Burial Research Articles

The Immune Ghosts of Pandemics Past

Klunk J, Vilgalys TP, Demeure CE, et al. Evolution of immune genes is associated with the Black Death. Nature 2022;611:312–319. Our immune system exists to protect us from the external environment and specifically from the complex threat posed by microbial pathogens. It is well-known that microbes have rapidly evolved to either avoid, adapt, or co-opt host biology to survive and multiply. Conversely, infectious diseases are postulated to provide a strong selective pressure driving human genetic evolution, with exposure to pathogens driving immune system adaptation. However, exactly how and which specific loci and related immune genes have changed in response to a specific pathogen and functionally connecting signatures to protection or susceptibility in human populations has proved to be a challenging problem. The recent study by Klunk et al sets out to identify specific genes that may have directly evolved because of pathogen-induced selective pressure. To achieve this, they looked back at one of the most devastating pandemics in human history—the Black Death caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which killed an estimated 30%–50% of the population in Europe. In a remarkable feat of molecular archeology, the study team identified human remains in two closely related European populations, in London and Denmark, devastated by the Black Death. To identify potential loci significantly selected for by this devastating disease, they obtained DNA samples from people who died before, during, and after the pandemic at various burial sites around London. After targeted DNA sequencing of a curated list of immune system genes and loci along with neutral regions of the genome as reference, they first verified that the pandemic did indeed induce a significant selection pressure on the immune system, with the identification of 245 significantly altered variants. After further filtering based on allele frequency patterns before and after the pandemic, they identified 35 potential target loci. Using their identified Denmark cohort to cross-validate these variants they eventually settled on 4 significant and validated loci related to 6 immune genes that potentially conferred either susceptibility or protection from Y. pestis infection. Although all 4 loci suggested interesting potential functional consequences, the clearest candidate was a putatively protective variant close to the gene ERAP2, an aminopeptidase important for antigen presentation, viral clearance, and cytokine responses and a known risk factor for Crohn’s disease. The study team went on to conduct a series of functional studies in monocyte-derived macrophages comparing the ERAP2 gene haplotype selectively favored by Y. pestis infection against the alternative deleterious prepandemic haplotype. Here, they found that macrophages from individuals possessing the selected ERAP2 allele exhibit a different cytokine response to Y. pestis infection and are better able to limit replication in cells, providing a functional corelate for the evolved host response. This study represents a wonderful journey into the history of the biological “arms race” between our immune system and the microbial environment, identifying some the specific changes brought about by a global disease pandemic. These findings illuminate our understanding of our immune responses to pathogens and highlight the evolution of immune system components such as ERAP2, CTLA4, and ICOS, which are associated with chronic inflammatory diseases including Crohn’s disease and autoimmune enteropathies. The study is also highly prescient in the setting of the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and the current, likely highly accelerated, evolution of our immune system.

The Secret in the Desert: Preliminary Conclusions from the Excavation of a Unique Burial Complex in the Negev Highlands

In the course of a salvage excavation in the centre of the Negev highlands, near Tlalim Junction and Kibbutz Tlalim, a unique burial site dated to the middle of the first millennium BCE was discovered. The site appears to be located at the head of an ancient crossroad, and it seems that for generations it was used for communal graves and associated burial rituals carried out by travellers. Dozens of burials were found in the structures, along with an extraordinary wealth of special finds, most of which date to the middle of the first millennium BCE, from the end of the Iron II and the beginning of the Persian period. The site opens a gateway to multidisciplinary research related to identifying the origin of the finds, identifying the source of the burials and those interred, understanding its ritual significance, understanding the manner of burial and identifying ancient trade routes.

О бисере из «белого металла» андроновского населения: к вопросу об истоках традиции

Beads made of "white metal" are found in Altai on the one hand, in the Andronovo (Fedorovo) burial site Chekanovsky Log X, on the other hand. They are discovered at the steppe-type sites of the north of Middle Asia, where this category of adornments is quite often. Moreover, in some burials the number of beads is extremely large (300–1200 pieces). The focus in this article is given to the description of Middle Asian complexes with finds of "white metal" beads. The article mainly considers the issue of their chemical composition. According to the spectral analysis, the Middle-Asian beads consisted of copper with a high content of tin or a complex tin-based alloy. Such a composition gave the items a silvery color. It is suggested that such beads were used by the Middle Asia people to substitute silver, more expensive and rare metal. It is assumed that not the beads themselves were valued, but the clothes skillfully embroidered with them. The author concludes that the tradition to use clothes embroidered with beads emerged in the steppe-type sites of Central Asia (Dashti-Kozi, Muminabad burial sites, etc.) due to contacts with the local farmers. But farmers preferred to make beads from stone instead. The tradition to use clothes embroidered with beads of semi-precious gems arises among them probably as a result of contacts with civilizations of the Near East. Such clothes appeared among steppe herders of Middle Asia not to simple copy farmers’ images. They mastered metallurgy and metalworking early enough and preferred metal in making jewelry, including beads. The finds of “white metal” beads in the Chekanovsky Log X burial site is another confirmation of the previously expressed point of view that the Andronovo population of Altai formed under the influence of migration impulses from the southern regions, including Middle Asia.

Integration and cultural autonomy – about barbarian migrants in the Western Empire in the 5th century concerning their burial customs

Integration and cultural autonomy – about barbarian migrants in the Western Empire in the 5^th century concerning their burial customs

Reisner and Mace’s Excavations of Naga ed-Deir Cemeteries N500–N900, N1500, N3000 and N3500 Reconsideredإعادة النَّظر في أعمال التنقيب التي قام بها رايزنر وميس في مجموعات مقابر نجع الدير N500-N900 ،N1500 ،N3000 ،N3500

Naga ed-Deir is located on the east side of the Nile, opposite Reqaqna, Beit Khallaf, and el‑Mahasna, and about 20 kilometres north of Abydos. In 1901-1904 the Phoebe A. Hearst Egyptian Expedition, led by George A. Reisner, carried out extensive excavations in several cemeteries across the site, leading to the discovery of tombs from the Predynastic period up to the early Coptic period. Amongst these were cemeteries N500–N900, N1500, N3000 and N3500, for which Reisner and Arthur C. Mace identified the typo-chronological tomb development between the 1st and 4th Dynasty. A combined study of the tombs, burial customs and material culture, especially the pottery, found in these cemeteries, however, suggests that Reisner and Mace’s dating and hence some of their conclusions are in need of revision, highlighting the need for a complete re-analysis of extant site data and museum objects.

Особенности размещения кладбищ в городах

Cemeteries in the Russian Federation are special purpose green areas that affect human habitat and health and, according to legislation, must be separated by gaps of a specified width and structure from residential development, landscape and recreational areas and other areas. In many countries of the world, burial sites are traditionally covered to some extent by vegetation, which is preserved for many decades and is under state protection. Research on the placement and maintenance of cemeteries is quite relevant, as their number on the territories of large settlements, is large and increases every year, and their occupied areas to tens of hectares, features of the structure, are of interest to various sciences. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the location of cemeteries and the structure of their sanitary breaks in some cities of the world and Russia. As a method of research, it is proposed to use descriptions of remote sensing data in the form of special forms-tables on the sides of the world with the allocation of 10 types of elements – residential and administrative buildings, roads and railways, educational institutions and water bodies, car parks and other structures, areas occupied by plantations and bare soil. When studying the adjacent territories to cemeteries in the USA, Germany, France, Russia and other countries (more than 50 objects were studied in total, information about 8 is presented in the article), the predominance of roads of various coverage (from 10 to 59%) was noted, on Mount Olivet, Meudon and Saint Mary's are educational institutions. A considerable share is occupied by residential (marked within the boundaries of five out of eight cemeteries) and administrative buildings, which are present on the territory of sanitary gaps of all cemeteries. There is no special protective landscaping.

GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE CENTRAL CAUCASIAN REGION POPULATION IN THE 1st millennium BC – 1st millennium AD BASED ON MITOCHONDRIAL DNA

This study is the first attempt to analyze the genetic diversity of the Central Ciscaucasia population during the Late Bronze Age – Early Iron Age and Early Middle Ages. The authors analyzed 120 samples from 10 burial grounds of the Koban and Alan archaeological cultures, as well as representatives of the Middle Sarmatian culture and the North Caucasian population of the Sarmatian period. Data on the variability of mitochondrial DNA (m-tDNA) of 71 individuals were obtained. An analysis of the previously collected and published information allows concluding that the analyzed populations are characterized by a significant diversity of mtDNA with a predominance of West Eurasian mitochondrial haplogroups. East Eurasian lines of inheritance can be traced in small numbers among the population of the Koban culture (5%), as well as among the Sarmatian (14%) and Alanian populations (11%). The most common lines of Western Eurasian origin are different variants of haplogroups H, U and N. At the same time, a significant diversity of mtDNA haplogroups is observed at all burial sites, except for the Kich-Malka II burial ground, where during the 7th century BC – the early 6th century AD the succession of individuals on the maternal line was recorded, represented by haplogroup H2a2a1. Study in the latter requires a more detailed approach using whole genome sequencing. Comparison of the analyzed sample with previously published data on the genetic portrait of the North Caucasus population in the Early and Middle Bronze Age makes it possible to conclude that representatives of the East Eurasian cluster of mtDNA haplogroups arrived in the Central Ciscaucasia rather late, it was probably associated with contacts between the Koban culture carriers and the nomadic steppe population.

Роль новгородского музея в сохранении могилы Г.Р.Державина

In extreme conditions (the wars and revolutions), the state-run museums became the preservers of various artistic values. During the Great Patriotic War, museum valuables were destroyed and the buildings of regional museums located in the occupied territory were ruined. Among them was Zvanka manor — the estate of the outstanding Russian poet and statesman Gavriil Derzhavin. His grave was also damaged. He was buried in 1816, according to his will, in the Varlaamo-Khutynsky monastery. After the Great Patriotic War, the grave of Derzhavin was under the ruins of the cathedral as the monastery had been on the front line during the hostilities. In 1945, the only thing that was found was the marble urn of the monument. Under those circumstances, in 1959 the remains of Derzhavin and his wife were transferred to the Novgorod Kremlin. A restored monument was erected on the old burial site. The Novgorod Museum published several guidebooks that mentioned the fate of Derzhavin’s grave. Tourists were told about his burial place. After the revival of the Varlaamo-Khutynsky Monastery in 1993, the ashes of the poet and his wife were solemnly transferred to the original resting place.

ЕКОЛОГО-ФАУНІСТИЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ УГРУПОВАНЬ ЗООПЛАНКТОНУ, ІХТІОФАУНИ У РІЧЦІ ІРПІНЬ

B a c k g r o u n d . Monitoring of ecosystems affected by military actions is an element of a comprehensive assessment of the state of the ecosystem in the post-war period. The results of this study are key for the post-war recovery of the war-affected region and assessment of the state and quality of water resources in the area for their further use, as well as for the assessment of the consequences of Russian armed aggression for local water ecosystems and the hydrological network of the region in general. In February-March 2022, the Kozarovytska dam was blown up, which caused flooding of the floodplain more than 20 km downstream. M e t h o d s . As a result of the flooding of agricultural lands, the waters of the Irpin River were polluted with products of human life (burial sites, cattle cemeteries, village toilets, places where livestock and birds are kept, fertilizers, decay products of plant remains) and flooded military equipment and ammunition. The purpose of this work is to study the zooplankton and ichthyofauna in the Irpin River and its tributaries the Moschunka and the Gorenka rivers. The study was conducted in the summer of 2023. A conical plankton net was used for zooplankton sampling. Quantitative parameters of zooplankton were determined according to Hensen's computational method in Bogorov's chamber using binoculars. R e s u l t s . Determination of the saprobiological state of the investigated water bodies was carried out according to the Pantle-Bucca method. Ichthyological samples were taken using a dip bag. During the experimental period, 10 species of zooplankton were found, which included rotifers, cladocera and copepods, and 3 species of fish. C o n c l u s I o n s . The obtained results indicate a significant decrease in the species richness of zooplankton in the studied reservoirs in comparison with last year's indicators, which can be explained by the consequences of anthropogenic load on the studied water ecosystems during the phase of active military operations within the Buchansky district.

Side notes to an exhibition : Some remarks on early medieval lamellar armours

The team at the LVR-Landesmuseum in Bonn took on a major task in 2021 when they began planning the exhibition entitled Das Leben des BODI: Eine Forschungsreise ins frühe Mittelalter (The Life of BODI: A Research Journey into the Early Middle Ages), based around a burial site with outstanding artefacts. The central theme of the exhibition, which opened in March 2023, is the ways of social representation of the elite in the Early Middle Ages and the burials and grave finds associated with them (Fig. 1), including the lamellar armour finds from many burials of the period in different parts of Europe. Similar armours can also be found in the Avar archaeological record, the most significant specimen found in a grave at Derecske-Bikás-dűlő in 2019. The exhibition included armour fragments from the sites Kölked-Feketekapu B and Kiskőrös-Vágóhíd, lent from the collection of the Hungarian National Museum. This study summarises the brief history of research into the role of lamellar armour in the Avar funerary practice and the possibilities of its interpretation.

The Origins of the Civilisation of Angkor, Volume Seven: The Excavation of Non Ban Jak ed. by C.F.W. Higham and A. Kijngam

Reviewed by: The Origins of the Civilisation of Angkor, Volume Seven: The Excavation of Non Ban Jak ed. by C.F.W. Higham and A. Kijngam Carmen Sarjeant The Origins of the Civilisation of Angkor, Volume Seven: The Excavation of Non Ban Jak. Edited by C.F.W. Higham and A. Kijngam. Authors: H. R. Buckley, N. Chang, K. Domett, S. E. Halcrow, H. R. Heath, C.F.W. Higham, T.F.G. Higham, N. Ling, B.F.J. Manly, D.J.W. O’Reilly, L. Pederson, F. Petchey, L. Shewan, R. Thosarat, and S. Ward. Bangkok: The Fine Arts Department, 2020. xx + 524 pp., 583 figures, 42 tables, 2 appendices, bibliography, index. Hardback US $31, ISBN 978-616-283-497-4. The seventh volume in the Origins of the Civilisation of Angkor series comprehensively describes the findings from excavations at Non Ban Jak (NBJ) over several field seasons in the upper Mun Valley, northeast Thailand. Two mounds were excavated, human burials [End Page 126] recovered, and the material culture from domestic and industrial contexts and faunal remains are presented. The volume includes further analysis of the ceramic industry and health and disease. The volume summary includes comparisons with nearby Noen U-Loke (NUL) and Ban Non Wat (BNW) and offers important insights on social change in response to climate in mainland Southeast Asia between a.d. 200 and 800. Dating to the Late Iron Age, NBJ retains intact evidence of domestic structures from a prehistoric context that is rare in mainland Southeast Asia at this scale. Furthermore, significant evidence of local ceramic production from kilns and iron smithing was recovered. NBJ has much to offer in future research and the volume is an essential contribution to understanding the origins of early agrarian states in Southeast Asia. The first chapter (by Higham, Higham, and Petchey) provides an introduction and chronology for NBJ, a large, moated site in the upper Mun Valley of northeast Thailand. As with other studies in the Origins of the Civilisation of Angkor series, the chronology is meticulously outlined with over 70 dates reported from charcoal, bivalve shell, carbonized rice grains, human bone collagen, and a bird’s egg. A small portion of the site contains Neolithic period evidence, but not in situ. The reliable sequence from a.d. 220–380 to a.d. 700–820 covers four centuries of rapid house building. Chapters 2 through 5 (by Higham) cover the east mound excavations, documented layer by layer with photos and a summary of the recovered materials, features, and burials. These chapters contain detailed information of the findings, easily referred to when considering the interpretations in the subsequent chapters. The eastern mound burials are outlined in chapter 6 (by Higham, Buckley, Halcrow, and Domett) with images and mortuary goods catalogued. This chapter leads into the east mound material culture discussed in chapter 7 (by Higham). The pottery includes the contents of the kilns, historic period pits, and occupational contexts (specifically from residential settings). The frequent presence of two bowls placed lip to lip was identified in various contexts, potentially related to buildings and burials and found in occupation layers with no clear feature association. Other ceramic items include spindle whorls, anvils, bow pellets, skin rubbers, structural clay daub associated with houses and kilns, and other clay building materials for house walls and floors. Notably, no ceramic casting bronze moulds were found at NBJ. Iron artifacts from non-mortuary contexts included ploughshares, points, sickles, and knives, indicative of the agricultural activities at the site. Glass beads and bronze ornaments (especially bangles) were found. Stone adzes and burnishing stones were rare. The morphology of ceramics are described in greater detail. However, the descriptions summarizing each vessel form are not consistently cited to images of the forms in plan and profile views where needed in the text. The provided images of the ceramics found within specific contexts such as pits and kilns are crucial for understanding local production. Later in chapter 7, the citing of images in the text is more consistent in the M and N squares section. Chapter 8 (by Higham) is on the cultural sequence of the western mound. This portion of the site had a small...

Effects of Hypoxia on Coupled Carbon and Iron Cycling Differ Between Weekly and Multiannual Timescales in Two Freshwater Reservoirs

AbstractFreshwater lakes and reservoirs play a disproportionate role in the global organic carbon (OC) budget, as active sites for carbon processing and burial. Associations between OC and iron (Fe) are hypothesized to contribute substantially to the stabilization of OC in sediment, but the magnitude of freshwater Fe‐OC complexation remains unresolved. Moreover, global declines in bottom‐water oxygen concentrations have the potential to alter OC and Fe cycles in multiple ways, and the net effects of low‐oxygen (hypoxic) conditions on OC and Fe are poorly characterized. Here, we measured the pool of Fe‐bound OC (Fe‐OC) in surficial sediments from two eutrophic reservoirs, and we paired whole‐ecosystem experiments with sediment incubations to determine the effects of hypoxia on OC and Fe cycling over multiple timescales. Our experiments demonstrated that short periods (2–4 weeks) of hypoxia can increase aqueous Fe and OC concentrations while decreasing OC and Fe‐OC in surficial sediment by 30%. However, exposure to seasonal hypoxia over multiple years was associated with a 57% increase in sediment OC and no change in sediment Fe‐OC. These results suggest that the large sediment Fe‐OC pool (∼30% of sediment OC in both reservoirs) contains both oxygen‐sensitive and oxygen‐insensitive fractions, and over multiannual timescales OC respiration rates may play a more important role in determining the effect of hypoxia on sediment OC than Fe‐OC dissociation. Consequently, we anticipate that global declines in oxygen concentrations will alter OC and Fe cycling, with the direction and magnitude of effects dependent upon the duration of hypoxia.

Taphonomic observation of Jomon human skeletal remains from a collective burial of the Gongenbara shell-mound, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

To evaluate burial customs in the Jomon period of Japan, we observed the taphonomic sig‍natures of human bones from a secondary collective burial and compared them with those from in‍dividual burials. We compared the compositions of identified bone parts, degree of weathering, and damage of the bone surfaces based on two neighboring shell-mound sites, Gongenbara and Horinouchi in Chiba Prefecture; a famous secondary collective burial had previously been discovered at the Gongenbara shell-mound. The degree of weathering differed between the collective and individual burials, and also differed depending on the horizontal and vertical location within the collective buri‍al. ‍These differences imply that a variable degree of weathering plausibly occurred at or after the secondary burial, but not at the primary burial. Regarding bone surface damage, specific types of dam‍age were more frequently observed on the limb bones in the collective burial than in the individual burials, although different types of damage were observed in the skull assemblage. These findings sug‍gest that different burial processes could cause the secondarily reburied bones to be exposed to the air for a longer duration of time or more easily be accessed by insects or other small animals, which might have produced variable taphonomic signatures.

The “Cemetery War” in the Town of Mo i Rana. To the History of Soviet War Memorial Heritage in Northern Norway

The events surrounding the Soviet military burial site at the Mo cemetery in the town of Mo i Rana are a bright page of the Soviet military memorial heritage's history in Northern Norway. In 1945, at the burial place of 90 Soviet prisoners who worked on the construction of the Nordlandsbanen rail route, the monument was erected by their comrades. In 1948, through the efforts of the residents of Mo municipality, the monument destroyed by weather was rebuilt. Plans by the central authorities to move the remains from the cemetery to the island of Tjøtta during the all-Norwegian campaign faced with public protest led by members of the Communist Party of Norway. The removal of the remains, scheduled for November 2, 1951, didn’t take place in connection with a large-scale protest action, which later called the “cemetery war”. Residents of Mo i Rana are rightfully proud of this page in their history. In 2020, the memorial at the Mo cemetery was opened after renovation initiated by concerned citizens. In 2021, the efforts of the authorities and residents of Rana municipality to preserve the memory of Soviet soldiers’ feat were marked by Russian state awards.

ПОСЕЛЕНИЕ ЕЛУНИНСКОЙ АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ В ПОЙМЕ ОБИ У С. КИПРИНО (АЛТАЙСКИЙ КРАЙ)

Near the village Kiprino in Shelabolikhinskiy district of Altai Krai a series of archaeological objects has been revealed. The main part of these sites is located in the Ob floodplain on the territory of the upland, which was formed during the erosion of the left bank of the river. This earthwork is called “Kiprinsky Borok”. By now, 10 places have been marked on its southwestern edge and in its immediate vicinity, where lifting material was collected after permanent destruction associated with natural and climatic and anthropogenic influences. Cultural layers are found in the blowout and bluffs. In one of such places, conditionally designated “Blowout №5”, fragments from the ceramic ware which analogies can be easily found among materials from settlement and burial sites of the Forest-steppe Altai Elunino archaeological culture of the early Bronze Age were found.

Женское погребение тюркского времени из кургана Шагалалы V

At present, the source database expansion on medieval archaeology of the Kazakh steppe is among the priorities in science. Certain success was achieved in the study of sites of such medieval states of the ancient Turkic Khaganates as Kimak, Oghuz, Ulug Ulus, and Kazakh Khaganate on the territory of Kazakhstan.At the same time, the lack of a comprehensive study of this era led to its occasional research. The purpose of the article is to introduce early Middle Ages burial materials from the northern region of Kazakhstan into scientific circulation. Turkic mound is located in the Kenotkel-Shagalaly archaeological microdistrict.The central burial belongs to the era of the early Iron Age, later the fence was added in the early Middle Ages. Such peculiarities of the funeral rite as the eastern orientation, and the accompanying horse burial indicate that burial belongs to the Turkic time.Burial research and items as an earing, a fragment of a mirror and a spindle whorl found in the burial site suggest that it was a grave of a woman. The dating object is an earring and the time of the construction of this funerary structure was determined. That is the second half of the VIII-IX century.

Dutch Settlers at Voorzorg in Suriname Decimated by 1845 Epidemic: A Multifaceted Approach to Unravel Mystery about Etiologic Microbial Agent

Background. In 1845, an attempt at Dutch farmer colonization of the overseas colony of Suriname failed because within weeks of the arrival of 384 colonists, an outbreak occurred that killed half of them. The outbreak at plantation Voorzorg was identified as ‘gastric biliary fever’, which was later interpreted as typhoid fever. However, sparse data support this diagnosis. Herein, we took a multifaceted approach to characterize the outbreak and establish the likely microbiological cause. Methods. Archival research was combined with identification and excavation of a burial site, analysis of aDNA of skeletal remains as well as modelling of the outbreak on epidemiological findings. Results. A timeline of events constructed from archival records revealed that the 1845 febrile illness affected >95% of the 384 colonists, likely transmitted human-to-human and was characterized by fever, nausea, vomiting, in cases abundant often bloody diarrhea, and progressed into delirium and stupor (‘Typhus’). Within 1-2 weeks of symptom onset, half of the affected persons died (189 of 384) with overrepresentation from the young and elderly. A few postmortems had revealed multiple small, purulent colonic ulcerations. We discovered a burial ground and uncovered 17 skeletal remains presumed to be colonists. Subsequently, metagenomic testing did not reveal a pathogenic microorganism fitting the disease description, but typing mitochondrial DNA (possible in 15 of 17) showed that the skeletal remains sampled likely did not originate from Europe. Mathematical modelling of epidemic curves depicting cumulative mortality of those arriving by subsequent ships revealed that transmission characteristics of bacillary dysentery rather than typhoid fever fitted the epidemiological findings the best. Conclusion. A multifaceted approach revealed that the 1845 outbreak at Voorzorg among Dutch colonists was probably caused by bacillary dysentery and not typhoid fever. Likely, the high mortality was a consequence of dehydration that in tropical conditions particularly affected the young and elderly. This outbreak contributed to the failed colonization attempt.

Находки предметов вооружения и конского снаряжения степного круга древностей с памятников IX–Xвв. Окско-Донского водораздела

During the 9th – 10th centuries, a large group of archaeological sites are discovered in the region. Their materials correlate with the antiquities of the Romenskaya culture. Weaponry items originating from them can be divided into three groups: items of Eastern European, Northern European and Steppe cultural circle. Most of the finds of weapons and horse equipment of the steppe cultural circle dated the 9th – 10th centuries discovered in the Oka-Don watershed come from settlements. These are the hillforts of Petrovskoye, Supruty, Fedyashevo, Spitsino, “Chertovo Gorodishche”, as well as the settlements of Berezovka-4, Slobodka-1, Torkhovo-3, Ustye-2, Utkino-1. A number of items represent finds outside the context of the archaeological sites. No burial sites of this time containing items of military culture have been found in the region so far. Arrowheads, axes, quiver parts, armour rings as well as a spearhead and a dagger fragment were found. Horse harnesses include metal reins, stirrups and bridle fittings. Most of the finds come from sites from the early Slavic antiquities in the region. The finds are limited to the 9 community. Among the mass of steppe antiquities from the region, there is a group of objects from the Hungarian cultural group standing out clearly. These items come from the final complexes of the early period and from sites of the middle period (mid and second half of the 10th century).

Megalithic Burial Sites in Koratagere Taluk, Tumakuru District

Megalithic Burial Sites in Koratagere Taluk, Tumakuru District

A sketch book by Filippo Vassallo

A sketch book by Filippo Vassallo is a primary source for late nineteenth-century documentation of archaeological sites in the Maltese Islands. Other than revealing the documentation process behind the first plan of St Paul’s Catacombs (Malta), the extensive use of surveying and the attention for detail make the sketch book an important witness to the evolving contemporary Maltese recording of archaeological finds. It also throws light on how A. A. Caruana’s 1898 book on Maltese ancient burial sites was put together.