North-Western Black Sea Region Research Articles

Two Cimmerian Steles from the North-West Black Sea Region

New finds of stone sculptures from the epoch of early nomads are quite rare. Therefore, the publication of such new sculptures of pre-Scythian times, besides, two more at once, should be of interest. Moreover, both steles were found in a very limited area of the North-Western Black Sea region and each of them has a unique iconography and a rather original repertoire of objects. The stele from Kairy village is a type of pillar-shaped sculpture. The most original image on it is a round shield with a very rich ornamental composition. The stele from Aleksandrovka belongs to the stele-slabs. This type of sculpture is possibly an intermediate link between purely phallomorphic (Cimmerian) and anthropomorphic (Scythian) sculptures. Since markers of relative chronology are columnar and slab steles – the first are early, the second – late, this may mean that in the upper reaches of the Tiligul estuary in a fairly limited area, the tradition of installing the Cimmerian sculptures persisted for quite a long time.

«Старые» и новые венгерские погребения на левобережье Днестра

The article analyzes the materials obtained during the study of five Hungarian burials on the left bank of the Lower Dniester. Description of the of the barrow and the grave: Burial near the Butora village, which was sunk into an Early Bronze Age mound and contained a horse’s humerus and fragments of gold foil, was studied in 1978; it was previously published with erroneous cultural-chronological attribution or as uncertain. Two more graves were discovered in 1992 in Early Bronze Age mounds near the town of Slobodzeya. Until recently, archival documentation was considered lost, and anthropological materials and grave goods were not identified. А fragment of an iron steel was found in one of the burials. Bone plates for a bow, iron arrowheads, two iron knives (a long combat one and a short household one) were found in another burial. A Hungarian grave sunk in a Scythian mound was studied near Glinoe village, Slobodzeya district, in 2022, in the kurgan group “Sever”. A fire flint, an iron arrowhead, an awl and a knife, as well as gold foil and a horse’s humerus were found in the grave. A burial containing the humerus of small cattle and an iron arrowhead was excavated in 2023 in the Early Bronze Age mound situated at the “Kulak” cemetery near the Korotnoe village. Grave from the Butory cemetery, one of the burials near the town of Slobodzeya, as well as graves in the “Sever” group and from the “Kulak” cemetery were radiocarbon dated. Burial dating: Analogies to grave goods, as well as seven radiocarbon dates obtained in the Poznan, Kiev and Debrecen laboratories, allow us to date graves to the second half of the 9th – the first half of the 10th century. Final remarks: These burials, together with the Hungarian graves previously discovered in the North-Western Black Sea region, are archaeological sites left by the Hungarians east of the Carpathians immediately before finding their homeland.

Environmental risks assessment of the Kogylnyk River nutrient pollution based on probit functions

The relevance of the study is associated with the need to determine the risks of high and catastrophic levels of water pollution of the Kogylnyk River. The water quality of this river affects the environmental condition of the northern part of Sasyk lake and reservoir. This artificial reservoir that was created as part of the estuary used to be one of components of the Danube-Dniester irrigation system in the past and can be used for irrigation in the post-war period in the future. As the North-Western Black Sea region is an agricultural region of Ukraine, the article focuses on the pollution of the river by specific nutrients (ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate). The subject of the study covers the environmental risks assessment of the Kogylnyk River present-day pollution. Hydrochemical observations of the State Water Resources Agency of Ukraine were used as input materials of the research. Such observations were carried out across the upper (below the border with the Republic of Moldova) and lower sections of the river. The number of samples taken in the upper section was 80, and 56 – in the lower section. Water quality was assessed using a modified water pollution index (WPI). The risks of nutrient pollution were evaluated based on a statistical approach using a probit function. It was found that the water quality in the upper section is worse than the one in the lower section. The research indicated a close correspondence between water quality indicators and environmental risk values. In the upper section, the risks of catastrophic pollution have a probability of their occurrence that is equal to 46.1%, and the risks of high pollution – 41.1%, with 87.2% constituting a total percentage. In the lower section, the probability of a high level pollution risk is equal to 33.3%, with no critical risk identified during the observation period. The trophic status of the water body along the river length varies from hypertrophic and polytrophic on the upper course to eutrophic and mesotrophic on the lower course. The decrease in pollution levels in the river's lower section is due to the processes of biological, physical and chemical self-purification of the aquatic ecosystem. Since nutrients have a predominantly anthropogenic origin, the water quality improvement of the Kogylnyk River across the territory of Ukraine is associated with the reduced flow of municipal and agricultural wastewater entering the river. Nutrient pollution requires implementation of additional measures such as improving the culture of farming taking place in the catchment area (for example, during conservation of fertilizers and their application).

Aelia — Wife of Teiranes and Queen of Bosporus

Our attention was drawn to the text on the pedestal of the trophy erected in memory of the victory won by King Teiranes. It mentions his wife Aelia. Our interest in this fact is by no means accidental. After all, the Bosporus sovereigns, as a rule, were in the shadow of their royal spouses. We assume that Aelia belonged to the noble Roxolani clan whose leaders received Roman citizenship from Hadrian and, accordingly, became Publii Aelii. There is every reason to believe that the alliance concluded by Teiranes with this group of nomads from the northwestern Black Sea region allowed him to win the victory immortalized in the studied inscription.

Ископаемые кости миоцен-голоценовых верблюдов Евразии (Россия): минералого-геохимические свойства и экологические реконструкции

Using a wide complex of mineralogical-geochemical and isotope-geochemical methods we studied, a unique series of samples of fossil camels’ bone remains taken from Eurasian localities from the northwestern Black Sea region to western Transbaikalia and Mongolia, dated in the chronological range from the Late Miocene (6 Ma) until the 14th century AD. The obtained results indicated the mineralogical and geochemical properties of fossil bones as very effective way of ecological and climatic reconstructions and interpretation of the evolutionary history of mammals.

Impact of climate change factor on the resource (providing) ecosystem services of the Lower Danube wetlands

Problem Statement. Wetlands perform many vital functions, in particular: accumulation and storage of surface waters; protection from storms and floods; strengthening the coastline and curbing water erosion; hydraulic connection with groundwater; surface water purification; nutrient content; deposit formation; pollutants retention; stabilization of local climatic conditions, especially the amount of precipitation and temperature of the near-surface layer of the atmosphere. They are the world's most productive ecosystems, focus of biodiversity, sources of water and primary productivity on which the existence of innumerable species of plants and animals depends. Wetlands support numerous species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. The ecological character of wetlands is the totality of their ecosystem components, processes and services at one time or another. Wetland ecosystem services are understood as the benefits that people receive from these. These are providing services (water and food); regulatory services (regulation of floods, droughts, land degradation, etc.); supporting services (soil formation, nutrient cycling, photosynthesis, biodiversity); cultural services (cultural and entertainment, spiritual, religious and other intangible benefits). In Ukraine, there are 2417 wetlands with a total area of about 255 million hectares. Among them are 50 wetlands of international importance with a total area of about 734 thousand hectares, a significant proportion of which falls on the territory of the North-Western Black Sea region coastal zone. The aim of this study is to determine the state, vulnerabilities and climate change impact on the ecosystem services of the «Chilia Branch» wetlands. Research Methodology. To determine the periods of drought, the study used the Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) from April to October 1980-2023. The SPEI index was calculated at a point located in the southern part of the Danube Biosphere Reserve. The assessment of the state of the vegetation cover was carried out on the basis of the analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) the period 2017-2023 at two sites (Ermakov Island and Limba Island). To analyze dynamics land cover in the wetland area, were used Sentinel-2 land use satellite imagery for the period 2017-2021. Results. Analysis of the SPEI index showed that during the study period there was a positive statistically significant linear trend towards an increase in dry conditions (0.26 / 10 years). In the period 1980-2023 during the growing season on the territory of the "Chilia Branch" wetland, there is a change in weather conditions towards arid, which poses a certain threat. At the same time, it should be noted that the unique hydrological complex of the Danube Delta has a mitigating effect of the atmospheric drought impact on the vegetation. Also, it should be noted that the threat to coastal wetlands is the anthropogenic transformation of coastal natural systems (urbanization processes, expansion of land for agricultural needs, pollution of soil and surface waters), which can lead to loss of habitats of living organisms and deterioration of ecosystem services.

Local Pottery in the Lower Bug Region at the Early Stages of Urbanization

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the development of pottery in the Lower Bug region and its role in urbanization processes on the basis of historiographical, archaeological and paleogeographical data at the 6th century BCE.
 Scientific novelty. For the first time the ceramic production are comprehensively considered into account the raw material base of the pottery of the ancient settlement on the example of Borysthenes. The relationship between social and natural factors in the development of pottery has been established. The role of this craft in the context of urbanization processes in the North-Western Black Sea region is determined. The early production of ceramics in Lower Bug is considered, covering different categories of sources. A method of studying the local pottery making in the ancient centres of the region is proposed.
 Methodology. The study was based on a comprehensive analysis of historiographical and archaeological data and paleogeographical methods. The field stage of the research included the survey of sites with unsoddy deposits of various geological periods as potential pottery raw materials. A stratigraphic dissection of deposits, their macromorphological description and samples were taken from each sites for further laboratory research. The laboratory research included a micromorphological analysis of ceramic products to compare its characteristics with potential raw materials, as well as a granulometric analysis of the selected samples to determine their physicochemical properties.
 Conclusions. Pottery as an independent type of craft was distinguished in Hellenic culture quite early and came to the centres of the Northern Black Sea region as an already formed occupation. Spatially, workshops were situated at the large cities, where the manufactured products not only satisfied local demand, but also served as goods for sale. As archaeological materials showed, the earliest evidence of local pottery production was discovered on Berezan island and date from the middle of the 6th century BCE. The active development of the settlement, i.e. the intensification of the urbanization of the space, belongs around the same period. Therefore, the development of crafts, in particular pottery, is a component of this multifaceted process.
 Paleopedological studies, micromorphological and granulometric analyzes of potential pottery raw materials with the micromorphological features of ceramics allow us to talk about local production. It was found that craftsmen could use local raw materials to create the moulding mass, which was obviously multi-component. The materials mainly of the first half of the 6th century BCE from site “T” of Berezan settlement confirmed the assumption about the predominance of grey ceramics (“greyware”) in the local pottery making at that time. Probably, the tradition of its production existed for a long time.

Early contact between late farming and pastoralist societies in southeastern Europe.

Archaeogenetic studies have described two main genetic turnover events in prehistoric western Eurasia: one associated with the spread of farming and a sedentary lifestyle starting around 7000-6000 BC (refs. 1-3) and a second with the expansion of pastoralist groups from the Eurasian steppes starting around 3300 BC (refs. 4,5). The period between these events saw new economies emerging on the basis of key innovations, including metallurgy, wheel and wagon and horse domestication6-9. However, what happened between the demise of the Copper Age settlements around 4250 BC and the expansion of pastoralists remains poorly understood. To address this question, we analysed genome-wide data from 135 ancient individuals from the contact zone between southeastern Europe and the northwestern Black Sea region spanning this critical time period. While we observe genetic continuity between Neolithic and Copper Age groups from major sites in the same region, from around 4500 BC on, groups from the northwestern Black Sea region carried varying amounts of mixed ancestries derived from Copper Age groups and those from the forest/steppe zones, indicating genetic and cultural contact over a period of around 1,000 years earlier than anticipated. We propose that the transfer of critical innovations between farmers and transitional foragers/herders from different ecogeographic zones during this early contact was integral to the formation, rise and expansion of pastoralist groups around 3300 BC.

Useful properties of natural systems within specific parts of the North-Western Black Sea Region's coastal zone

The paper characterizes the term 'ecosystem services' i.e. useful resources and benefits that present-day humanity can receive from nature (both tangible and intangible benefits from the abiogenic and biogenic components of various natural ecosystems). The purpose of the work is to assess the beneficial properties of natural systems of certain parts of the coastal zone of the North-Western Black Sea. There is a quite broad approach to the very concept of ‘ecosystem services’. However, the connection of ecosystem services with natural ecosystems only and their free of charge essence may be often disregarded. The term ‘ecosystem services’ is not appropriate, since natural ecosystems cannot provide any services considering that 'a service' means an act or a purposeful action. Nature exists and does not provide any services, while natural resources and conditions exist independently of human beings.
 The term ‘services’ cannot be used in relation to natural ecosystems, since ‘services’ mean some purposeful activity of a person resulting in occurrence of a beneficial effect that can satisfy any human needs. In the sphere of nature management a natural system serves as a main object of research. When it comes to optimizing the nature management, it is more correct to speak about use of a certain part of natural resources, i.e. about a natural resources potential, rather than about use of them in their entirety. A number of scientists believe that the value of nature is infinite, and, therefore, cannot have a monetary equivalent. However, at present days, the economic valuation of ecosystem services is extremely important to ensure efficient nature management and can form a basis for making informed management decisions. This approach is dominant though, because such monetization helps people in their understanding of importance of conserving the biogenic and abiogenic components of natural systems for the sake of their lives. Instead of the term ‘ecosystem services’ the author suggests using the concept of ‘useful properties of natural systems’, i.e. their providing, regulating and cultural services, as well as supporting properties. The useful properties of natural systems are limited by both hazardous natural processes and physical, chemical and biological pollution of anthropogenic origin. The research offers an assessment of useful properties of natural systems within specific parts of the North-Western Black Sea Region's coastal zone (in Odesa Oblast). These natural ecosystems can provide tangible benefits, however, the possibility of using their beneficial properties is negatively affected by a progressing technogenic impact on the components of the natural environment of urbanization processes, development of industries, energy, transport and agricultural sectors of our economy, and, starting from February 2022, by the military activities and combat operations.

Climate change impact on the freshwater balance of quasi-closed lagoons in the North-Western Black Sea coast

Abstract We studied the impact of regional climate changes that have occurred and are expected in the near future on the freshwater balance of quasi-closed lagoons in the North-Western Black Sea region. These lagoons do not have a permanent connection with the sea but are episodically connected to it by artificial channels, straits, or other hydraulic facilities. We used the value of the deficit in their annual freshwater balance as an indicator of vulnerability to climate change for each lagoon. The changes in the multi-year averages of climatic parameters in the North-Western Black Sea region, which determine the components of the water balance and its annual deficit in lagoons, were assessed by observations at hydrometeorological sites and outcomes of the EURO-CORDEX Project for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. We have found that regional climate changes are resulting in the increasing deficit of annual freshwater balance for all quasi-closed lagoons in the North-Western Black Sea region. Also, climate change can result in excessive shallowing, salinization, and even the complete disappearance of some lagoons due to the lack of or insufficient water exchange with the sea.

Salinity gradient power using in the Black Sea regions (in frame of the blue growth development)

Problem Statement. Today, humanity is in search of new sources of energy to make the economy more sustainable, as well as the need for a transition to energy that works on the principles of Carbon-Free Technology. For the Black Sea, this is expressed in the desire for successful implementation of the program Blue Growth Accelerator, which is aimed at the introduction of innovative technologies and alternative energy sources in the energy sector of the Black Sea countries, for the development of the "Blue Economy" and the achievement of its healthy, productive and sustainable state. Salinity gradient power (SGP) is one of the new renewable energy sources. The most studied methods for obtaining SGP energy are technologies based on: Reverse Electrodialysis and Pressure Retarded Osmosis. The interaction of fresh and salt water can provide, in fact, unlimited, free and clean energy. The basis for the generation of such energy is the so-called salinity gradient that occurs when two types of water are mixed. After decades of work and numerous experiments, scientists have developed a way to use the energy of the salinity gradient to generate electricity. This type of electricity is also called "Blue Energy" by association with the color of mixing freshwater and salt water when rivers flow into the ocean. Places (estuaries or deltas), where rivers flow into the oceans and seas, have a truly enormous energy potential. The aim of this study is to identify sites in the northwestern Black Sea region with the necessary conditions for the development of Salinity Gradient Power energy, as well as to assess their potential using the example of estimating the maximum theoretical power of the Pressure Retarded Osmosis process. Research Methodology. In a PRO system, the less concentrated solution flows towards the more concentrated solution due to the positive osmotic pressure difference as long as this difference remains greater than the hydrostatic pressure difference. It is by this principle that osmotic power is produced. Theoretically available amount of energy released when mixing 1 m3 of saturated brine (5 mol/l NaCl solution) and 1 m3 of sea water (0.5 mol/l NaCl) at 293 K is 10 MJ. In the northwestern Black Sea region, along the coast between the Danube and Dnieper rivers, there are 21 limans (lagoons) of which some can be used to generate of Salinity Gradient Power. Results. The results of calculating the maximum net power showed that highest values obtained in the summer months, when the salinity in limans reaches its maximum and, consequently, its difference with the salinity of sea (river) water increases. Proceeding from maximum net power, obtained for the Western Sivash, where the salinity is maintained artificially at certain values, it can be seen that the annual amplitude has a smaller value, which provides more stable conditions. There are objects in the northwestern Black Sea region, in the waters of which, as soon as technologies become available, it will be possible to implement SGP projects. The Kuialnyk Liman, Sasyk- Sivash lake and Western Sivash have the most favorable conditions, where the highest power indicators are shown when using the sea water – hypersaline solution scheme, in which freshwater is not consumed.

The Reduction of the Size of Wolves of the Same Age of the Northwestern Black Sea Region in the 21st Century

The Reduction of the Size of Wolves of the Same Age of the Northwestern Black Sea Region in the 21st Century

Toponymic approach to the geographical research of cultural heritage: The cases of three Moldavian places

Place names playing a significant role in the life of human communities throughout history have been formed in historical-geographical landscapes under the influence of various natural and cultural factors in specific linguistic and ethnic environments. Over the centuries of landscape and human evolution as well as by changes in human perception of space, contradictions and even conflicts between and on toponyms arose. This makes toponymic research permanently topical. The combined use of geographical, linguistic and historical methods increases the efficiency of toponymic research and makes the conclusions more meaningful and profound. It also encourages interdisciplinary integration and knowledge consolidation from different areas of science for the sake of getting closer to the truth. This article presents a toponymic approach to geographical research of the cultural heritage by means of a historical-cartographic analysis of places in the northwestern Black Sea region. The three cases represent different types of places: Kishinev [Chişinău], Bender and Rashkov [Raşcov].

Ottoman administrative and territorial system of Budjak and Ochakiv land

The Ottoman territorial-administrative system of the North-Western Black Sea Coast was formed during the 15th-18th centuries within the historical-geographic lands that are part of modern Moldova and Ukraine. In the territories that are exclusively under the power of the Ottoman state, the Ottoman centralized territorial-administrative management system is being gradually introduced, starting from the formation of the smallest administrative units to the formation of sanjaks and later to their development as part of the eyalet Silistra-Ochakiv. 1. Creation of primary administrative administration – formation of self-governing civil communities and their territorial division in Budjak and Ochakiv land. 2. Judicial-administrative management and fiscal-territorial division of the North-Western Black Sea Coast. 3. The formation of sanjaks in the North-Western Black Sea coast and the formation of the Silistra-Ochakiv eyalet. In addition to the above, structures of the Crimean Tatar administration over the hordes were established on the redeemed lands given to the Crimean Khan, and territories with a predominantly Christian population were also organized. According to archival data, the territory of the North-Western Black Sea Coast in its military-administrative system is divided into three consecutively created sanjaks: Akkerman, Bender and Ochakiv, which are a constituent part of the Silistra-Ochakiv eyalet. At the same time, at the early stage of their existence, the Akkerman and Silistre sanjaks were the basis for the creation of the said eyalet. Each sanjak contained several judicial-administrative districts – kaza. In particular, the Akkerman sanjak covered the main part of Bujak and theSouthwestern edge of the Ochakiv land. Akkerman sanjak included kazas Akkerman, Kiliya, Tatarbunar and Ismail-gechedi. The Bender sanjak covered the territories of the kaza of the same name and the Transnistrian possessions of the Ochakiv land. Ochakiv sanjak was located on most of the confluence of the Dniester and Bug rivers, with the exception of the Transnistrian region. The administration of the qadis was carried out over the united communities – nahiye and redeemed territories – mukataa. In general, the main part of the Ottoman possessions in the North-Western Black Sea region was subject to the centralized administration of the Ottoman vertical ofpower, where the permanent territorial-administrative system of the provincial division of the Ottoman state was applied. In addition, the region contained a collection of lands with different forms of administrative organization without a single defined management system, which was based on the traditional forms of organization of these communities and, as a rule, was subordinated to the administration of the Crimean Khanate.

Flowering variation of a young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) clonal seed orchard based on years

In this research, it was tried to determine the male and female flower yield in young clonal seed orchard (YCSO) with the expectation that the flowering variation would be decreased among years, clones and ramets thanks to aging. The measurements were made on five ramets for each of 30 clones in four years in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seed orchard. The orchard, originated from the Araç-Dereyayla seed stand in Kastamonu, was established in 1995 by using two years-old grafts in Kastamonu, located northwestern Black Sea region of Türkiye. The examined characters were number of male (NMF), and female flowers (NFF). When the four-year of data from the YCSO was evaluated, mean values from NMF and NFF among the clones were significant and variation of the ramets was high. The coefficient of variation (Cv) from the NMF of the clones gradually decreased with the subsequent years (Cv2006=147.54%, Cv2010=59.04%), whereas the Cv in the NFF did not show any decrease with the same years. In addition, there were significant differences among the years as to the NMF, and NFF. Over the four years, the NMF was significantly lower than that of the NFF, and even in some years the NFF was doubled compared with the NMF (NMF2006=65.9; NMF2007=314.29; NMF2008=427.85; NMF2010=115.73 & NFF2006=123.80; NFF2007=604.68; NFF2008=394.62; NFF2010=196.72). Abundant flowering periods seen in natural stands were also observed in the male and female flowers of the clonal seed orchards. For the studied seed orchard high variation both among the clones and the ramets indicates the high selection capacity in the breeding programs. The bigger variation among the ramets confirm that the genotypes have responded against the heterogeneity of growing area in seed orchard or the ramets have not reached the optimum flowering period. These results have shown the importance of the practices which increase the flowering yield and effectiveness of fertilization in YCSO.

«Sacrificial» cups in burials of Bronze Age and Early Iron Age

It was established that in exploring the spiritual culture of ancient societies, an important place is occupied by the study of funeral rites, in particular special funeral ceramics, its functions in funeral rituals, and its symbolic meaning. It was found that in the ceramic complexes of several cultures of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in Europe (Urnfield culture of the North Alpine and Middle Danube regions, Lusatian culture, culture of the Hallstatt period of the Northeast Alpine and Middle Danube regions, Villanova, Golasecca and Este in the Central and North Apennines, Bilozerska culture of the North-Western Black Sea region, Ulvivok-Rovantsi group) there was such a form of tableware as a cup (bowl, vase) on a leg. Cups on legs were discovered mainly in cemeteries, inhumation, and cremation burials. Taking into account the context in the burial objects and their unusual shape, they are interpreted as a special kind of funerary ceramics. It was observed that in many cases the bowls were placed in the burials of little girls or young women, less often – in the pair burials of an adult person and a child or a man and a woman. This feature was found in almost all the cultures mentioned in this work, which existed from the XII century BC till VII century BC, and therefore we can talk about stable religious traditions and social rules common to these cultures, which existed in a large area of Europe for about six centuries. It was established that the bowls in burials served as symbolic sacrificial gifts, connected possibly with the cult of «sacred fire». The sacral meaning of such a shape of a vessel as a cup on a leg is also traced in later times, for example, a chalice, which is the main attribute of the Eucharistic liturgical Christian service and a symbol of the Eucharist – an acceptance of the divine sacrifice. It is noted that protrusions on the rims of cups, which occur most often in the burials of women, may be related to astronomy. It is assumed that the cup from the Rovantsi cemetery, where the protrusions on the rims schematically, but quite accurately reflect the directions of the sunrise and sunset during the summer and winter solstices and the autumn equinox and the north-south direction, could serve as a primitive miniature observatory and be the subject of the paraphernalia of the solar cult. Key words: Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, funeral vessels, cup on the leg, sacrificial gift, Rovantsi cemetery.

Introduction of Ginkgo biloba L. in conditions of the North-Western Black sea region

Introduction of Ginkgo biloba L. in conditions of the North-Western Black sea region

NAMES OF AGRICULTURAL TOOLS IN THE DICTIONARY OF RUSSIAN DIALECTS OF ODESSA REGION

The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze the names of agricultural tools recorded in the Dictionary of Russian dialects of Odessa region (Odessa, 2000–2001, vol. 1–2). The object of study is the dialectal appellatives for agricultural tools. This material was collected during dialectological expeditions of specialists and students of the Faculty of Philology, Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University for several decades (1960s – 2020s). The subject of the study is the typology of the identified units according to functional and pragmatic features, as well as their etymological and word-formation analysis. The methods of functional, linguopragmatic, sociolinguistic, semantic, etymological, word-forming and quantitative analysis, as well as the descriptive method, are applied. The result of this research is the identification of five lexical-semantic subgroups of the LSG "Names of Agricultural Tools". Conclusions. A total of 278 names of this LSG are recorded in the Dictionary of Russian dialects of Odessa region, which are not found in the multi-volume Dictionary of Russian folk dialects. The largest is the subgroup of names of manual agricultural equipment, tools, and accessories for them (121 units, i.e. 43.5 %). This data indicates a very significant share of manual labor in agricultural production in the northwestern Black Sea region, and, at the same time, a variety of types activities aimed at growing, harvesting and processing crops. The second subgroup is the names of tools used with a horse or traction device (61 units, i.e. 22 %); the third – names of places for storing agricultural equipment, tools, devices and grown crops (42 units, i.e. 15.1 %), the fourth – names of agricultural machines and devices (40 units, i.e. 14.4 %); the smallest is the fifth subgroup – names of means of moving agricultural products (14 units, i.e. 5 %). The studied material testifies to the multi-vector development of polysemy in the group of words called tools of agricultural labor in the Russian dialects of Odessa region. Borrowings from the languages of the peoples who live or lived compactly together with Russians in the adjacent territory in the Odessa region (Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Moldovans, Gagauz, Germans [before 1944]) are also represented among the analyzed lexemes.

The sheltopusik (Pseudopus apodus) in southwestern Ukraine? Insights from the museum collection

We provide data on the historical record of Pseudopus apodus (Anguidae) from Odesa, Ukraine based on the specimen re-discovered in the museum collection of the National Science and Natural History Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv (NMNH) in 2021. The data show that the specimen belongs most likely to the nominotypical subspecies, P. a. apodus (Pallas, 1775). We discussed the possible origin of the record and we concluded that the specimen was introduced to Odesa most probably from its native range (Crimea or Caucasus). The uniqueness of the record and the past human-mediated interactions thus suggest an allochthonous origin rather than the historical sign of the relict population. Thus, our data clarify the situation on species distribution in the north-western Black Sea region from where we have still limited knowledge.

Zepteräxte der Bronzezeit in Osteuropa

In this article, the theme of the stone axes in the Borodino hoard is taken up again in view of a newly discovered polished axe, probably made of diorite. The axe was handed over to the National Museum of History of Republic Moldova in Chişinău in 2019. Other such polished axes are known from the Prut-Dniester area, which are published here in high-quality photographs. The aforementioned Borodino assemblage was found in 1912, not far from the present state border between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, contained metal objects and also semi-precious stone axes and mace heads. , Although mostly little is known about their find circumstances, these finds from the Prut-Dniester area nevertheless increase the number of comparisons for the axes of the Borodino type and also show that such axe forms were not unique in the Bronze Age of the northwestern Black Sea region. Many of the analogies for the Borodino type axes date to the late Middle Bronze Age and the Late Bronze Age (Post-Catacomb and Srubnaya cultures). The article discusses traditions in the production and use of such elaborate stone axes in Eastern Europe and contemplates the possibility that the finely worked axes and mace heads can be interpreted as having originally served as sceptres.