The article presents a ceramic scale of cooking pots from Pereyaslavl Ryazansky of the 12th-18th centuries. The chronology of the pottery is based on the statistical and typological analysis of 17,140 rim fragments from the Zhitny excavation site in the Kremlin. To generalize it the researchers studied a sample of 149 whole forms, full profiles and the most representative large fragments of vessels obtained from excavations throughout the town (the Kremlin, Ostrog (stockade town), the upper and lower posads (quarters) and those stored in the Ryazan Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve. This analysis made it possible to significantly expand and clarify the existing typology of cooking pots from Pereyaslavl Ryazansky. In order to simplify the identification of the established types, they were linked to Koval and Strikalov's ceramic scales by the shape of the rim.
The article discusses coin finds made during archaeological excavations conducted by the Institute of Archaeology RAS in 2019-2021 on the territory of the Grand Public Garden of the Moscow Kremlin. The main research object of the excavations were the foundations of the Old and New Prikazy (administrative bodies) buildings from the second half of the 16th-17th century and a cultural layer rich in finds deposited next to them. A total of 193 Russian coins and a fragment of a West European counting token were found. Only four of them date back to the 15th century, while all the rest were issued between the 2nd third of the 16th century to the 1620s in various minting centres of the Russian state (Moscow, Tver, Veliky Novgorod, and Pskov). The composition of the real money supply circulating in the centre of the capital during this period is of particular interest. The published collection provides valuable data on the history of Moscow monetary circulation during the Tsarist period, especially the 17th century, including the era of the monetary reform of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1655-1663).
Modern archaeogenetics studies extensive datasets of materials as well as individual people. Individual studies typically aim to identify a specific historical person. Of special interest is the study of individuals lacking historical records, while the archaeological context of their burials suggests their high social status. The complex study of such a burial is the goal of this article. The archaeological study of the Pereslavl-Zalessky Cathedral and surrounding area (headed by Vl.V. Sedov) was conducted in 2020. The white-stone sarcophagus and a burial in it were uncovered in the northern part of the Cathedral. The burial in sarcophagus No. 5 belongs to an individual of high status. This is evident both from its location within the cathedral and from the very fact that a white-stone sarcophagus was constructed for this person. Sarcophagus No. 5 can be dated to the 14th-15th centuries AD, i.e. before the emergence of true anthropomorphic sarcophagi which have rounded or rectangular shoulders on the outside. The skeletal remains, which are well preserved but incomplete, belong to a man aged about 50 with signs of age-related changes. The results of genomic analysis showed a mixed origin of the individual. This may be the result of marriages between persons of genetically different population, which is typical for medieval elites. The most likely origin of his ancestors, based on the results of the analysis of autosomal markers and mtDNA, may be associated with the Alanic groups and the medieval population of the western Balkan Peninsula. The probable close family marriages of his parents that were identified during the study are common for the aristocracy.
The article presents the results of a study on the collection of plant seeds obtained during rescue archaeological excavations at the Malmyzh 5 site located in the Lower Amur River. The 2021 study covered the remains of 22 pit dwellings of a long-term occupied settlement of the Iron Age Poltse cultural tradition, dated by C-14 to the first half of the 1st millennium AD. Using the water flotation technique, almost 250 liters of soil from deposits of nine objects (eight dwellings and a rubbish pit) was investigated producing 27 samples. A total of 1242 seeds were obtained in 25 samples. Of these, 702 seeds (56.5% of the collection) belonged to cultural plants. Among them two species of millet were identified: 547 pcs. belonged to foxtail millet and 155 pcs. - to broomcorn millet. Gathering plants were represented by 410 specimens belonging to 11 taxa, corresponding to 33.0% of the collection. The weedy plants were represented by 83 seeds from 14 taxa. Remains of cultural millet were found in all eight dwellings studied with flotation and in the rubbish pit. The seeds of foxtail millet are numerically predominant among cultigenens. The quantity, ubiquity, and frequency of millet remains demonstrate the importance of both millet species for the settlement population. At the same time, the low density of millet seeds in settlement deposits, together with the reconstructed size of the settlement and the long period of its existence, as well as relatively small area of land potentially suitable for farming, led to the conclusion that agricultural products were not the main component of the population's diet. The location of the settlement, numerous finds of fish bones and specialized fishing tools clearly demonstrate the significant role of river fishing for the dwellers of Malmyzh 5.
The paper focuses on the study of a unique archaeological complex of cremation sites (ustrina) found in the southern suburb of Tauric Chersonesus in 2021-23. During the excavations, 342 sites of 1st-2nd centuries AD were identified. An analysis of their design, stratigraphy and location features allowed establishing spatial patterns and possible cult practices associated with the cremation ceremony. Special attention is paid to the technical aspects of the construction and operation of ustrina, including the availability of blowouts, as well as the reuse of individual sites. The article examines the material evidence of the funeral ritual, including ceramic vessels, jewellery, and elements of the funeral costume. The archaeological material from Chersonesus is compared with similar sites in other provinces of the Roman Empire, which makes it possible to identify both common Roman traditions in the organization of necropolises and regional peculiarities. These studies confirm the existence of a cremation tradition in Chersonesus, which developed under the influence of Roman funeral practices. The results obtained are important for reconstructing the social and ritual context of cremation rites in ancient Chersonesus and clarify the understanding of the funerary traditions of the Roman era. Further study of the necropolis and its infrastructure will allow for a deeper understanding of the dynamics of cultural influences and the evolution of ritual practices on the periphery of the Roman Empire.
During archaeological works in Sophijskaya side of Veliky Novgorod in 2014, a coin and artefact hoard named "Vozdvizhensky" was discovered. The article presents the circumstances of its discovery, information about its composition, dating and stratigraphy. The hoard comprises approximately 1900 items weighing about 2.5 kg. These include 83 various items of jewellery and more than 1800 silver coins (whole and fragmented ones). The coin part of the assemblage contains various coins, the bulk being Kufic dirhams produced mainly at the mints of the Middle East and Central Asia. The artefact part of the hoard is represented by crystal and glass beads, a bronze gilded pendant and 72 silver jewellery items (a signet ring, a finger-ring, 16 identical spherical buttons with large eyelets). The remaining items are parts of necklaces: a "Scandinavian type" cross, ornamented lunulas, pendants and 40 beads of various shapes. The Vozdvizhensky hoard is preliminarily dated to the second half of the 970s.
The article discusses the early forms of ceramic production in China, the precursors to Chinese porcelain, a transitional stage to the formation of porcelain manufacturing practice. The paper summarizes the results of previous research and outlines the problem of terminology in the study of early forms of Chinese ceramics. The study discusses the key issues of the origin of proto-porcelain. Special attention is paid to the issue of the relationship between proto-porcelain and stamped hard ceramics. Based on SEM-EDS and EPMA-WDS results of the chemical compositions of the proto-porcelain and stamped pottery bodies and glazes, the study identifies their similarities and differences. In addition, the author considers the question of the origin of glaze on the surface of Chinese proto-porcelain. A comparative analysis of the glaze composition indicates a significant difference between glaze of proto-porcelain body and the internal glassy surfaces of the kiln, which suggests that their formation is associated with different processes and different ceramic materials. In the case of proto-porcelain glazes, there is a intended development and mastering of early glazing technology.
The paper examines 40 silver beads from the Vozdvizhensky hoard of the late 10th century AD from Veliky Novgorod. Cultural and chronological analysis made it possible to determine where various types of beads originate from: smooth, ribbed ones, those with granulated triangles and rhombuses, with hemispheres, with complete granulation, with volutes, openwork, and bladed ones. Moreover, the time of their existence was established. XRT and neutron tomography were used to study the design features of the ornamented beads: manufacturing methods and soldering points. The types of wires used in the decor were also clarified. The composition of the metal was determined using the energy-dispersive microanalysis method. The ornaments under study, created after international fashion of the second half of the 10th-first half of the 11th century AD, were affordable to the elites of early medieval states and demonstrated the status of their owners.
The article is focused on a comprehensive study of osteological materials (archaeozoological remains and an isolated skull) from excavations on the territory of the Gnyozdovo settlement. Based on the analysis of stratigraphy and applying a set of natural science methods (archaeobotanical and bioarchaeological), the authors discuss how an isolated male skull lacking the lower jaw could end up in a midden. The peculiarities of the skull preservation suggest that it is a piece of the remains of an individual who was not given a funerary ceremony. The structure and composition of the skull filling indicate that the cranial roof had been filled with soil before it ended up in a pit on the territory of the settlement. The features of the healed cranial injury give reason to believe that the individual was a participant in military actions. The study reconstructs and discusses features of the appearance, lifestyle, nutrition, mobility, health and possible causes of death of this individual (a man over 40 years old). According to the calibrated radiocarbon date, he lived in the 7th-8th centuries AD, i.e. before the emergence of the early urban centre of Gnyozdovo.
The article considers frequent and individual finds collected during the 2024 field season at the Tell Wajef settlement located in Maysan Governorate of Southern Iraq, on the border with Iran. The obtained collection makes it possible to form a preliminary idea of the material culture of the settlement during the late Neolithic and recorded historical period. Due to the proximity of the site to the Zagros Mountains, with the absolute quantitative dominance of Southern Mesopotamian pottery of the Ubaid 2 period, numerous imports from the Deh Luran Plain were also found there mainly dated to the Mehmeh period. The appearance of the material culture suggests a certain syncretism of the settlement's culture, which distinguishes it to some extent from the synchronous settlements of the alluvial plain of Southern Mesopotamia.
The paper considers a set of horseman's belt decorations - non-ferrous metal items after a fire impact, with characteristic decor. A comprehensive study that involved an analysis of the decor, morphology of objects, and manufacturing technology including the composition of the metal made it possible to assume the presence of two sets (one could have been a belt). The analogies come mainly from the Minusinsk Basin of the Sayan-Altai. The homogeneity of the decor in the main groups of the assemblage and the single geochemical base of the metal evidence that items were manufactured in a production centre ( possibly in different workshops) with a single stable source of metal and a high level of casting craftsmanship. The low quality of the decor (taking into account the preservation) is the result of using replicas as matrices. The latter indicates the inaccessibility of the originals in the production centre. The general appearance of the assemblage, the decor, analogies and technological features give reason to attribute it to the end of the 10th-11th century AD.
The article presents the results of a multidisciplinary study of the Kurilovka 2 settlement (Sudzha District, Kursk Region), which made it possible to identify several stages in the development of the territory in the Upper Psel basin, in the north of the East European forest-steppe zone. During the last 2.5 thousand years, a broad-leaved forest was growing on the remnant of a low terrace above the floodplain, at the site area. In the early 1st millennium AD, it was probably cleared by the early Slavic population in a cycle of slash-and-burn agriculture. In addition to cultivating crops, in particular millet, the population conducted residential and economic construction and possibly practiced grazing in the studied area, however, the influence of the bearers of early Slavic traditions on the environment outside the habitation zone was insignificant. In the late 1st millennium AD, the settlement became uninhabited and the forest was restored. It was cleared again presumably in the 13th century AD. The next period of active development of the Upper Psel region covers the second half of the 17th-20th century, when the forest was totally cleared and the land plowed at a large scale. This led to the transformation of natural landscapes into agricultural ones and to noticeable changes in the ecosystems of the region.
During excavations at the Knyazhya Gora fortified settlement in the south-eastern Ilmen region in 1976, two objects were found within an assemblage dating back to late 1st millennium AD: a single-spiral temple ring and an item resembling a horseshoe-shaped fibula, but with a flat arc and spiral ends curled outward in the same plane. Both objects fall outside the general cultural and archaeological background of the region. They are separated from the main area of concentration of morphologically similar artifacts by hundreds of kilometers; moreover, several centuries separate the found objects from the time of their common occurrence. The available field records made it possible to clarify the archaeological context and dating of the finds. An analysis of analogies allows the author to assume that the emergence of individual single-spiral temple rings in the early Rus centres of the Ilmen, Upper Volga and Upper Dnieper regions is associated with the destruction of settlement structures in the Oka and Don interfluve at the end of the 1st millennium AD. The iron fibula-shaped object is supposed to be an element of a northern European ring-shaped pin.
The Zamil-Koba I site in the Southwestern Crimea was found and excavated by D.A. Krainov in 1935-1937. Two layers of the Stone Age were traced. The top layer belongs to the Murzak-Koba culture and dates back to the first half of the Boreal period. It produced three red deer incisors with grooves on the dental neck. The lower layer belongs to the Shan-Koba culture and dates back to the first half of the Allerod. Two pendants made of animal teeth were found in this layer. The first pendant is made of a red deer canine, with a hole drilled at the end of the root. Several geometrized images are engraved on the root of the tooth, traces of red paint are visible. Intensive wear indicates prolonged use of this pendant. The second pendant is made of the upper left fang of a female cave lion. The surface shows signs of processing and signs of wear typical for pendants. The end of the root and the end of the enamel are broken off along the grooves. After the root was broken, it was not disposed of, but was probably used as an amulet. Analogies to this artefact are unknown to the authors, although pendants made of predator fangs were widespread in the Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic of Eastern Europe.
The article focuses on the reconstruction of the migration from Central Europe and the Carpathi-an-Danube region to the steppe in the period of 2200 cal BC. As a result of the movement of these groups to Eastern Europe, where they came into contact with local late Catacomb cultures, the Babino cultural circle was formed, which included the Volga-Don, the Dnieper-Don and the Dnieper-Prut Babino cultures. This migration is evidenced by a number of innovations of European origin in the ritual and artefact complex of post-Catacomb cultural formations in the steppe and forest-steppe zones from the Danube to the Trans-Volga region. Their emergence was explosive in nature and occurred within a short period. The migration in question occurred during a sharp climate aridization, which led to an increase in sedimentation and a decrease in winter temperatures in the mountain and foothill zones of the Alps and Carpathians. This resulted in a shortage of winter pastures in these areas, which caused part of the European population to leave for the Eastern European steppe where the conditions for winter grazing were more favorable.
The study of a new archaeological site - the Rechitsa 1 burial ground - has made it possible to approach the issue related to the interpretation of stone mounds in Primorye. More than 1,000 burials structured as stone masonry of various shapes and sizes resembling crypts made of flat stones were found on a separate hill. The study traced the stages of masonry construction with the identification of burial chambers and the sequence of mound formation. It was found that at first large stones were used to from the walls of burial chamber, into which the ashes of the deceased were placed, then it was covered with smaller stones and finally a mound embankment was formed. It was established that some of the mounds were surrounded by stone walls up to 0.5-0.7 m high and up to 1.5 m wide. The authors found that the site is a medieval burial ground with an area of about 29 hectares. Topographic survey made it possible to identify the central and peripheral zones of the object. 22 burials were investigated. The burial rite with its characteristic features was determined as cremation of the deceased at a remote location with further placement of the ashes in the grave. Single mounds, group burials and platform burials were identified there. The site dates from the Jurchen period (12th-13th centuries AD).
The article is an attempt to explain the chronicle record on the work of Novgorod masters in the construction of the roof of the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin in 1479. It is assumed that Novgorod masters were among the first to embrace the iron roof construction, which is why they were called to Moscow. This happened immediately after the conquest of Novgorod by the Grand Prince of Moscow in 1478. The author also analyzes chronicle records on iron roofs in Pskov in the 1460s. It is suggested that Pskov was an intermediary: initially, similar roof technology, which had arrived from German lands, was used in Pskov, later they began to construct iron roofs in Novgorod. It is from there that iron roof came to Moscow together with masters. Later, iron roofs became common for the Moscow state of the 16th-17th centuries.
The article presents evidence of the spread of products from the Silesian-Krakow mining region (Poland) in Russian lands. The objects of the study included a fragment of a hemispherical massive lead ingot and a cluster of lead drops found in Trade District of Veliky Novgorod, near the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior and the Znamensky Cathedral. The finds come from layers of the mid-14th century AD and represent high-quality lead raw materials (over 99% Pb). Their chemical composition and Pb isotope composition are identical to two intact massive hemispherical lead ingots of the first half of the 13th - first half of the 14th century AD found in Wroclaw and Krakow. Based on the similarity of the Pb isotope composition of the Novgorod finds and Polish ingots, on the one hand, and on their identity in this parameter with the lead-zinc deposits of the Olkusz ore field, a part of the oldest Silesian-Krakow mining region of Europe, on the other hand, it can be concluded that lead raw materials arrived in Rus in the Middle Ages from Eastern Europe. The materials presented in the article significantly expand the geography of lead trade in the 13th-14th centuries AD and confirm V.L. Yanin's statement that the Hansa did not have a monopoly on the import of lead to Rus, since it could be imported by another Novgorod counterparty - Poland.
Eastern Transbaikalia is a region characterized by mountain-taiga and steppe landscapes, the formation of which is due to the mountainous relief and sharply continental East Siberian climate. The region is located between the taiga mountains in the north, the Mongolian steppes in the south and the forests of the Amur region in the east. Unlike Western Transbaikalia, where significantly more Paleolithic sites have been identified, studied, and reliably dated by hundreds of absolute determinations, the region in question remains a << blank spot >> on the Paleolithic map. Currently, there are 63 Paleolithic sites in Eastern Transbaikalia, most of which are poorly studied. The authors summarized a large array of historiographic data and proposed a periodization of the Paleolithic complexes in the region. A GIS database was also created, which made it possible to display all known locations, sites, settlements and workshops on a digital elevation model. The article presents the C14-datings obtained by the authors for the Sukhotino- 4 site (layers 8, 10) and the Titovskaya Sopka workshop (layers 2, 2.1, 4), as well as new archaeological data on materials from the Sukhotino-16 site with surface assemblages and the multi-layered Titovskaya Sopka workshop (layers 2-4).
Archaeogenetic study is dynamically improving the techniques for working with different categories of archaeological materials. Bone remains of humans and animals after the fire and high temperatures impact account for a significant proportion of osteological materials. The problem of whether they can be used in genetic research still has no clear answer. High temperature impact significantly aggravates the state of degraded DNA of the archaeological samples. A review of published studies of DNA of the bone from the fire indicate an extremely low probability of preserving endogenous genetic material. The authors studied materials of cremations form two Early Iron Age sites (Sarmatian burial mound near the village of Totskoye, Orenburg Region, and the ground cemetery of the Ryazan-Oka culture Gorodishche 2 in Ryazan Region). The studied samples make it possible to estimate the preservation of endogenous DNA depending ontemperature. The previously published results and the authors' studies provide grounds to formulate basic recommendations for the methodology of assessing the preservation of DNA in bone remains. Publications without information on DNA estimation cannot be considered as a reliable source of valid paleogenetic data.
