis of the local culture of the previous period. Various and diverse cultures of the eastern part of the Liaoning and the western part of the Jilin regions also contributed to its formation. At the current stage it is possible to identify the Xiongnu and Buyeo cultural components.

Long Knives of the Scythian Culture: Tool or Weapon?

Abstract The article examines Scythian long knives that are similar in length to double-edged daggers. Critically analysing the hypothesis which interprets these items as weapons, it shows that the difference between a fighting knife and utilitarian knife consists not in their measurements, but in their constructive features. In particular, long knives have much slimmer proportions, unlike daggers. They have neither cross guards nor pommels. This study is concerned with both flat full-metal knives and knives with a short tang. Considering those knives with a partial tang, even the longest ones looks less durable when compared with samples truly designed for combat, as the construction was not intended for heavy strikes. As a result, only full-metal specimens with organic plates on the hilt are here interpreted as weapons. They are similar to those finds from the Northern Balkan region and their morphological features allow us to consider them to be much like daggers. One can suppose that some of the long knives could have been used in ritual proceedings, during feasts or sacrificial offerings. In some cases, it is also possible to consider long knives as a symbolic alternative to the weapon in the burial inventory. At the same time, it is clear that long knives were in use mostly as utilitarian tools. The difference in morphology between the Archaic and Classical knives shows the variation in the culture of these two periods of the Scythian culture. The spread of the long knives across the Steppe and Forest-Steppe areas also indicates the cultural connections between these regions.

Peculiarities of the Funeral Treatment Applied to Children in the Province of Scythia Minor

The article represents a contribution to the funerary archeology of the province of Scythia, outlining the picture related to the funerary practices addressed to children. It is emphasized that the burial rituals, most of the time, were different from those applied to adults in terms of the space within the necropolises, the position, the orientation, or the burial inventory.

Earrings from the Excavation of the Cemetery without Mounds Psebeps-3 of the Middle of the 14th – Beginning of the 15th Century in the Krasnodar Krai

The earrings, one of the numerous groups of jewelry in the burial inventory of the cemetery without mounds Psebeps-3 of the second half of the 14th – early 15th century in the Krasnodar Krai are examined by the author. The typology of earrings, their location, their dependence on the gender, age, social and property belonging of the buried person are considered. The typology of G.A. Fedorov-Davydov is used in the classification of earrings. Statistical analysis by types indicates a significant predominance of type I and II earrings in the burial ground (68 %), that corresponds to the general historical background for the sites of the Golden Horde circle. Earrings of types VI, X, XII are presented approximately in equal proportions. X-type earrings are more typical for the Kuban region. The results of the gender and age determination of the buried people indicate that earrings were typical for women and girls of all ages, although they were found just in about half of women's burials. The most frequent occurrence of earrings in the burials is 1–2 finds. They are not found in the male burials. In some cases, earrings can indicate the important place of a woman in society. The importance and prospects of further research are determined by the results of paleo-anthropological and numismatic studies.

Bioarchaeological investigations of the princely grave at Helmsdorf attesting to the violent death of an Early Bronze Age leader

The Helmsdorf “princely” tomb, excavated at the beginning of the twentieth century, is one of the most important archaeological discoveries dating from the Early Bronze Age in central Germany. In addition to the burial inventory, which points to an elevated social position of the deceased, a number of highly fragmented skeletal remains were preserved. Forensic anthropological investigation identified three distinctive bone defects, the surfaces of which were macromorphologically and microscopically examined in greater detail. Micro-CT analyses were also carried out. The results of all examinations suggested that the defects represented three perimortem injuries. The wound morphology was indicative of the use of a bladed weapon. The combination of injuries and their locations supported the assumption of a targeted use of force to kill. A comparison of Early Bronze Age weapons and tools with the bone lesions led to the identification of a type of weapon possibly used in the attack.

Раннесарматские погребения могильника Верхний Балыклей I из Заволжья

The paper introduces into scientific discourse the materials of the early Sarmatian burials from the Verkhniy Balykley I kurgan cemetery from the area of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region. This monument was studied in the course of the 1978–1979 expedition organized by the Volgograd State Pedagogical Institute under the leadership of A.S. Skripkin. Materials. The burial includes four mounds located compactly on the banks of the reservoir and one single mound setting far away in the steppe. Eighteen inlet burials of the early Sarmatian time were found in three Bronze Age kurgans. Some burials contained no burial inventory; others did include a variety of grave goods. The funeral rites present a wide range of grave structures: pits with side chambers, simple rectangular pits and catacombs. The southern body orientation of the buried individuals was dominating. In kurgans 5 and 6, a circular arrangement of graves is traced, which is typical for early Sarmatian mounds-cemeteries. Material analysis. An analysis of the grave goods indicates 3rd – 1st centuries BC is the time of construction of most burials in these kurgans, which does not contradict the funeral rite traditions and reveals a range of features characteristic of the nomads of that period. A military burial with a long sword and arrows is one of the most distinguished in its kind. Ceramic material is represented by various stucco forms of pots, an incense burner and a jug. Fragments of mirrors with rollers along the edge and beads were discovered in several burials. Several stone “miniature hammers”, typical for the South Ural grave materials of this period, is also an interesting find. Conclusions. In general, the studied monuments illustrate the burial traditions of the early Sarmatian population of the Ural-Volga steppes of the early Sarmatian time. The finds of pottery samples, previously unknown stone “miniature hammers” in the west of the Volga, allow us to conclude on the cultural proximity of the nomads who left the mounds near the village Verhniy Balykley with the South Ural nomads. Authors’ contribution. In this paper, Anatoly S. Skripkin prepared a descriptive part of the archaeological material; Vladimir I. Moiseev analyzed the funeral rite and the inventory. Mikhail V. Krivosheev drew and presented conclusions on the analysis of the material.

New Finding of an Imported Helmet in a Sarmatian Burial on the Right Bank of the Kuban

The article is devoted to the publication of an iron segmented helmet found in mound 2 of the Beysuzhek 36 burial ground in the Kuban steppe region. Ciscaucasian Sarmatian burials with helmets belong to the culture of nomads of the 2nd – 1st centuries BC, identified with the Siraces of Strabo. It is obvious that the helmet from the Beysuzhek 36 burial ground is imported. It was made by a professional armourer and certainly does not belong to Greek, Celtic or Roman traditions of armour production. Middle Eastern helmets of the first millennium BC are represented by single finds. The lack of archaeological finds is partly compensated by images of similar helmets on the Bosporan tombstones, reliefs of Trajan’s column and Nile mosaic of Palestrina. The burial inventory is dated back to the late 2nd – 1st centuries BC. According to literary sources, the Sarmatians fought against the commanders of Mithridates VI Eupator, and later, as a part of the army of Mithridates, against the Romans in Asia Minor. The Sarmatians also made up a significant part of the army of the Bosporus of Cimmeria King Pharnaces II during his attempt to recapture the Pontic Kingdom. Thus, the appearance of the helmet in question in the North Caucasus region could be associated both with the participation of the Sarmatians in the Mithridatic wars, and with the events of 48–47 BC, when King Pharnaces II tried to take back the territories that had previously belonged to his father. During these wars, a Sarmatian soldier somehow received the rare Middle Eastern helmet.

Комплекс украшений кочевников Северного Алтая эпохи Великого переселения народов (по материалам памятника Карбан-1)

The article presents the results of the study of decorations discovered during excavations of the Bulan-Koby culture burials in the Karban-I necropolis. This complex, located in the Chemal region of the Altai Republic, was partially explored in 1989-1990. The collection of finds from four male (mounds No. 9, 11, 14, 33), two female (mounds No. 10, 15) and one children's (mound No. 19) burials is represented by a variety of items that were used to decorate hair, hats and upper shoulder garment. The analysis of badges-stripes (6 pieces), earrings (2 pieces), pendants (2 pieces), braces (2 pieces), beads (43 pieces) and torcs. It has been established that the items under consideration have a significant number of analogies in the accompanying inventory of burials excavated in the territory of Northern Altai. The revealed common and rare cases of placing beads indicate their use mainly as pendants and, less often, as stripes on women's headwear. The recorded variability in the composition of decorations in the burials of the Karban-I necropolis, obviously, demonstrates the specificity of the lifetime status of deceased people. The analysis of chronologically informative morphological features of the items makes it possible to determine the dating of most items within the Xianbei period (II — first half of the IV centuries AD).

Бытовые предметы XIII—XV веков из некрополя Альт-Велау

The article examines composition and morphology of household items that were found in burials of the second half of the 13th—15th centuries in necropolis of Alt-Wehlau situated in Prussian land Nadrovia. These items include razors, flints, whetstones, keys and comb that were common in everyday life of local population and were used as a part of burial inventory under the influence of pagan rite preserved until the 16th century. The study of items composition and morphology relied on the typological and comparative-historical methods that allowed to make following conclusions. Razors of type 1 and flints of types 1—4 were most frequently used in burials both separately and in combination with each other. Items were mainly located near pelvic and femoral bones due the tradition to wear them on the belt. During the specified period household items demonstrated tendency to unification on the form, composition and location in burials. Comparing them with the same items from other necropolis and cities of Order’s state and neighboring Zhemaitiya, the authors concluded that, on the one hand, unified material culture influenced on the household use of inhabitants of Alt-Wehlau and, on the other hand, such usage reflected some regional differences.

Iron Cones in the Burials of Ulus Jochi: Aspects of Ethnocultural Identification

Cone-shaped objects, rolled from iron and bronze sheets, are found in the Golden Horde burials of the late 13th – early 15th centuries. The authors collected information on more than 100 burials with iron and bronze cones located in the territory of Ulus Jochi. This article is examines material from 78 iron cone burials. Specific features of the topographic location of these complexes, use of stones in rituals, construction of log cabins around graves is similar to archaeological and ethnographic monuments of Central Asia associated with ethnic Mongols. As a rule, human remains buried in graves are oriented north or northeast with their heads, which is also a feature of the Mongol funeral rite. Accompaniment of the burial with whole or stuffed horses remains in the complexes with cones is not common, but these features are also known in Mongolian cemeteries in Central Asia. The placement of a sheep tibia at the head of the buried occasionally in vertical position is considered a main ethnic feature of the Mongol culture. In general, the sample of the Ulus Jochi burials, united by the iron cones presence in the burial inventory, is characterized by an increased concentration of rather specific ritual signs typical of the Mongols of Central Asia. This allows us to conclude that the considered monuments belong to the same ethnocultural group of population. Moreover, the available anthropological data testify to the Central Asian (Mongolian) origin of the representatives of this group of nomads of Ulus Jochi Burials with iron cones. The authors observe manifestations of pagan shamanic and Buddhist rituals judging by the dominant features of funeral rituals left by the bearers of Mongolian ethnic and cultural traditions.

The Catacomb No. 74 of the Verkhnii Saltiv Main Burial Ground

The materials of the catacomb burial, investigated in 1988 by the expedition of Kharkiv Historical Museum under the leadership of V. H. Borodulin, located on the main site of the early medieval burial ground near Verkhnii Saltiv village (Verkhnii Saltiv Burial Ground-I, hereinafter — VSBG-I), are introduced into the scientific circulation. The catacomb had a long (6.3 m) and deep (5.05 m) dromos, in the western part of which the path of the re-entry into the burial chamber was fixated. The burial chamber, transverse to the dromos, contained the remains of three people (a man, a woman, and a teenage girl) who had traces of deliberate destruction committed in ancient times (Fig. 1: 1). Despite this, a rich burial inventory was found in the burial, which included: weapons (sabre, two chisel-axes); household items (two adz-hoes, a jug); personal jewelry (earrings, beads, bracelets, rings); toiletry (mirrors, toilet boxes); details of clothing; elements of a belt set; amulets. According to the elements of the belt set, this burial complex is dated by the second — third quarters of the 9th century. The main feature of this catacomb is the presence of a silver earring in it (Fig. 1: 13), which finds broad analogies in the Slavic-Avar antiquities of the Danube region. On the monuments of the Dnieper Left-Bank forest-steppe, similar earrings were found in the monuments of the Volyntsev culture of the second half of the 8th — early 9th centuries. A silver plaque-frame with an anthropomorphic image (Fig. 1: 12) is not typical for classical Saltiv antiquities, and it is stylistically close to the plaques from the Hungarian burial (burial No. 2) near Subotsi village (Ukraine, Kirovohrad Oblast). The presence of these items in the catacomb No. 74 testifies to the close contacts of the Alans of the Saltiv culture of the Siverskyi Donets basin in the second — third quarters of the 9th century simultaneously with representatives of the conquered Slavic tribes and with the ancient Hungarians, who were allies of the Khazar Khaganate.

Burials with Weapons and Horse Bridle of Yuldashevsky Burial Ground in the South Ural Region

The study of the peculiarities of the armament of the Pianobor tribes is an urgent direction of modern archaeological science. The purpose of this article is to isolate and then analyze the sets of weapons for the male burials of the Yuldashevsky burial ground of the Pyanobor archaeological culture of the Early Iron Age. The problem of the study is to reconstruct the nature of the military culture of one local group in the Pianobor society. The novelty of the work is the fact that the totality of weapons in the burial, the weapon set, is considered within the framework of one specific archaeological monument, and not as a whole in terms of culture.The Yuldashevsky burial ground belongs to one of the necropolises of the Pianobor culture, where an increased content of weapons is noted. The occurrence as well as the combination of a certain type of weapon in the burial inventory makes it possible to distinguish weapon sets, as well as to designate popular types of weapons among a specific group of the drunken population. Applying the comparative-historical method, including the method of statistics and chronology, it was possible to focus on the number of weapon sets, their filling with weapons, the time frame of some weapons, and its similarity with the Kara-Abyz set of weapons. As well as the Kara-Abyz, the Pianobor culture inherited a set of weapons characteristics of the Ananyin time. Its indispensable attributes are: a) polearms in the form of spears with small points; b) arrowheads made of different materials ‒ bronze, iron and bone, with the domination of the latter in quiver sets; c) long single-edged blades ‒ combat knives. Despite the relative proximity of the habitat of the Pianobor tribes to the Sarmatian world, the latter did not have a significant impact on the armament complex of the Pyanobor tribes. Moreover, in the drunken environment, its own standardized weapon set was formed, represented by various variations in the mutual occurrence of a bow, spear and a combat knife. Keywords: Pianobor archaeological culture, weapons, burial ground, military burials, early Iron Age, Yuldashevsky burial ground, southern Urals

Исследование кургана раннескифского времени на могильнике Усть-Иша-5 в предгорьях Алтая

This article describes the early Scythian burial mound of Ust-Isha 5 located near the village of Staraya Surtaika in Krasnogorsky District of Altai Krai. The site was discovered in the 1930s by S.M. Sergeev and was examined by B.K. Kadikov in 1961. Ten burial mounds were studied there during the excavations by the expedition from the Biysk Pedagogical Institute in 1997. In the field season of 2021, one of the largest burial mounds of the necropolis, reaching 18 m in diameter, was explored. Six children’s burials in the form of small rectangular pits oriented along west-east were discovered along and beyond the perimeter of the mound. The central burial was disturbed in antiquity; pottery fragment and several fragments of bronze beads were found in the filling of the grave. The burial contained the remains of one person; the lower part of the deceased survived in situ, indicating placement of the corpse in the crouched position on the right side with his head towards the western sector. Burial inventory and features of ritual practice make it possible to attribute the excavated burial mound to the Early Scythian period (9th-7th centuries BC). Considering the data from the excavations of the past years, the Ust-Isha 5 site is the best-studied burial ground of the Initial Early Iron Age in the foothills of the Altai. Its evidence demonstrates the emergence of a new tradition of constructing several graves under a single burial mound and using stone in the funeral rite, while retaining some elements from the preceding Final Bronze Age.

ГЕОДЕЗІЯ, КАРТОГРАФІЯ І АЕРОФОТОЗНІМАННЯ

Elaboration of the method of creating a web-GIS of Polish burials at the Baikove Cemetery in Kyiv. Achieving this goal involves the following tasks: to develop the structure of the geographic information system, its framework and to fill the file database. For realization of the set tasks the technological scheme consisting of 12 stages of work is offered. The first stage involved the collection of cartographic and descriptive data on the territory of the object of study, as well as the search for possible registers of Polish burials within the object under study. In the second stage, field surveys were performed to determine the coordinates of each grave of the Polish burials at the Baikove Cemetery using a GIS tablet with an RTK antenna LT700H (accuracy up to 0.30 m). The total number of coordinated points was 565, which were concentrated in 7 sections of the cemetery. The third stage included the coordination of reference points and the binding of this support in the GIS MapInfo environment of the fragment of the topographic plan of Kyiv on a scale of 1: 2000 to the territory of the Baikove Cemetery. There were a total of 11 landmarks. The maximum binding error is 0.2 m. In the fourth stage, all point objects were displayed according to their coordinates on the basis of the map and the corresponding symbols were selected. The next step was to develop and populate a relational database for point objects. The database contained the following columns: grave number, name and surname of the buried person, grave coordinates and hyperlinks to burial information in the file database. Next, all map layers were exported to html format, and the point object layer was exported to kml format using a universal translator, which allowed to view burial data in GoogleEarth. At the eighth stage of the technological scheme the structure of layouts of each html-page of the created online GIS was developed. All map data had hyperlinks to the selected AOI objects. In the case of the Baikove Cemetery scheme, plots with Polish burials were marked. Clicking on them opened a topographic plan with marked point objects of burials. In turn, when you click on them, information about the burial appeared from the file database. At the tenth stage, 5 sheets of topographic plans with burials were generated. One sheet of scale 1: 2000 and four sheets of scale 1: 500, for better "spreading" and initialization of burials. The eleventh stage is devoted to the creation and filling of a file database on Polish burials. This database contained the following structure: photo of the burial, coordinates, surname and name, years of life, additional photographs (if available), sex of the buried person, interpreted inscription on the tombstone, as well as, if possible, detailed information and belonging of the buried person to a certain profession, its outstanding achievements and accomplishments. At the last stage, the hyperlinks of the transition between the pages were configured and the system was tested. The scientific novelty lies in the development of the concept of joint use of various applications of geoinformation and non-geoinformation purposes. The technological scheme of creation of WEB-GIS of Polish burials of the Baikove Cemetery in Kyiv is offered. Implemented geographic information system is designed for inventory of burials, analysis of the condition of tombstones and their spatial location in the cemetery. In addition, the created GIS can be used for tourism purposes and in the study of historical figures of Polish origin.

НАКОНЕЧНИКИ НОЖЕН ПРУССКИХ МЕЧЕЙ ЭПОХИ ВИКИНГОВ: ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЕ И СЕМАНТИКА ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЙ

The semantic analysis of the images on the Prussian swords’ scabbard tips of the Viking Age was performed, for the first time in Russian archaeology. The spread of various subtypes of sword scabbard tips in the Prussian settlements and adjacent areas was considered. The oldest tips, subtypes KIa and Kib, were the social markers (their owners were the noble retinue) and are known only from the burial grounds of Northern Sambia, where the retinue antiquities are especially numerous. Here, the tips with a pair of birds are also commonly found. They continue the tradition of using the bird-tipped scabbards to mark the retinue members. Subtypes KIIIb and KVa of the sword scabbard tips spread to the east of Sambia in the 11th century, thereby testifying that the Western Baltic warriors tried to seize control over the local river trade routes. When the veteran warriors left the retinue because of their age, they still carried their weapons as a social marker of their status. The weapons were also used as an element of the burial inventory. In the Prussian settlements, the tips of subtype KVb, Curonian in their origin, were relatively numerous only in Sambia. A few of them were found at the archaeological sites of the Masurian Lake District. This indicates that the Western Baltic tribes shared the same cult of sacred trees and placed the tree symbols on their sword scabbard tips.

TWO BURIALS OF THE BURIAL GROUND OF THE XIII-XV CENTURY SETTLEMENT «RAILWAY-2»
 (Krymsky district of Krasnodar territory)

the article introduces into scientific circulation two female graves (№94 and №177) OF the XIII-XIV centuries from the Lower prikuban (burial ground of the settlement "Railway-2". The burial inventory of burials fully characterizes the main lifetime occupations of the buried. These are shearing sheep, processing wool, making wool threads and tailoring. The most expressive are the earrings from burial # 177. They - with an asymmetric metal bead, are a variant of chernoklobutskih jewelry. Jewelry becomes another argument in favor of the version about the migration of these nomads from porosya to the North Caucasus, where they gradually "dissolve" in the local ethno-cultural environment.