The Early Holocene complex of Layer 4 at the Fat-ma Koba is associated with a change from the Shpan Koba to the Murzak Koba culture. The change is marked by the appearance ofpressure lamellar technology. The beginning of the transformation relates to the migration of Darkveti population from the South Caucasus. It is significant that the change in the technology of knapping did not lead to a change in the typology of the complex of modified pieces.
The collection of classical antiquities at the Berlin Museum is considered one of the richest in Europe. Attic ceramics, including black-glazed ware, hold a special place among the numerous artefacts stored in the museum. However, for a considerable period, these items have remained largely unexamined and unpublished by researchers. During recent project, approximately 200 different objects were analysed, and 156 vases were selected for publication in the future catalogue. Among these are Italian imitations (primarily Campanian and Puglian) and one Boeotian krater. To differentiate Attic ware from its imitations, defining visual features were used, such as the nature of raw materials, black-glazed coating, stamped ornaments, the decoration of the outer surfaces of the bases, and morphological elements of the form. For publication purposes, the material was categorised into "open" and "closed" forms. The first group (60 %) comprises vessels used for the consumption of wine (cups, skyphoi, kantharoi) and food (plates, stemmed dishes, bowls, and saltcellars). The second group consists of closed-type vessels (38 %), including those used for storing wine, water, and oil (oinochoai, pelikai, lekythoi, askoi, among others). The smallest share consisted of special-purpose vessels, such as lekanides and pyxides (2 %). The article describes nine objects originating from the Northern Black Sea region. These include a skyphos, cups, bowls, a stemmed dish, and a lekythos. Most of the vessels were acquired by museum staff in the latter half of the 19th century. Additionally, four of these objects were purchased in the early 20th century in the area known then as 'Southern Russia', indicating their discovery in the Northern Black Sea region. Two of these vases have clear indications of their places of origin - Olbia Pontica and Panticapaeum in Taurica. These objects exemplify Attic production and are of significant value among similar materials. Although the vases themselves are standard, mass-produced items, their ornamentation system, unique inscriptions, and graffiti elevate them to the status of the renowned painted ancient vases. Moreover, the publication of these previously unknown and unpublished materials from Ukraine enriches our understanding of the region's antique artefacts and fosters enhanced scientific cooperation between Ukraine and global museum institutions.
The main type of burial structure of the Alanian population of the Saltiv culture is a T-type catacomb. The expedition of the N. F. Sumtsov Kharkiv Historical Museum during 1984–2021 investigated 70 catacombs with a longitudinal arrangement of the chamber in relation to the dromos (type ІІ according to K. F. Smirnov) at three sites of the Verkhnii Saltiv necropolis: 37 catacombs at VSB-І, 16 catacombs at the Verkhnii Saltiv burial ground (VSB) III and 17 catacombs at VSB-IV (table 1). According to their dimensional indicators (length, width, depth of the dromos, dimensions of the chamber and others) catacombs of the type II at all areas of the necropolis (VSB-І, VSB-ІІІ, VSB-IV) did not differ significantly from the T-shaped catacombs of the Verkhnii Saltiv necropolis. They do not differ from T-like funerary structures and the number of people buried in them. Burial chambers of catacombs of the type II contain single, paired and collective burials (table 1). The burial inventory from catacombs of the type II finds the widest analogies in the antiquities of the Saltiv culture of the second half of the 8th and first half of the 10th centuries, and does not vary either numerically or typologically from the inventory of the T-type catacombs. According to the elements of the belt set found in the objects studied, it is clear that the population of Verkhnii Saltiv buried the deceased in catacombs with a longitudinal arrangement of the chamber in relation to the dromos for a long time from the second half of the 8th century (catacombs nos. 13, 15 VSB-III; 141, 146 VSB-IV) and until the end of the third quarter of the 9th century (catacombs nos. 71 VSB-І; 6, 20 VSB-IV). The complex found in catacombs of the type II indicates that people of different property status were buried in this type of funerary structures. Thus, both the poorest representatives of the ordinary population of Verkhnii Saltiv were buried in them (catacombs nos. 3 VSB-II; 45, 68, 141, 146 VSB-IV; 8, 9 VSB-II) and representatives of the military upper class (catacombs nos. 29 VSB-І; 6, 25 VSB-III).
Studies of the Voitsekhivka cemetery, located on the left bank of the Sluch River middle region in Eastern Volyn, started in 1924, continued in 1948-1949, and renewed by the Fastiv Archaeological Expedition in 2011-2013. Most of the excavated barrows are dated from the middle to the third quarters of the 2nd millennium BC, and refer to the classical horizons of the Komariv culture of the Trzciniec cultural circle. Three kurgan-like eminence were studied in 2013 at different places of the site, containing materials from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age. One mound was a ritual assemblage, possibly a cenotaph; the other two were natural hills into which the objects of the indicated periods were sunk. The research in 2013 significantly extended the chronological range of the site's existence, and also allowed considering the question of using landscape features when performing ritual activities on the cemetery. The authors also analyse a set of metal items of the Late Bronze Age discovered in 2013 by the Fastiv Archaeological Expedition in the ploughed layer of the barrow group no. 6 of the Voitsekhivka cemetery. The collection includes 31 items, mostly fragmented. These are seven knives, five sickles, foursocketed axes, three knives-daggers, a fragment of a sword blade, four spearheads, a cheekpiece, a fragment of a pin-wand of a Hordiivka type, two bracelets, a fragment of a rod, two bronze ingots. Finds can be dated preliminary to the BrD-HaA period. It cannot be excluded that at least some of the finds were part of a plowed-up hoard/hoards buried at the cemetery's territory. All metal finds of the Late Bronze Age can be divided into two groups of different sizes. The first group ("import") includes single-edged knives, sickles, celts, double-edged daggers, a fragment of a sword blade, spearheads, and bracelets. All these products find many analogies in the archaeological cultures of the Carpathian-Danube basin. The second group of finds ("autochthonous") is represented by items associated with local cultures of the Northern Black Sea region. These include a rod-shaped three-hole cheekpiece and a fragment of a Hordiivka-type pin-wand, as well as a metal rod (a bracelet blank?) and metal ingots.
In the article, the following aspects of pottery production technology at the Late Bronze Age settlements in the Samara River basin are analysed: the formation of clay pastes and the method of vessel formation, surface treatment, and firing. An attempt is made to interpret the data, in particular, to trace certain clusters of settlements and their microchronology based on changes in the range of recipes used across different stratigraphic horizons. The study also considers the existence and distribution of pottery with a special firing that gave the vessels a white colour. At the final stage of the Bronze Age, the Samara River basin area appeared to be relatively homogeneous in terms of the traditions of pottery production. With certain variants, the same recipes for clay pastes and methods of forming pottery were used. We can assume, with a high degree of probability, the existence of two chronological stages within the same culture, at least in one case stratigraphically and in one case planigraphically, and there are reasons to believe that some settlements have two horizons, the lower one containing a certain significant amount of ware with the addition of organic inclusions in the clay pastes, and the upper one without them. Settlements with similar recipe complexes form noticeable clusters when mapped, and at the same time show approximately equal distances between clusters of settlements, which allows for a better assessment of the settlements' resource zones boundaries. The presence of unusual vessels with a white surface colour also allows us to trace the intensity of connections between clusters of settlements and the distances over which such products were distributed, although it is currently difficult to say how and for what purpose such pottery was distributed.
This study explores the processes of social complexity and urbanisation in the forest-steppe Scythia, arguing that at least some settlements can be classified as urban centres. The article examines fortifications, production centres, trade networks, and ritual spaces as key indicators of urbanisation.
The article describes the stages of development of the Eastern Ukrainian centre of research headed by Professor Vitaliі Otroshchenko. He devoted his entire life to the service of science — archeology. For many years, he explored the ancient mounds of the steppe Dnipro, heading the Zaporizhzhia newbuilding expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian Soviet Republic. His particular research interest lays in burials of the Zrubna culture. The “Zrubna” issues, as well as the broader problems of the Late Bronze Age, in general, became central to the future scientific work of V. V. Otroshchenko, although the honoree’s scientific interests were much wider. In 1992, at the invitation of the head of the recently created Central-Donetsk expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Vitalii Vasyliovych, then the acting head of the Eneolithic-Bronze Age Department of the Institute, agreed to participate in the research of the Zrubna culture settlements in Luhansk region as a scientific consultant. Since then, almost annually, for seventeen years (1992–1998, 2001–2010), V. V. Otroshchenko participated in the excavations of this expedition, acting as an advisor and contributing to the professional growth of its employees. In 1989, Professor V. V. Otroshchenko brought together researchers of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in the Eastern Ukrainian Branch which turned into a powerful scientific centre for the formation and development of highly qualified experts in archaeology of transition from the Middle to the Late and to the Final Bronze Ages of the Eastern European steppe and forest-steppe. Scientific achievements of representatives of this Research School reflected in the defense of candidate and doctoral dissertations, as well as in numerous scientific articles and monographs on topical problems of the Bronze Age, are the result of hard work of at least three generations of scholars and the remarkable talent of Vitalii Vasyliovych as both a researcher and a teacher. Goodwill, tolerance, simplicity in communication, and inner balance are among the qualities that distinguish Vitalii Vasyliovych. High professionalism, a deep sense of responsibility and exacting standards helped the students of Professor Otroshchenko's school to realise their ambitions.
This article presents the results of research on medieval quarries and specialised settlements engaged in the processing of pyrophyllite slate, conducted in the Slovechno-Ovruch ridge. The study characterises the pyrophyllite slate industry sites in the microregion of Prybytky - Cherevky, examines the composition of the cultural layer of settlements and workshop deposits, and describes the methods and approaches used in their investigation. All categories of production artefacts are analysed, including chips, mineral raw material remains, defective blanks, semi-finished products, and production waste from the production of spindle whorls, pectoral crosses, and beads made of pyrophyllite slate. Tool traces on production artefacts are also considered.
This article presents the result of some three years survey and analysis of archaeological landscapes in part of Ukraine using open-source satellite images. More than 7500 archaeological features were identified and geolocated and can be assessed by others using our web application. Principal contents of this report are discussion about habitation sites and mounds. Case studies resulted in a series of maps that may indicate some archaeological potential of interpretation from satellite images.
This article is dedicated to interdisciplinary research of the Opishnia settlement. Based on the integration of archaeological and paleogeographical data, a paleolandscape analysis of the early Slavic settlement is conducted. The study reconstructs the natural environment of the settlement in the Early Middle Ages, highlighting its landscape conditions, main principles of economic activity, and the formation structure.
The article examines flint artefacts with traces of pigment discovered in 1993 in layer II of the Zaskelna V site (Crimea), focusing on one specimen with rare incomplete potlid-like cracking and associated ochre-rich residues. An initial hypothesis that the cracking was caused by heated pigment-containing adhesive was not supported experimentally. Instead, the scar likely resulted from localised sudden cooling, while the pigment adhered later to the surface damage, though their precise relationship remains unclear.
The article is devoted to the analysis of the burial structures discovered at the Svitlovodsk cemetery of the Scythian period in the Kirovohrad oblast, located in the south of the Dnipro Right-Bank Forest-Steppe region. Comparisons are made with analogous grave structures of the Middle Scythian and Late Scythian stages in the forest-steppe and steppe regions. Their chronology is determined.
The article describes the stages of development of the Eastern Ukrainian centre of research headed by Professor Vitali & iukcy; Otroshchenko. He devoted his entire life to the service of science - archeology. For many years, he explored the ancient mounds of the steppe Dnipro, heading the Zaporizhzhia newbuilding expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian Soviet Republic. His particular research interest lays in burials of the Zrubna culture. The "Zrubna" issues, as well as the broader problems of the Late Bronze Age, in general, became central to the future scientific work of V. V. Otroshchenko, although the honoree's scientific interests were much wider. In 1992, at the invitation of the head of the recently created Central-Donetsk expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Vitalii Vasyliovych, then the acting head of the Eneolithic-Bronze Age Department of the Institute, agreed to participate in the research of the Zrubna culture settlements in Luhansk region as a scientific consultant. Since then, almost annually, for seventeen years (1992-1998, 2001-2010), V. V. Otroshchenko participated in the excavations of this expedition, acting as an advisor and contributing to the professional growth of its employees. In 1989, Professor V. V. Otroshchenko brought together researchers of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in the Eastern Ukrainian Branch which turned into a powerful scientific centre for the formation and development of highly qualified experts in archaeology of transition from the Middle to the Late and to the Final Bronze Ages of the Eastern European steppe and forest-steppe. Scientific achievements of representatives of this Research School reflected in the defense of candidate and doctoral dissertations, as well as in numerous scientific articles and monographs on topical problems of the Bronze Age, are the result of hard work of at least three generations of scholars and the remarkable talent of Vitalii Vasyliovych as both a researcher and a teacher. Goodwill, tolerance, simplicity in communication, and inner balance are among the qualities that distinguish Vitalii Vasyliovych. High professionalism, a deep sense of responsibility and exacting standards helped the students of Professor Otroshchenko's school to realise their ambitions.
This article focuses on the excavation of burial complex no. 1 discovered in the barrow no. 17 of the Storozhove barrow cemetery. The archaeological investigation of this mound was undertaken in 2012 by the Archaeological Expedition of the Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University and the Poltava V. G. Krychevskyi Local History Museum. Situated in the Poltava district of Poltava Oblast, the Storozhove barrow cemetery (located in what was formerly the Chutivka district), boasted initial dimensions of 7.5 m in diameter and 0.31 m in height, featuring a rounded, hemispherical shape (fig. 3). Within the mound no. 17, a single burial was explored. The burial no. 1 (fig. 5, 7) was interred within a catacomb-type grave, characterised by a rectangular entrance pit oriented to the north-south axis and an oval catacomb similarly aligned. This grave contained the remains of a woman estimated to be 40–50 years old. The burial had been disturbed by ancient robbers. The excavated complex belongs to the Early Alanian period and includes a representative set of a artefacts, including important chronological indicators. Among the findings within the barrow no. 17 are some details of a female costume (a silver two-plate fibula (fig. 9: 3; 11: 12), a miniature copper fibula (fig. 9: 1; 11: 13) and a round silver brooch fibula (fig. 9: 2; 11: 14)); a necklace comprising: round amber (fig. 8: 7–8; 11: 1–2), glass cubo-octahedral (fig. 8: 3–4; 11: 5–6), glass ellipsoidal (fig. 8: 5–6; 11: 7–8), coral (fig. 8: 1–2; 11: 3–4); pendants (rectangular bronze with a glass insert (fig. 8: 9; 10: 2; 11: 11), golden with garnet inserts (fig. 8: 10–11; 11: 9–10), fragments of an iron knife (fig. 10: 3; 11: 16) and a fragmented copper plate (fig. 10: 1; 11: 15)). Dating analysis places the silver double-plate fibula (fig. 9: 3; 11: 12) in the second half of the 4th century to the early 5th centuries AD. Similarly, the round silver brooch fibula (fig. 9: 2; 11: 14) and golden pendants with garnet inserts (fig. 8: 10–11; 11: 9–10) show stylistic affinities with Bosporan artefacts from the late 4th to early 5th centuries AD. Other items, such as the copper fibula (fig. 9: 1; 11: 13) and necklace (fig. 8: 1–8; 11: 1–8), could have had a broader chronological range. Consequently, the burial within the barrow no. 17 of the Storozhove cemetery is ascribed to the second half of the end of the 4th — beginning of the 5th centuries AD. The burial’s chronology, geographic location, grave type, and selected artefacts suggest its association with a nomadic Alans society. We assume that within the Dnipro River left bank forest-steppe region, particularly along the Vorskla River and between the Vorskla and Psel, a contact zone existed between nomadic and settled societies during late Roman times, particularly between the Cherniakhiv culture and the Alans. This hypothesis is supported by archaeological sites such as Kantemyrivka and Storozhove. Ultimately, this burial serves as a compelling example of a nomadic burial complex of the early Hun period.
In 2023, the Scientific Library of the Institute ofArchaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine received books from the private library of our colleagues, O. V. Tsvek and I. I. Movchan. During the processing of these incomings, the attention was paid to the book Essay on the History of Ukraine. It was published by the Institute of History and Archaeology of Ukraine of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian RSR in 1942 in Ufa. The Academy's institutes were evacuated there during the World War II. Authors of the book Essay on the History of Ukraine were the following scholars: K. H. Voblyi, K. H. Huslystyi, V. A. Diadychenko, F. Ye. Los, M. N. Petrovskyi, L. M. Slavin, M. I. Suprunenko and F. Yu. Sherstiuk. K. H. Huslystyi, L. M. Slavin and F. O. Yastrebov were the editors. At the time of the publication of this book, all of them were employees of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian RSR and were evacuated to Ufa. The book was bound in a soft cover and costed six karbovantsiv at the time of publication. The circulation of the publication was quite large - 5000 copies. However, this book became the first copy of this edition for the Scientific Library of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It is important that the term "Ukraine", not "the Ukrainian RSR", was used in the title of the publication, and also the book was published in Ukrainian. The publication contains a preface and 19 chapters. On the title page of the book, there is the autograph of the first owner of this copy - O. F. Lahodovska. On the cover there is a simple pencil autograph ofI. H. Shovkoplias. It is logical to assume that later the book became his property. Perhaps it happened during the years of his postgraduate studies or while he had been working at the Institute of Archaeology. The reason for this publication was the content of this book's preface. The book impressed with its complete consonance with the present. If you replace the phrase << german-fascist invaders >> with << russian invaders\rashysts >>, the rest of the text remains relevant and consistent with the current russian-Ukrainian war.
An important task of the Palaeolithic studies of Ukraine is the search for new Palaeolithic sites for a more in-depth understanding of this area's settlement. One of the promising regions for the implementation of this direction is Kaniv. This area is known for several rather ancient Palaeolithic sites and localities. In this paper, we present a find of a bifacial quartzite tool from survey works in the south-eastern vicinity of the Pekari village, namely, from alluvial deposits uncovered during the construction of the filtration fields of the water treatment facilities in the Kaniv city (Cherkasy Oblast). In addition to the usual procedure of artefact studying and interpreting, we also use a 3D modelling approach to reveal some aspects of the item's manufacture. The biface is made of local medium-grained grey quartzite. The surface of the artefact is covered with a brown patina with isolated black spots and luster. This level of post-depositional modifications is associated with staying in the floodplain and alluvial conditions. The biface has a triangular asymmetrical outline, elongated and rather thick. There are no signs of following a specific shaping rhythm on the item (for example, bifacial alternating or bifacial continuous), each removal determined the next according to the idea of the final form. The retouching of the edges is quite isolated, presented mainly on a flatter surface. We created a 3D model based on photographs within SfM photogrammetry for cross-sectional analysis. The angle and morphology of the bevel are rather variable depending on the area. However, all these data indicate purposefulness in the convergent morphology shaping. The biface has few analogues in Central Ukraine. The closest one is a quartzite biface from the Micoquian Kaniv locality. We propose to attribute the artefact broadly and determine its belonging to the Middle Palaeolithic industries. Such a position may be clarified with the expansion of the source base. It is worth emphasising the importance of this find. The biface is another signal of the settling of the Kaniv Dnipro region by carriers of early industries, and the need for comprehensive geoarchaeological surveys in this area.
In the summer of 2023, the staff of the City History and Local Lore Museum in Kryvyi Rih observed scraps of granite on the left bank of the Inhulets River near the southern outskirts of Iskrivka village, Oleksandriia district, Kirovohrad Oblast. Archaeologists and geologists inspected the rock outcrop up to 0.7 km. They've noticed places of ancient, possibly of Bronze Age period, granite mining in the area known as "Savyne pole". As defined by O. O. Kalinichenko, PhD in Petrography, the rocks of the Inhulets dome belong to the Mesoarchaean granitoids of the Inhulets complex. Due to long-term weathering, these rocks had sharp notches of cracking and are split into flat rectangular blocks. The presence of such structures determined their use from the Eneolithic to the Medieval period. In September 2023 the folds of granite were discovered under the direction of V. V. Otroshchenko, DSc in History. There are 15 locations that were studied showing signs of chipping, notching and movement of blocks from the bedrock. The usage of mineral resources in Kryvyi Rih region has attracted the attention of many historians and geologists since the beginning of the second half of the 19th century. German geologist L. Shtrippelman was the first to express an opinion about the ancient development of aspid slates for economic purposes. During observation in 1872, he examined the remains of an ancient mine, which he believed was the oldest in Eastern Europe. S. O. Kontkevych, a famous geologist, reported in his article, published in 1880, that he had revealed traces of ancient open-pit iron ore mining. As suggested by B. M. Hrakov, DSc in History, the Scythians may have developed local iron ores. It is likely that the practice of developing the deposits of iron ore was based on the use of mineral wealth from earlier periods. The evidence of the widespread use of local talc shale is recognised in the production of casting molds, amphibolites for axes-rods, and other tools noted by modern scientists. I. S. Nikitenko, DSc in Geology, in his dissertation, demonstrated that during the bronze age, the Kryvyi Rih region and its outskirts were a centre of mining. The discovery of ancient granite developments in 2023 is important for future research. This site appears to be the only one preserved in satisfactory condition in the area. The most interesting site is the Complex 2, where a long granite ridge (14 m in length) had a rectangular artificial niche (size: 1.8 x 1.8 x 0.75 m). The base had a distinct ridged surface formed by veins of harder aplite rocks. Depressions 3-7 cm deep indicated many thousands of years of weathering of less stable minerals at the site. Another slab of interest (size: 1.07 x 0.91 x 0.15-0.30 m) was found in the Complex 3. The slab was removed from its natural position and in modern research was found to be leaning against the protruding block opposite to the falling layer. Other chipped blocks at the site were sub-rectangular. Their dimensions were: 0.45 x 0.31 x 0.34 m; 1.8 x 1.1 x 0.30-0.45 m; 1.2 x 1.2 x 0.4-0.8 m; and 1.3 x 1.0 x 0.5 m. As the survey of developments showed, the ancient miners used horizontal and vertical cracks in perspective monoliths. Petrographer V. F. Petrun studied rocks in and around Kryvyi Rih in 1960s. He believed that the stone had been chipped by using wooden pegs and water along the perimeter of slabs in order to produce significantly sized plates. Massive hammers from the local hornblende amphibolite appear to have been used to drive wedges into the stone to process it for use. Today, numerous slabs and stele, including anthropomorphic ones, from probably Early Bronze Age, have been used by locals in their yards' fences. Such a unique site needs careful further research.
The focus of the article is to summarise the results of archaeological research in 2020-2021 at the Pidkamin I site (Kamin tract), which is in Pidkamin village, Lviv Oblast. The site is located on a conical hill surrounded by a line of walls and ditches, on the top of which there is a 12-meter-high cliff. During the research, there were carried out geodetic and topographical measurements, photographic recording of the cemetery, the cliff, and its individual elements, as well as three exploration trenches. According to the 2020 research, it was possible to create a digital terrain model, an elementary plan of the site, and 3D models of individual stone crosses, rock tombs, etc. Even in 2021, due to preventive research, it was possible to study the structure and stratigraphy of the northern and southern parts of the ditch, as well as the stratigraphy of the layers at the foot of the cliff. As a result, it was verified that the oldest horizon of the site's settlement can be associated with the Vysotska culture of the 11th-7th centuries BC, as evidenced by a large number of pottery fragments found. The next horizon is represented by artefacts of the Middle Ages, including pottery of the Raiky culture of the late 7th-8th centuries, and items of the Kyivan Rus period, of the 10th-11th centuries, and late 12th-13th centuries. The final period was associated with the cemetery and artefacts of the 17th-19th centuries, including pottery, tile fragments, blown glass, etc. Due to the research at the foot of the cliff, it was possible to confirm the assumption of scholars regarding the presence of older burials here. Probably, in the late 17th-18th centuries, because of overflow and widening, neighboring or older burials of the Middle Ages or Bronze / Early Iron Age were damaged. Due to the research of the ditch, it became known that in the 17th-18th centuries it lost its primary function, as it was used as a burial place and was filled in. Therefore, the time of the ditch's construction was probably dated to the Middle Ages. In addition to the cemetery, in the 17th-18th centuries at the foot of the cliff, the Church of the Savior existed, which can be confirmed by both written and visual historical sources and by the presence of tile fragments, etc. This directly indicates the important religious significance of the site and the tradition of burying in the 17th-18th centuries, which probably preserved from earlier times.
In the paper the implementation of the newly established methodological scheme for scientometric and bibliometric analysis of scientific periodicals is presented. This methodology is applied to the Arheologia journal, the leading scientific Ukrainian archaeological journal. The study aims to obtain a "portrait" of the journal, characterise its development and change, determine worrying issues, and suggest potential growth directions. We applied the methods of scientometric, bibliometric, lexicological, and semantic studies, as well as a few statistical tools. By calculating the Herfindahl - Hirschman index (HHI), we estimated the journal's monopolisation level from 2015 to 2017 and 2021 to 2023. Furthermore, we analysed the list of journal authors based on the metadata of almost 1700 articles and concluded that the features of authors' contributions and the cooperation patterns correspond to those of humanities and social sciences journals. The list of sections and their change through time was analysed for 1947-2023, as well as the number of papers in the main sections (228 journal issues and more than 3600 papers were studied, for that matter). The word frequency in the paper's titles has been investigated for the same period. The keywords selection and use patterns were considered from 2009 to 2023 when these were included in the journal's metadata. Finally, the dataset of papers from 1989 to 2023 was used to evaluate the papers' titles' "synthesising capacity." This parameter is introduced together with the developed methodology of estimating the titles' capacity to introduce the analytical or synthesising nature of scientific papers. The estimation follows the criteria of creativity, functionality, and engagement. We compared the results for 2019-2023 with the data from the Open Archaeology international journal (published by DeGruyter) for the same period. The studied data prove that improving the journal's visibility for a broader audience worldwide requires modernising its publishing policies. Structuring the sectioning system and using keywords would also be very beneficial. For instance, all determined growth directions are indirectly connected with Ukraine's current state of archaeological theory and methodology. The research revealed the traditionality of Arheologia publishing strategies. It underscored the dynamics of the change in its main parameters and allowed the determination of the features of this journal and Ukrainian archaeology in general.
In the paper, archaeological finds of strap adornments of early Middle Ages from the collection of Kherson Local History Museum (Novooleksiivka, Novochornomoria and Kalanchak) are analysed. This jewellery entered the museum's collection in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, these archaeological finds were not published and are unknown to the broader scientific community. In November 2022, during the robbery of the Kherson Local History Museum by the Russian occupiers, a number of finds (including jewellery from the early Middle Ages) were taken to an unidentified location. Their further fate is uncertain. In Novooleksiivka, a fragment of an iron sword and a T-shaped belt mount were discovered by chance (fig. 2). The items from Novochornomoria were excavated in a burial in 1961 during the research of I. D. Ratner. These are a gold temple pendant (fig. 3), three buckles and three square-shaped belt mounts (fig. 4). Two buckles, a T-shaped belt mount and two shield-shaped belt mounts were discovered in Kalanchak (fig. 5). However, the author was not able to fully process a series of findings from this site. These are a fragment of a hollow strap-end, a fragment of a T-shaped belt mount (?), a horizontally symmetrical belt mount and a tongue from a buckle. All these adornments of the belt set from the collection of the Kherson Local History Museum find analogies among the materials of the early Middle Ages, namely, the so-called "Heraldic" cultural-chronological horizon (530/570-670/700). Also, in general, they can be dated to this time. Although, the date of belt set items from Kalanchak with granulated collar can be narrowed down to the second half of the 7th century. Such products are included in type IV belts, which are becoming widespread among nomads at this time, according to O. I. Aibabin. In addition, it should be emphasised the proximity of these items (nos. 3 and 4) to finds from Rozdolne (Portove), Sary-Bulat tract and the Berthier-Delagarde Collection of Crimean Jewellery in the British Museum. Perhaps they are items of the same workshop. All the abovementioned data should supplement the information about the distribution of various kinds of products among nomadic antiquities of the Early Middle Ages. Also, different finds from these burial sites show not the same social component. After all, products inlaid with granulated collar and semi-precious stones could belong to representatives of the wealthier strata of the nomadic community. It should be noted that the information on archaeological finds under discussion is the only thing which is left after they were stolen by the Russian invaders.
