Burial Traditions Research Articles

THE ATTRACTIONS OF GUAR KEPAH ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE, PENANG, MALAYSIA AS AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE TOURISM SITE

The Guar Kepah archaeological site in Penang, Malaysia, has been the focus of archaeological re search since 1860, revealing important insights into the prehistoric maritime community that inhabited the area approximately 5,000 years ago. Excavations at the site have revealed human skeletons, teeth, stone tools, and pottery, providing evidence of the community's burial traditions and material culture. The primary data collected from these excavations has facilitated the development of the site's tourism sector, with plans underway to establish the Guar Kepah Archaeological Center (GKAC). This study emphasises the importance of utilising primary data to create compelling narratives that contribute to the development of archaeological heritage tour packages. The Guar Kepah site serves as a case study for the development of archaeotourism, highlighting the need for a balance between site preservation and providing authentic experience to cultural tourists. The findings from this site have the potential to shed light on human relations with aquatic habitats, the importance of the mari ne environment in human evolution and ecology, island colonisation, and the establishment of maritime trade networks. The development of the Guar Kepah site as an archaeological heritage tourism location in northern Peninsular Malaysia demonstrates the commitment of the government and stakeholders to promoting sustainable heritage tourism in the region.

Burials of the XIII–XIV centuries in the Egiin-Gol river valley (Northern Mongolia): burial rite features

The article analyzes of the results of studies, condacted in 1997–2000 by archaeologists in the Egiin Gol river valley, northern Mongolia. The findings of 3 burial grounds, where burials of the XIII–XIV centuries were excavated, were examined – Mukhdagiin am, Kholtost nuga and Elst hotol. Based on the characteristics of the funeral rite, 4 groups of burials have been identified. The first included 9 graves from the necropolises of Elst hotol and Kholtost nuga. Corpses in them were placed without additional intra-grave structures. They were laid on their backs. The body was oriented with the head facing northwest, north, northeast or east. A shin, head or part of the spine of small cattle were placed near the hands or feet of the deceased in the grave. The second group included 4 burials of the Mukhdagiin am burial ground. The deceased were placed in wooden coffins and were oriented with their heads to the north or northwest. The shin of a sheep was placed vertically near the head. The third group included single burial of the the Mukhdagiin am burial ground. It had an undercut in the grave pit, where the body was buried. The fourth group included a grave from the Kholtost nuga necropolis. In it the deceased was wrapped in birch bark. During the first half of the II millennium, in the lower part of the Egiin Gola valley, the dominant position was occupied by the bearers of burial traditions of the first group. Representatives of the second group of burials appear in this area in the XIII century, comparable to the Sayantui funeral rite. The burials of the third and fourth groups date back to the beginning of the II millennium.

Christian Elements and Their Folk Adaptations in the Funeral and Memorial Rites of the Ludian Karelians

Abstract The article* focuses on an analysis of the funeral and memorial rituals of the Ludian Karelians in the context of folk religion. For many years, rites of Orthodox origin were either viewed unilaterally or ignored altogether in ethnographic literature, with the reconstruction of ‘pagan’ elements being highlighted, which in turn gave rise to the theory of dual faith. According to the results of my research, the funeral and memorial traditions of the Ludians (from the late 19th to the late 20th century) are based on an Orthodox funeral system in which many aspects derived from a Christian basis found new interpretation. For example, the requirement to light candles was explained as lighting the way to the afterlife, the importance of making confession was so that the dying person’s sins would not attach to the living, and funeral services were to help the soul of the deceased ‘settle’, etc. The principal exponents of the funeral rituals, who ensured the successful transition of the soul to the next world, were representatives of the people: women who washed the body of the deceased, and lamenters, but the church priesthood nonetheless played a significant role in conducting the rituals. The priest’s participation is apparent at all stages of the funeral ritual, from confession to commemoration. Following the abolition of the institution of the church during the Soviet period, the functions of the priest were assumed by elderly women who knew the prayers and church burial traditions.

APPLICATION OF MICROBIOMORPHIC AND TOTAL PHOSPHORUS ANALYSES TO THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE SREDNY ZELENCHUK TEMPLE, NIZHNY ARKHYZ HILLFORT

The article presents the results of the first geoarchaeological study of the materials of Christian burials identified in the interior of the Middle Zelenchuk temple of the 10th century in the Nizhne-Arkhyz ancient settlement (Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia). The results of microbiomorphic (phytolith) and total phosphorus content analyses allowed us to reveal previously unknown features of the funeral rites of the multicultural and multi-ethnic Christian population of one of the largest cities of the North Caucasus in the Middle Ages. The differences in funerary practices between the 11th and 13th centuries became evident when studying even a small group of funerary complexes in which people of the same social group – representatives of the social elite of Western Alania – were buried. The geoarchaeological study showed an abundance of plant and animal organic matter in the burials. The complex analysis of archaeological materials and data obtained during the microbiomorphic study allowed us to conclude that members of the urban Christian community had several burial traditions: in stone boxes (tombs), in wooden frames, and a mixed ritual when a wooden structure was placed in a stone box. The presence of wooden bark particles in the burials seems to be related not so much to the material from which the burial structures were made as to the presence in the graves of bark or bast objects (bast caskets or boxes, birch bark amulets, toys, etc.). The tradition known from pagan Alanian burials of placing the head of the deceased on a “stone cushion” (more typical for male burials) was preserved in early Christian burials. In one of the four women’s graves studied, the analysis showed the presence of a “hay pillow.” Probably, before the burial, a ritual of washing the deceased was performed, as evidenced by the presence of diatoms and sponge spicules in the samples.

Paleoanthropological Analysis of Osteological Material from the Myntobe Burial Ground

The article deals with the paleoanthropological analysis of the skeletons unearthed from the Myntobe necropolis and dated to the II – IV centuries AD. Myntobe necropolis is located 2 km south of Gani Muratbayev village in the Keles district of Turkestan province. The burial ground consists of more than 600 randomly located mounds of various sizes. All mounds have a dirt embankment. Archaeological excavations were carried out at the burial ground in 2017 and 2022, as a result of which burials in the catacombs and naus were unearthed. An analysis of the burial tradition and recovered material allows researchers to speak about the belonging of these burials to the Kangli tribes. Since the burials date back to the Kangli period, the theoretical part reveals the issues of the location and political structure of the tribes and, most importantly, the determination of the paleopathology of the Myntobints by conducting a macroscopic analysis of the discovered skeletons. The results of the analysis allowed for drawing preliminary conclusions about lifestyle, social life, and nutritional status. When writing the theoretical part of the article, electronic textbooks and resources from the book fund of the National Library of Kazakhstan and the library of the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Kozh Ahmet Yasawi were used. In total, 9 skeletons were selected for paleoanthropological and paleopathological analysis, from mounds No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7. Paleoanthropological reasoning in the main section is written on the basis of materials in Turkish and English from the collections of Turkish libraries. The skeletons found were analyzed macroscopically and many diseases were identified, such as osteoarthritis (joint deformity), osteopathy, ankylosing spondylitis, heel spurs, thickening of the cranial bone, and deformity of the mandibular joint. Preliminary conclusions about the paleopathology of the discovered skeletons are made.

THE EARLY BRONZE AGE CEMETERY AT ÇEŞME–BOYALIK IN COASTAL WESTERN ANATOLIA

Early Bronze Age burial practices in western Anatolia have been much discussed, and the general developmental stages of these traditions have been defined by scholars over the course of years. The first half of the third millennium sees the use of a variety of grave types, namely, stone cist, pithos and simple pit burials; meanwhile, during the second half of the millennium, pithos burials seem to predominate. Short-term rescue excavations at Boyalık, in Çeşme District, Izmir Province, reveal the presence of a new type of burial tradition in coastal western Anatolia dating to the middle of the third millennium BC. The cemetery revealed the use of rock-cut chamber tombs for the first time in this region. This paper presents the unique graves and their finds from Boyalık cemetery and discusses the implications of this new tradition for the third-millennium archaeology of the wider Aegeo-Anatolian region.

Earliest known funerary rites in Wallacea after the last glacial maximum

The insular region of Wallacea has become a focal point for studying Pleistocene human ecological and cultural adaptations in island environments, however, little is understood about early burial traditions during the Pleistocene. Here we investigate maritime interactions and burial practices at Ratu Mali 2, an elevated coastal cave site on the small island of Kisar in the Lesser Sunda Islands of eastern Indonesia dated to 15,500–3700 cal. BP. This multidisciplinary study demonstrates extreme marine dietary adaptations, engagement with an extensive exchange network across open seas, and early mortuary practices. A flexed male and a female, interred in a single grave with abundant shellfish and obsidian at Ratu Mali 2 by 14.7 ka are the oldest known human burials in Wallacea with established funerary rites. These findings highlight the impressive flexibility of our species in marginal environments and provide insight into the earliest known ritualised treatment of the dead in Wallacea.

A spolia ostotheke from Metropolis and Early Christian burial traditions

AbstractThis article examines the different uses made of a marble ostotheke (ossuary) that was discovered in 2021 during archaeological excavations in and around the church in the Araplıtepe district, near the ancient city of Metropolis. Information about the chest’s original use as a funerary object and its production date and ownership is followed by a discussion of its recycled (spolia) use as a sedimentation tank on a water channel, and by an explanation of its third and final function. A bronze lamp discovered inside the ostotheke provides important clues about the object’s final use and its relationship with its surroundings. Christian burials in and around the church dating to as early as the fifth to sixth centuries AD also provide insights into these processes. This ostotheke, which served a variety of functions from the second to the seventh centuries AD, shows that objects made in Roman times might continue to be used in different ways for a long time thereafter. This article therefore examines the ostotheke as a reflection and extension of the changing needs of people and communities over time, rather than simply as a carved marble object.

Wakes and Burial Practices and Traditions of Ilokano Catholics in Santiago, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

This study documented the wake and burial traditions and practices of Ilokano Catholics in Santiago, Ilocos Sur. Specifically, this study explored how Ilokano Catholics in Santiago perform these practices and traditions during the wake and burial of their dead relatives. This study used photovoice as its research design. In choosing the participants, the researchers used criterion sampling. Nine (9) participants were identified including elders who lead prayers. In gathering data, researchers asked the participants to show images of their deceased family member during their funeral and let them narrate what is in the images. While the participants were narrating, the participants were interviewed using the aide-mémoire. Then, the recorded interviews were used to verify the gathered data. Based on the statements of the participants, researchers identified six (6) traditions, seven (7) practices, and four (4) beliefs. The practices during the dead are panagbantay (looking after the dead), panakaigangat ti kandela (lighting a candle), panagwaswas ti agasawa (seperation of married couple), panagmano (to bless), panangilayaw diay ubbing (passing the child across the coffin), pabalon (packed things), panagbuggo (hand washing). The traditions on the dead are pa-siyam (conducting a 9-day novena), panag-atong (burning of wood), panaggolgol (bathing), panangipurwak ti bagas (throwing of rice grains), panagpugsat ti krusipiho sadiay rosario (removal of crucifix from the rosary), panagwaksi (a year death anniversary). While the beliefs on dead are categorize based on things that people should and should not do and eat. In the light of the findings, the Ilokano culture of burial and wake are sustained amidst modernization in society. Hence, this culture remains and shall be passed from one generation to the other.

Раннесредневековые детские погребения из нового грунтового могильника в с. Старая Ладога

The article introduces scientific data regarding a multi-layered ground burial discovered in 2022 in Staraya Ladoga. Most of the necropolis’ burials are west-facing inhumations without grave goods. On this background, two children’s burials in rounded pits with the accompanying grave goods, dated by the last quarter of 9 th — second quarter of 10 th centuries, are of particular interest. Hence, they are the main focus of the publication. A detailed description of the burials’ details and an analysis of ware complexes are given. The text is supported by illustrations, which contain all of the items from the burials. The burials are some of the earliest inhumations in the early medieval Ladoga, along with the chamber burials of the kurgan burial ground and the sopka-like mound at the Plakun tract. Central position in the burial pit, uniformity of its filling, absence of violent actions evidence, as well as careful placement of the accompanying grave goods, all make it possible to exclude the ritual or sacrificial purpose of the children’s burials and to consider them a part of the “ordinary” ceremonial burial tradition, applicable to any member of the community that the necropolis belonged to. The new ground burial expands the developed zone of the early medieval Ladoga in the last quarter of 9 th — second quarter of 10 th centuries and increases the variety of different funerary sites.

BURIAL OF A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LOCAL ELITE IN ALTAI OF THE MIGRATION PERIOD

The article presents the results of studying materials obtained during excavations of a female burial found in the Choburak-I necropolis of the Bulan-Koby archaeological culture. This site located in Chemal district of the Altai Republic was fully studied by the expedition of Altai State University. An analysis of the morphological characteristics of the found accompanying grave goods was conducted employing analogies from sites in adjacent territories. Together with the results of radiocarbon dating it became the basis for determining the time of construction of mound 34 within the 4th century AD. The study of the recorded features of ritual practice made it possible to establish that the burial was made by the bearers of the Dialian burial tradition, which constituted the dominant group of the population of the Northern Altai in the pre-Turkic period. Numerous goods, which included socially significant adornments in the attire of the buried, as well as items of horse gear, testify to a high status of the deceased woman in her lifetime, probably a representative of the local nomadic elite.

The Early Bronze Age Log Coffin Burials of Britain: The Origins and Development of a Burial Rite(s)

This paper describes the results from a project to obtain radiocarbon determinations from Early Bronze Age log coffin burials. Log coffins have been recognised as a burial tradition since antiquarian excavations uncovered the first examples. However, comparatively few are associated with radiocarbon determinations and many old determinations are very imprecise. To address this, seven log coffin burials were identified across England, and 11 samples from these were submitted for radiocarbon dating. The dates from the project were reviewed with previously obtained reliable determinations to reconsider the origins and development of the log coffin burial by region. The resulting study indicates that the earliest log coffins were associated with Beaker burials but that regional variations involving different rites soon developed.

Burial of a warrior of the Rouran period from Northern Altai

The article introduces into scientific discourse cultural, chronological and social interpretation of the warrior burial, investigated during the excavations of the necropolis of the Bulan-Koby Culture of the Choburak-I funerary and ritual complex. The site is located on the right bank of the Katun River, to the south from the Elanda village of Chemal district, Altai Republic. During the research, a burial of a man with a horse and accompanying equipment, including a representative set of weapons (bow, a large number of arrows with iron tips, a sword, two combat knives), a belt decorated with numerous belt fittings, horse equipment, and other items were studied. A detailed description of the finds, including both widespread and very rare types of items, has been carried out. The indi-cated circle of analogies from the sites of the Bulan-Koby Culture of Altai, as well as complexes excavated in ad-jacent territories, allows us to determine the date of burial mound №30 to the 4th c. AD. This conclusion is con-firmed by the results of radiocarbon dating of a series of objects from the Choburak-I necropolis. The complex of elements of ritual practice indicates that the burial mound belongs to the previously identified Dialyan burial tradi-tion of the Altai population of the end of the 1st mil. BC — first half of the 1st mil. AD. This is suggested by the combination of the following features: an oval mound with a crepidoma, inhumation burial rite, northwest orienta-tion of the deceased, accompanying of the deceased by a horse laid “at the feet” of the person and its orientation with its head in the same direction as the deceased, inner grave construction in the form of a deck. The composi-tion of the grave goods allows us to conclude that the buried man was of a high social status, possibly a warrior who commanded a large unit of professional warriors, and also, possibly, the leader of a local group of pastoral-ists who left the Choburak-I necropolis. Some peculiar features of the analysed complex reflect the ideological paradigm of the Bulan-Koby population, such as placement into the grave of a broken (disassembled?) bow and a large number of arrows, covering the person’s body at the time of the burial.

Burying the Heros: Identifying the Archaeological Background of the Homeric Burial

Abstract For centuries the Homeric epics, especially the Iliad, have fascinated and attracted the attention of the academic community and the wider public alike. Many scholars throughout the centuries endeavored to prove the historicity of the Iliad through the archaeological evidence. Though current academic research has long departed from those approaches, the epics contain important historical and cultural elements that were part of the reality not only of Homer’s contemporary (Iron Age) society but also, to an extent, of the Late Bronze Age. This paper argues that the Homeric funerary customs are not a purely literary creation, but rather the result of a mixture of traditions, contemporary customs and collective memory. This will be achieved through a survey of archaeological and written evidence pertaining to Late Bronze Age and Iron Age burial traditions, ranging from Hittite Anatolia to Central Europe, and in doing so suggest the possible origins, both geographically and chronologically, of ‘Homeric’ mortuary practices.

MOUND 1/2021 OF THE SKOROBIR NECROPOLIS IN THE DISTRICT OF BILSK GORODYSHCHE

The article introduces the burial complex investigated in 2021 by a joint expedition of the Historical and Cultural Reserve «Bilsk» and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in the Skorobir burial mound necropolis in the western district of the Bilsk settlement. Despite the fact that the burial mound was looted in ancient times, it was possible to trace the peculiarities of the creation of the burial structure and the main features of the burial rite.
 A burial site was discovered under the barrow mound, which was looted back in ancient times. Only a small part of this complex remained intact. The burial chamber was a simple rectangular pit with an area of 7.15 m2, oriented along the northeast-southwest line. A 2.75 m long dromos adjoined the pit from the southwest, which was recorded for the first time in the necropolises of the Bilsk fortified settlement for burials of the Early Scythian period. The floor of the grave was lined with longitudinal wooden boards, which were placed on transverse logs, fixed in grooves dug near the southern and northern walls of the grave. The grave was not covered with soil, it was covered with wooden logs, the remains of which were fixed. Molded pottery (bowls, ladles, and ladles) was left on the ceiling, which fell into the burial chamber after the ceiling was destroyed. Based on the categories of funeral inventory it can be said with certainty that a woman was buried in the grave with her head facing southwest. Beads made of glass and rock crystal, as well as gold rosette plaques, indicate the rather high social status of the deceased, who probably belonged to representatives of the local elite. The set of accompanying inventory allows us to date the burial in barrow 1/2021 to the first quarter of the 6th century BC.
 Mound 1/2021 demonstrates the close burial traditions of the local population of the Early Scythian period and has certain correspondences among the mounds of the Bilsk burial grounds, first of all, the burial complexes of the first half of the 6th century BC, which have been studied in recent years in the southern part part of the Skorobir necropolis, the largest of those located near the Bilsk fortified settlement. The traced general features of the burial rite are typical for the burial mounds of the Bilsk hillfort.

The Deathscape of Settler Colonialism: Remembrance and Erasure through Cemeteries and Graveyards in the Upper Monongahela Valley

Abstract This article focuses on several cemeteries and graveyards in the upper Monongahela Valley of West Virginia, stretching from the confluence of the West Fork and Tygart Valley Rivers near Fairmont and extending to the confluence of the Monongahela and Cheat Rivers at Point Marion, Pennsylvania, just across the West Virginia-Pennsylvania state line. The authors conducted a mapping project of cemeteries and religious centers from December 2019 until July 2020, focusing on burial grounds that were accessible by automobile. Documenting grave markers, common surnames, and flora on graves or in the cemetery more generally, the authors noticed patterns of flora—particularly the presence of yucca and red cedar—that were closely associated with European settler-colonists and their descendants but that have documented connections to Indigenous and Black burial traditions. Noting that Black and Indigenous burial sites are largely hidden from public view in this region, the authors consider the ways that plant life in cemeteries might shed new light on how settler-colonialism shapes understandings of Appalachian death and burial practices and, in turn, Appalachian history and culture.

Hidden transitions. New insights into changing social dynamics between the Bronze and Iron Age in the cemetery of Destelbergen (Belgium)

Urnfields were the common type of cemetery in the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and Early Iron Age (EIA) in much of Northwest Europe. Rarely are there clear social or chronological differences between burials apart from changing pottery types. The cemetery of Destelbergen stands out because of the relatively high prevalence of monumental ditches surrounding a selection of graves, indicating a certain status difference between the deceased. Strontium concentrations ([Sr]) combined with radiocarbon (14C) dates and spatial analysis bring to light clear differences between LBA and EIA traditions. The end of the LBA went hand in hand with the abandonment of the oldest part of the cemetery, which new 14C dates demonstrate was strict. Additionally, [Sr] reveal changing diets in individuals buried centrally within monumental ditches. In the EIA these individuals present significantly lower [Sr] than the surrounding burials, potentially the result of a diet richer in animal protein at the expense of plant-based food, a distinction not seen in LBA burials. Even though continuity and equality are reflected in the uniform burial tradition seen within urnfields, this paper’s analyses unlock subtle changes in social attitudes between the LBA and EIA and suggest increasing (dietary) social differentiation in the EIA.

ПОГРЕБАЛЬНОЕ СООРУЖЕНИЕ ПОЗДНЕНЕОЛИТИЧЕСКОГО МОГИЛЬНИКА АВТОДРОМ-1 В СЕВЕРО-ЗАПАДНОЙ БАРАБЕ: АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ СПЕЦИФИКА И ПРОБЛЕМЫ ИНТЕРПРЕТАЦИИ

The Late Neolithic of the Middle Irtysh-Barabinsk region is presented by the Artyn culture (mid of the IVth — first half of the Vth millenary BC). The “Artyn” population’s burial practice is reflected in the materials from Protoka, Vengerovo-2A, Ust-Tatrtas-2, Avtodrom-1 cemeteries. The specifics of the Avtodrom-1 burial construction correlate with the other cemeteries of the series, they all have a common burial pit, storied arrangement of remains in the pit, covering with small soil mound, surrounded with an unclosed ditch. Morphologically, the burial constructions are similar to the dwellings with ditches known from the Late Neolithic materials in the Middle Irtysh River (the Artyn culture) and Surgut Ob River region (the Bystrino culture). The specifics of the Avtodrom-1 burial constructions and other cemeteries of this typological group allow suggesting the following order of rituals: creation of the main bowl-shaped pit and pitches around it; erection of a burial construction on the ground with a thick sod-soil covering; burials with partial covering of the pit with soil at each level, following crash of the ground construction which made a small hill. Historically, this is one of the most ancient manifestations of kurgan burial tradition with semantical symmetry — dwelling-burial, with sacral burial surface emphasized in relief. This marks the Artyn culture cemeteries apart the necropolis of other Neolithic cultures of Southern Siberia with their in-soil mostly individual inhumations. Theoretically, this tradition is connected with clan groups who buried in individual tombs.

Traces of Christian Cultural Influences in Pagan Vilnius: the Cemetery on Bokšto Street

Lithuania was the country to remain pagan longest in Europe, but it was not isolated from the rest of Europe. Although the locals in the late 13th – late 14th centuries were still mostly pagans, Lithuania’s grand dukes appreciated the benefits of Christian immigrants. These Christians brought not only their religion, but also a knowledge of crafts, their culture, and their own traditions. Although Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox, mainly wished to settle in Lithuania for economic reasons rather than from a desire to Christianise it, their presence in pagan Vilnius left traces, one of which, visible archaeologically, is the inhumation cemetery on Bokšto Street, where Orthodox Christians began to bury their dead in the last decades of the 13th century. By supplementing the historical context with this cemetery’s material, it is possible to talk about how the Orthodox community influenced the city’s urban landscape, burial traditions, and crafts.

CLAY VESSELS’ SHAPES AS AN OBJECT OF STUDY OF THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF ALANS OF THE FOREST-STEPPE DON REGION

Alans are one of the ethnic components of the Saltovo-Mayatsk archaeological culture. Antiquities associated with this group are found in the Middle Don basin. The article studies the cultural characteristics of the Alanian groups that left behind the burial sites of this region, on the example of pottery. The object of study are the shapes of clay vessels. The study was carried out according to the methodology developed within the framework of the historical-and-cultural approach to the study of ancient pottery, proposed by A.A. Bobrinsky. The article considers the quantitative composition of unmixed traditions of shaping forms of pottery on sites associated with the Alan component of the Saltovo-Mayatsk culture. The three most numerous categories of ware are analyzed: jugs, mugs and pots. The communities that left behind the catacomb burial grounds of the eastern regions of the Don forest-steppe were culturally more heterogeneous than the communities from the western part. The materials of the Mayatsky complex, Yutanovsky and Podgorovsky burial grounds present unique and inherently mixed sets of morphological traditions. Based on the data of the study of ceramics and their comparison with burial traditions, we consider the Yutanovsky, Podgorovsky, Mayatsky burial grounds as cemeteries of communities that included settlers from the western part of the Don forest-steppe, whose traditions mixed up in new places of residence. The most probable reason for the resettlement of a certain part of the Alanian population to the eastern regions of the forest-steppe Don region can be considered the construction of a series of stone and brick fortresses on the Tikhaya Sosna River, as well as the need to control this section of the Slavic-Khazar frontier. In accordance with the concept, proposed by G.E. Afansiyev, these fortifications were built in the 30-40s of the 9th century. The author suggests that it is these events that can explain the influx of the Alanian population into the eastern regions of the forest-steppe Don region and the formation of more culturally heterogeneous groups in the new places of residence of these people than among the “neighbors” from the western regions of the Don forest-steppe.