Author: denis

VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 146-154
Tripolye – Strategy and Results of an ongoing Ukrainian-European Project
Hofmann Robert¹, Shatilo Mila¹, Ohlrau René¹, Dal Corso Marta¹, Dreibrodt Stefan², Videiko Mikhailo³, Rassmann Knutº, Kirleis Wiebke¹, Müller Johannes¹
¹ Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, Kiel University
² Institute for Ecosystem Research, Kiel University;
³ Research Laboratory of Archaeology, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University
º Roman Germanic Commission, German Archaeological Institute

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-146-154
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-146-154

ABSTRACT

Tripolye is the label of a very long-lasting and geographically widespread cultural complex of the Eneolithic of South-East and Eastern Europe. A joint Ukrainian-German research project has covered many aspects of Tripolye settlement systems and environmental conditions since 2011 (funded by the German Research Foundation and the Ukrainian Academy of Science; project directors: Johannes Müller, Kiel University and Mihailo Videiko, currently Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University).

The aim of the article is to identify the main tasks, strategies and some results of an ongoing Ukrainian-European Project that is dealing with the Tripolye culture phenomenon. In order to investigate emergence and decline of giant-settlements with thousands of houses and very specific spatial layouts, the challenge need to be mastered to perform representative archaeological and scientific sampling with reasonable efforts. This is only possible through the combination of non-destructive survey techniques, targeted archaeological excavations and the application of modern scientific methods. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the social, ecological, demographic and economic dimensions of such settlements and underlying transformations of human societies also in their regional variability, the consideration of different spatial investigation levels is required. In the first phases of the project, high-resolution magnetic surveys were applied to different large Tripolye settlements and exemplary investigations were carried out at the local scale of the Maidanetske settlement. At the current stage of the project, the studies focus more on the meso-and macro-regional level.

Currently, increased effort is made to understand the societal dynamics behind the emergence and the decline of singular Eneolithic mega-sites of the late 5th and the 4th millennium BCE which were situated in the Ukrainian forest steppe zone.

Key words: Tripolye, Eneolithic, mega-sites, research-strategy, magnetic survey, spatial scales

Language: English

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VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 135-145
Life on the Eastern frontiers of Old Europe
Videiko Mykhailo¹, Burdo Nataliia²
¹ Kyiv Borys Grinchenko University
² Institute of Archaeology of the NASU

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-135-145
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-135-145

ABSTRACT

The concept of Old Europe defines its boundaries with the proliferation of ancient farming cultures. Its eastern boundary is designated by the districts of Trypillia Сulture, the Eastern part of Cucuteni-Trypillia Cultural Unity, which reached Dnipro valley at the second half of the Vth Millenium BC. At this time, we see several local types of Trypillya Culture, each with some differences at material culture (mainly at pottery stylistics), some different features in the economy. Subsequently, this added to the difference in the public organization. These groups were completely autonomous, while there is a tendency for their active interaction, perhaps the subordination of the less powerful groups by stronger.

There were two groups of Trypillia BI-II stage farmers who came near to Dnipro after 4300-4200 BC; the first one – to Krasna river valley, the second – to lower Ros river basin. At this moment both groups practiced farming and held livestock, used large settlements as centers of social formations. At the same time, new settlers adopted some pottery traditions from Stog Culture. Probably it means that local communities included some part of Stog population.

Marked by complicated pottery assemblages ‘multiculturality” at Dnipro region developed around 600-800 years and led to more cultural differentiation inside the area to North from Ros River. At the same time groups with painted pottery, located to South from this area remained homogeneous.

For nearly a millennium (from 4300 to 3400-3200 BC), we can observe the few different strategies of life at the Trypillia Culture Eastern frontiers. From one side here we have some large groups, resistant to external influences, and small groups of population, aimed at the formation of multicultural communities. At the same time, trade was always an important connecting factor at all times.

Key words: Old Europe, Dnipro region, Eastern frontier, Trypillia Culture, multiculturality

Language: English

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VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 126-134
Geographic determinism and Trypillia contact networks, c. 3600 – 3400 BC
Diachenko Aleksandr
Institute of Archaeology of the NASU

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-126-134
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-126-134

ABSTRACT

Geographic determinism causes the unequal informative potential of archaeological records. Preservation of artefacts made of different raw materials, especially organics, varies from region to region and from one period to the other. Unlike wetland sites with their assemblages of archaeological data, ecofacts, detailed absolute chronologies, settlements belonging to numerous cultural units of prehistoric Europe are characterized by significant gaps in representation of the remote past in material remains preserved till nowadays. This requires the search for analytical tools filling such gaps. Geographic determinism, obviously, influenced not only the preservation of archaeological data, but also human behavior in prehistory causing the choices for settlement locations, subsistence strategies and framing the trans-regional interactions in the remote past. The related set of issues may be approached by the application of network analysis, which is widely applied in mathematics, physics, computer sciences, theoretical ecology, sociology, epidemiology and other fields of science.

This paper deals with the Trypillya sites in Western Volhyn, c. 3600 – 3400 BCE aiming to answer the question of the influence of geographic determinism on the formation of long-distance interactions. Simulation of networks, which correlates with the available empirical evidence, has shown the openness to innovations provided by the structure of Trypillya networks that shared the modified innovations in pottery styles from the entire region further to the east. The frontier between the Funnel Beaker culture and Trypillya complex, despite its peripheral location, therefore, may be viewed as the ‘cultural incubator’. High intensity of interactions caused the hybridization of Trypillya traditions during a period of c. 100 years, while this ‘cultural epidemics’ is, probably, to a great extent caused by influences from the neighboring cultural units.

Key words: network analysis, contact networks, ‘cultural epidemics’, Trypillya, Funnel Beaker culture, Western Volhyn

Language: English

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VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 118-125
Ornamentation systems of Trypillia culture B I period tableware in the Middle Dniester area
Zhelaha Dmytro
Institute of Archaeology of the NASU

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-118-125
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-118-125

ABSTRACT

The article deals with ornamental systems of Trypillian culture sites at the Middle Dniester area, basic concepts of sites periodization at the BI period of this territory. The article describes the existence of three different ornamentation systems that are widespread on these sites. These differences are cultural and chronological markers, which will help us for the further investigations, connected with relative chronology. These markers also helps to understand existence of various cultural tendencies and impulses at these sites.

At the BI period in the Middle Dniester area appear ornamentation systems, which interact and displace the previous ones. The most widespread systems for BI period are Cucuteni and Borysivka (typical also for so-called “Borysivka” group) ornamentation systems. At some sites (such as Ozaryntsi, Mykhalkove, etc.) also still existed at the BI period features of the Precucuteni ornamentation system, which traditionally connected with period A. The base of development these ceramic complexes are the late Precucuteni sites of A and BI periods (Luka-Vrublivetska, Bernovo-Luka, etc.).

Periphery of the Precucuteni sites became an area of formation another different Borysivka ornamentation system that shows impulse from the painted pottery sites. A synthesis of these different traditions is reflected in imitation of painting at the deep ornamented pottery. The Borysivka system also started to fade away among the ceramic complexes. At the final stage of BI period at Middle Dniester area started to prevail the Cucuteni ornamentation system with painted pottery.

Distinguishing the differences between ornamentation systems allow grouping the ceramic complexes according to stylistic features and fixing the main cultural tendencies of the BI period sites development. Based on this differences further investigations will let the scientists make more detailed analysis that will give us more complete picture of Trypillian culture development.

Key words: Eneolithic, Trypillya culture, Middle Dniester area, period B I, ornamentation system

Language: English

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VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 105-117
Mining and distribution of flint by the tribes of Cucuteni-Trypillian community
Pichkur Yevhen
Institute of Archaeology of the NASU

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-105-117
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-105-117

ABSTRACT

Having quite a massive and diverse source of raw materials tribes of Cucuteni-Trypillian community begin its active exploitation and utilization already from the early stages of their existence and continue throughout all their following history. Flint industry of Cucuteni-Trypillian community centers around two main scenarios: extraction – processing – distribution and/or extraction – distribution – processing of flint materials.

There were a few completely different ways of flint extraction. First one (opened) was the simplest, did not require special skills and hard labor, being a simple collection of stones directly on the surface of the ground or in basseting areas (such as screes). Second one (closed) was the most complicated, requiring special tools, skills, hard labor and correspondingly more complicated organization of the community. This way implies flint extraction deep in its deposits that are often invisible from the surface crust. But it proved its value: flint miners obtained excellent high-quality materials for further processing, providing mineral wealth not only for their own communities, but also for close and remote related as well as non-Trypillian communities.

We distinguished ‘close’ and ‘remote’ radiuses of obtained flint materials distribution. First term describes self-sustainment of separate communities with raw materials and products of its` processing that were necessary for functioning of these collectives. Second term refers to directed massive production (extraction, processing) not only for internal needs, but mainly for exportation of obtained raw materials or finished wares, made of these materials.

Also a question was raised regarding massive supply of regions that had no qualitative mineral wealth (Bug and Dnipro regions, Bug–Dnieper interfluve area) with flint from the proximate microregion in the Velyka Vys’ basin in contradiction to widespread belief about a more remote ‘donator’ – Volhyn’ territory. Presence in Cucuteni-Trypillian community of flint-mining shafts, functioning of which required special skills and hard labor, specialized flint-processing workshops, transportation of raw materials and products of cleavage to remote territories became a basis for defining in this community a collective occupation, associated with flint mining and processing. Consequently, questions connected with this occupation, taking into account its` versatility, complexity and scale should be among the basic ones in the complex study of trypillian economics.

Key words: Chalcolithic, Cucuteni-Trypillian community, flint, mineral wealth, extraction, distribution and processing of flint

Language: English

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VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 92-104
Changing techniques of flint knapping in Chalcolithic times as an indicator of changes in the economy
Radomskyi Ivan
Institute of Archaeology of the NASU

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-92-104
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-92-104

ABSTRACT

It is known that at the end of the Neolithic and early Chalcolithic in population of some cultures in the southeast Europe starts using large flint blades instead of microblades, along with the usage of triangular bifacial arrowheads and spears instead of inserts as geometric microliths. The microlithic technology of Neo-Chalcolithic cultures is undergoing the final stage in the development of microlithic morphology. This was reflected in the unification of the types of microinventory, in the increase of the width of the blades, in the improvement of the technique of knapping and flat retouching. All this, gave impetus to the decline of microlithic technology.

In our view, the end of microlithic technology was associated not only with farming, but with a change in the entire economical system, where hunting is replaced by another type of economic activity. We consider this process on the example of a cultural community of Cucuteni-Trypillia. The change in the technological direction of the production of blades of the early and middle Trypillia was the consequence of a change in the entire system of farming – the development of agriculture, the decline of hunting and obviously an increase in the role of livestock. All these processes were interconnected. The change in managing the economy began to manifest itself at the end of the early Trypillia (stage A/III-Precucuteni III). And although the production of microliths required smaller proportions of semi-finished products, but the width of the blade-blanks began to increase. At the next stage (BI), due to various reasons (mainly due to the tension in the environment not only of Cucuteni-Trypillia communities, but also among the Balkan cultures in general), the process of transition from one technique to another accelerated and became barely noticeable (at least in the area of the Dniester River).

Key words: microlith, biface, Precucuteni, Cucuteni-Trypillia, flint knapping, Chalcolithic, Copper Age

Language: English

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VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 61-91
Lithic Assemblages of Early Agricultural Communities in Middle Dniester: comparative study
Shydlovskyi Pavlo
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-61-91
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-61-91

ABSTRACT

Flint products are the most massive material on the sites of early-agricultural groups and demonstrate the traditional component, which is less responsive to external influences, as opposed to other categories of material culture. Tools are directly related to the provision of food production and therefore in the most vivid form demonstrate the cultural adaptation of the group to the requirements of the type of farming. In order to determine the degree of affinity between the two early-agricultural communities of Middle Dniester which are traditionally considered evolutionarily related, a comparative analysis of technical and typological features of the two lithic assemblages was conducted: Yosypivka I (LBK) and Bernashivka I (Precucuteni-Trypillia A). Both collections are quite representative and come from residential areas of settlements. Despite some similarity in their typological and statistical indexes, a detailed analysis reveals a significant difference between technological features, the nature of raw materials provision and microlithic set. Significant difference in technology between two settlements is a consequence of different economic orientation, different level of interaction of groups and different sources of both industries. In general, the lithic assemblage of Trypillia A does not reveal an evolutionary affinity with the assemblages of LBK, Boian and the classic Criş of Balkans. Largely, early Tripillian materials are closer to those of the late BDK and Criş of Moldova, which manifests in the use of local deposits of raw materials, using a regular blade as a blank for insets. However, the use of microburin technology for making microliths is a striking feature of Bernashivka, which distinguishes this settlement from among other early-agricultural sites. It is possible that such character of the Trypillian A industry indicates a certain isolation of groups in the conditions of migration. Features in flint processing may be explained by the fact that migrants often form a narrow group, which is not a carrier of a full set of characteristics of the “mother” culture.

Key words: Neolithic, Linear-band ceramic culture, Precucuteni-Trypillia A, lithic assemblage, tools, microliths

Language: English

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Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 48-60
The Formation of Wetland Identities in the Neolithic Balkans
Naumov Goce
Centre for Prehistoric Research, Republic of Macedonia

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-48-60
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-48-60

ABSTRACT

The so-called ‘Neolithic Package’ in the Balkans did not introduce only economic advantages and novelties, but also had a significant social impact onto the communities that inhabited this region. The interaction between indigenous population and migrants in the Early Neolithic initiated new notion of identity established on trade, exchange, labor, ideology and on the production of material culture. Consequently, the first farming communities were socially modified and many new were created as the agriculture, domestication, clay objects, human representations and intramural burials progressed in various areas of the Balkans. Thus the identity was subsequently incorporated in various aspects of Neolithic life, and in the archaeologically was mainly observed through material culture i.e. architecture, decorated pottery, house models, stamps and human representations in particular. However, beside these distinct signposts of identity, there were not many studies focused on landscape and spatial patterns as other means of identification between societies and environment. Nevertheless, the recent research indicates that there was preference of particular geographical setting that contributed in the formation of identities that were simultaneously transmitted onto the settlement features and material culture.

It is evident that particular Early Neolithic societies dispersed in different wetland regions of the Balkans were establishing tells, built houses with specific structures, produced pottery with distinct patterns and modeled anthropomorphic and house representations. Such societies apparently maintained economic networks with other communities and especially were intensified with those inhabiting wetlands and lakesides. They deliberately accented its discrete identity throughout painted vessels, house models, stamps and figurines and some of them bear evident reminiscences of Neolithic visual culture from the wetland communities in Anatolia. Therefore, this paper will mainly consider the formation of wetland identities in the Neolithic Balkans and will discuss its complex character within the networking that regarded merely particular spheres of the societies. These wetland communities interacted in the domain of economy and exchange of goods, but the major social and symbolic distinctiveness was reflected onto architecture and material culture. In this context the painted pottery, house models, figurines and stamps from the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania will be mainly concerned as it gives a broad overview of units and clusters of societies, which shared similar identities sometimes associated with those established in Turkey and Anatolia in particular.

Key words: Neolithic, tell, wetland archaeology, Neolithization, Balkans

Language: English

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VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 43-47
A sign of mobility and cultural exchange? The ceramics with scribble line ornamentation from Lysa Hora cemetery
Martha Andriiovvych
Universitat Bern, Institut fur Archaolgische Wissenschaften

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-43-47
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-43-47

ABSTRACT

From four types of the Neolithic ceramics that were determined for the Dnieper-Donetsk culture region, only the fourth type after D.Y. Telegin typology has been found in the Lysa Gora cemetery. This type is represented by biconical vessels with the flat bottom and straight «collar» rim. Inside of this type, we are able to identify subtypes by their size, type and ornament disposition on the body of a vessel.

The vessels with the flat bottom, straight vertical walls and cut to the middle rim are most common. In the second period biconical vessels with the big flat “collar”rim became more popular. The plot of the composition and ornaments that decorated the body of the vessel in the first and second period also was changed. The ornament in the first period is the imprints of the comb punches forming the horizontal rows, the fir-tree, the zigzag, the ribbons, limited by the scratched lines, the comb marks. The ornament in the first period is the imprints of the comb punches forming the horizontal rows, the fir-tree, the zigzag, the ribbons, limited by the scratched lines, the comb marks. In the second period – the ornament of the triangular stroked decoration and the shaded horizontal lines, which form plots: geometric compositions, fir trees, nets, extends. A linear ornament consists of cut, screwed or flattened lines. Often, it is a straight line, in some cases there are curvilinear compositions, sometimes wavy ornament. In different periods of culture, there are certain differences in the motifs of patterns, the ways of their placement, the degree of coverage of the ornament of the surface of vessels. In the first period of culture, the pattern on vessels did not adhere to a clear horizontal zonation. Pots of the second period are ornamented from the rim to bottom. Sometimes the pattern enters the inside of the neck and rim of the vessel, as well as the bottom. The style of geometric rectilinear ornament prevails, which most often includes horizontal rows and stripes. Rows consist of impressions of the comb, the triangular short stroked decoration. Impressions of the comb, the triangular short stroked decoration in individual rows have a slope to the right or to the left, resulting in a pattern having a kind of fir tree.Less often, the ornamental field consisted of several horizontal stripes, separated by the triangular stroked decoration of the necks or flattened lines. The entire strip is covered with lines from the stroked decoration or impressions of the comb. Sometimes the entire strip filled with “broken” rows, which in general creates a motive of short vertical columns. However, curvilinear pattern of ornament did not common for this period. The feature of ceramics is its ornamented bottom. Patterns consist of concentric circles, elongated-oval circles, radial lines. At the end of the second – at the beginning of the third period of the Dnieper-Donetsk culture region a tendency is to create a pattern with a predominance of vertical or oblique columns and stripes, more often there is a pattern of ornament in the form of individual figures (triangles, lozenges, which sparsely cover the surface of the vessel).

The development and change of the disposition of ornament on ceramics is one of the keys to understand socio-cultural connections on the territory of the Dnieper-Donetsk cultural region.

Key words: Neolithic cemetery, pottery, Middle Dnieper, migration process, cultural exchange

Language: English

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VITA ANTIQUA,     ISSN 2522-9419 (Online), 2519-4542 (Print)
Center for Paleoethnological Research

VITA ANTIQUA 10, 2018, Prehistoric Networks in Southern and Eastern Europe, 38-42
An overview of the osteological mammal material from the archaeological sites of the Surska culture in the context of its tribes’ adaptation to the environment
Veiber Alina
National Museum of Natural history at the NASU

DOI:10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-38-42
https://doi.org/10.37098/2519-4542-2018-1-10-38-42

ABSTRACT

The concentration of archaeological sites in the Middle Dnieper area indicates that that region used to be attractive for settlement at different times. In particular, favorable conditions of the Dnieper River with its tributaries and forests in the coastal part, contributed to development of settlements of communities, where seizure played the leading role in the economy.

The paper considers the osteologic mammal material belonging to the Sursk Culture, which existed from the beginning of V - IV to III millennium BC. It occupied territories of the Dnieper Rapids, the modern territories of Dnieper and Zaporizhzha regions. The osteological mammal material was selected and described on sites of Vovnigi (1929-1931), Sursk Islands (1946) and Shulayev Island (1931). These sites were located in the territory of modern Dnieper and Zaporizhzha regions. They represent the seasonal settlements of the prehistoric population. Today, chronological limits of the Sursk Culture have been clarified and supplemented, so the middle stage of the Culture development accounts for 6150 – 5650 BC and the later stage for 5650 – 5200 BC.

The species composition in all sites represented of mostly wild animals, which lives in the wooden territory around the Dnieper banks. The selection contains a large number of fish, bird and fresh-water turtle bones. They were an auxiliary element of hunting. Large hoofed animals were essential to survival of communities, namely bison or bos primigenius, deer, horse, and roe deer, which inhabited the coastal forest areas. Location of settlements on the island territories allowed communities to use in full the natural resources. Hunting was the basis of survival of the Surska communities. The role of bone as a material for making tools significantly increased in that period. This may be explained by remoteness of silicon deposits and availability of bone material. Revised materials from selected sites clearly show how the economic strategy of communities of the Surska Culture form a model of adaptation to the natural environment.

Key words: archaeozoology, Neolithic, bone tools, Surska culture, mammal assemblage

Language: English

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