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This study aims to re-evaluate Cambaztepe, located approximately 12 km west of the Silivri district center of İstanbul, where rescue excavations led by the İstanbul Archaeology Museums in 2015 were carried out. Cambaztepe is a burial mound dated to the Early Bronze Age II (EBA II) within Anatolian chronology. It also has a secondary burial context dated to the Iron Age. Although there is no absolute dating, Cambaztepe is currently believed to be the earliest burial mound in Türkiye’s European territory (also known as Eastern Thrace), considering the burial position and the grave goods and/or finds. The excavation team has published only a preliminary report and two papers, of which one was published in a popular magazine. The possible relationship between Cambaztepe and Yamnaya (Pit-Grave), and other related cultures was not examined in the preliminary report. Furthermore, the preliminary report provides inaccurate and misleading suggestions about the way the deceased were placed in the grave and the grave finds. In addition to other evidence, the way the deceased were placed in the grave as a semi-supine position indicates that the Cambaztepe EBA II grave context is related to the Pit-Grave or other cultures with Pit-Grave traditions in the Balkans. However, the grave structure in round shape with a floor of stone slabs and the grave finds, consisting of a beaked jug of inland Western Anatolian origin and a dagger of Anatolian origin, make Cambaztepe different from contemporary burial mounds in the Balkans. The existence of a cremation burial is sufficient to make concrete suggestions in the context of possible early migrations from Europe to Anatolia in the 3rd millennium BC, even though the exact nature of these migrations remains unknown, whether they involved the population movement or transfer of ideas-ideology-beliefs (or a combination of both). Likewise, the Cambaztepe EBA II grave context has a potential to define the mechanism of migration from Anatolia to Europe more precisely. The Cambaztepe EBA II grave context should be placed at the date range 2700–2500 BC, based on the burial practice observed in the Balkans and the grave finds of Anatolian origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the study, restoration, and reconstruction of a poplar box originating from kurgan No. 13 of the Urysay-2 burial site. This box contained a set of ritual objects associated with a female “priestess”. The box was positioned behind the head of the deceased and was a low, square container with straight sides and a separate flat lid. The specific set of objects found in the box included a mirror, a cedar block, a “spoon” with traces of paint, a small organic vessel (leather? felt?), and silk fabric, supplemented by a small stone altar and a set of tools found nearby. During fieldwork, the box was removed in one block. Subsequently, an MRI scan was performed; a comprehensive set of procedures was conducted to identify the material of the finds, their physicochemical composition, conservation, and restoration; a 3D reconstruction of the box and the items was carried out.

В статье публикуются результаты исследования раннетасмолинского захоронения из Центрального Казахстана. Полученный материал представлен украшениями в виде золотых серёг, подвески и каменных бус. Обнаружение в насыпи кургана зернотёрки и курант поднимает вопрос о ведении подсобного земледелия кочевым населением в раннем железном веке. Проведены половозрастные определения человеческих останков, трасологический анализ терочного механизма, определены породы каменных изделий. Радиоуглеродный анализ позволил датировать исследованное сооружение в рамках середины VIII — конца VI в. до н.э., что согласуется с типологическими аналогиями обнаруженных в захоронении золотых серег.

Могильник Кызылжартас находится в Шетском районе Карагандинской области РК. В результате раскопок кургана № 2 выявлены фрагменты изделий, в том числе железного сосуда, керамики, а также 57 золотых украшений. В статье впервые публикуются результаты анализа материалов из кургана № 2, проведённых в 2023—2024 гг. В лаборатории 14С Хронологии «Vilnius Radiocarbon» (Вильнюс, Литва) по образцам из человеческих костей получены две радиоуглеродные даты. Изделия из золота были подвергнуты РФА анализу. Кости животных, найденные в могиле, были определены до вида. На основании археологических данных и результатов 14С курган № 2 могильника Кызылжартас датируется в рамках периода 2-й пол. IV—II вв. до н.э. В настоящее время в археологии раннего железного века Центрального Казахстана изучение памятников этого периода является одной из особо актуальных проблем. Рассматриваемый курган относится к группе памятников, не связанных с коргантасским и карамолинским типами. На фоне немногочисленных захоронений, сплошь ограбленных и трудно поддающихся датировке, этот объект открывает определённую перспективу в изучении культуры позднесакского времени региона.

In the Eurasian steppes, ancient burial mounds called 'kurgans' are among the most widespread manmade structures. These sacred sites hold cultural values and often provide safe havens for grassland-related plant species. We established links between kurgans' cultural and natural values through a comprehensive multi-layered evaluation of human and landscape history, cultural attributes, and botanical composition on selected mounds in Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. We evaluated factors that can support or endanger the grasslands on kurgans and assessed whether there are synergies or trade-offs between the presence of cultural and natural values. We found that kurgans act as cultural hotspots in transformed landscapes, and we found the following evidence for the synergies between cultural and natural values: i) Extensive land use and management connected to the cultural functions could considerably contribute to the preservation of grassland specialist plants on the mounds. ii) Over the past three centuries, most grasslands we studied were converted to cropland, but the cultural importance of the kurgans could hinder their destruction through ploughing or construction works. However, we also found that built cultural objects decreased the grassland cover area and supported the establishment and spread of several weedy and invasive species. Consequently, to preserve the valuable biocultural systems, it is essential to focus efforts on the maintenance of the already existing traditional cultural functions and not the establishment of new objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, the expedition of the Nasledie State Unitary Enterprise (Stavropol) conducted archaeological excavations on the territory of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and excavated the kurgan 1 of the Voniuchka-1 kurgan cemetery near the city of Pyatigorsk. The kurgan originated in the Eneolithic era; its construction and use as a cemetery continued up to the Early and Middle Bronze Ages. The most extensive changes in the kurgan are associated with the North Caucasian archaeological culture. The Sarmatian burials of the early Iron Age became the final ones in the kurgan; this study is devoted to their material publication and analysis. Single burials and grave goods (probably the remains of a funeral feast) were compactly located in the central part of the kurgan. The burial rite and the inventory are described in detail and examined in the system of both chronologically close Sarmatian newcomers and Pre-Caucasus aboriginal monuments. In general, the funeral rite of the published burials is quite uniform and corresponds to the canons of the pre-Caucasian Sarmatian kurgans. The burials and the cluster are chronologically close to each other, and the inventory found in them has numerous analogies among the synchronous sites of the Pre-Caucasus. At the same time, some details of the funeral rite, in particular the discovery of three left front legs of sheep in two burials, together with a number of other facts, indicate a kinship relationship between the buried. The Sarmatian burials in kurgan 1 of the Voniuchka-1 cemetery can be considered a small ancestral cemetery created, most likely, during the lifetime of one generation. The general dating of the burials and the accompanying funeral feast fits into the framework of the 3rd (possibly 2nd) – 1st centuries BC. There is a high probability of their connection with the Sirak tribal union, and this cemetery is located on the southern border of the territory occupied by it.

The article examines silver vessels from the excavations of the Maykop kurgan, analyzes the images on them, their sizes and shapes, and also provides calculations of the volume of one of the vessels. The article briefly describes the parameters and characteristics of the supposed clepsydras discovered earlier in the Northern Black Sea region and compares the parameters of Maykop silver vessels with them. Based on the results of calculations and comparison of the volume of these vessels, it is concluded that the technology of measuring time using water clocks was introduced to the Northern Black Sea region from Mesopotamia by representatives of the Maykop culture and existed as a stable tradition in this region until the Late Bronze Age.

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of a pilot study that combines findings from satellite remote sensing analyses and an intensive interdisciplinary survey conducted in November 2021 on kurgans along the Kurekçay Valley, in western Azerbaijan. Through the integration of various methods, including historical and contemporary satellite and aerial imagery analysis, topographic mapping and geophysical prospections, this research remotely maps and quantifies the density, size, morphology and distribution of the burial mounds in the area. Unlike previous studies focusing solely on individual burial mounds, this investigation adopts a broader approach by contextualizing the kurgans within their respective landscapes. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of the physical and symbolic aspects and relationships of these structures, providing valuable insights into the enduring burial practices that shaped the funerary traditions of the Southern Caucasus during the 4th and 1st millennium BCE. Furthermore, this approach supports an assessment of the condition of the individual kurgans, thereby opening new perspectives to develop innovative plans to protect these burial mounds and their settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Her millet yaşadığı bölgenin coğrafi şartları neticesinde kendine has bir kültür oluşturmuştur. Bozkır coğrafyasında yaşayan kavimlerde, kendilerine has olan konar-göçebe kültürünü meydana getirmişlerdir. Bu bozkır kavimlerinden birisi de İskitlerdir. M.Ö. VIII. ve M.S. II. yüzyıllar arasında Orta Asya başta olmak üzere Karadeniz’in kuzeyi ve Anadolu içlerinde faaliyetlerde bulunan İskitlerin tarih ve kültürüne dair yazılı ve arkeolojik kaynaklarda bilgiler bulunmaktadır. Yazılı kaynakların başında Grek kaynakları gelmektedir. Arkeolojik kaynaklarda ise İskitlerin konar-göçebe yaşam tarzını benimsemiş olmaları sebebiyle yerleşim yerleri değil, mezarlar ilk sırada yer almaktadır. İskitlere ait mezarlara “kurgan” adı verilmektedir. Kurgan; korugan anlamında olup mezara defnedilen kişiyi koruyan anlamına gelmektedir. İskit kültür ve tarihinde, kalıntı ve buluntu elde edilen birçok kurgan vardır. Bu kurganlar arasında ise Arzhan 2 kurganı ön plana çıkmaktadır. Tuva bölgesinde yer alan Arzhan 2 kurganı bozkır insanının gündelik yaşamında kullandığı çadır tarzında döşenmiştir. Özellikle 5 numaralı mezar odasında bulunan kadın ve erkeğin kıyafetleri, onları süsleyen altın figürler, silahlar, tabak, kap gibi gündelik eşyaların hepsi İskit kültür ve tarihinin araştırılmasında önem arz etmektedir.

The papre is devoted to determining the date of the kurgan 28, Filippovka 1 burial ground, which is a necropolis of the social elite of the Southern Urals nomads in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. A burial partially destroyed by repeated robbery was found in the kurgan. At least six people were buried in the grave pit with a dromos entrance, covered with a structure of radially diverging logs. The features of the five individuals‘ bone remains location in the western part of the grave indicate their simultaneous or relatively simultaneous burial. Another burial was made in an underground passage leading from the outside of the kurgan mound to the grave pit. The accompanying grave goods were placed in the destroyed part of the grave near the buried individuals as well as in on the buried soil as a part of the sacrificial complex. They included weapons and parts of military ammunition (armor, daggers, arrows, a quiver hook, a lanyard pendant, a vorvorki), parts of a horse harness (bit, cheek-pieces, bridle plaques, pierced), as well as jewelry (earrings, bracelets, beads, sewn-on plaques), ritual objects (a bone spoon, a fragment of a stone altar) and household items. An analysis of the grave goods and a radiocarbon dating obtained by accelerator mass spectrometry method suggest that five people were buried in the western part of the grave in the middle or third quarter of the 4th century BC. However, the construction of the funerary structure and the placement of the dead in its eastern part could have begun earlier - in the period falling at the turn of the 5th-4th centuries BC - early 4th century BC.

The Paper presents publication and analysis of the burial materials from excavations of a detached kurgan Kalinovsky II located in the central part of the Volga-Don interfluve near the eastern outskirts of the Kalinovsky farm of the Frolovsky district of the Volgograd region. The kurgan under consideration is located on the southern Archeda steppe riverside terrace of the left confluent of the Medveditsa River belonging to the Don River basin. The excavations were carried out in 2022 by the expedition of the Volgograd State University. In the course of the excavations, it was found that the archeological site was a kurgan-cemetery which had functioned for a long time. It contained 20 burials of an extended chronological period from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age. This study examines burial complexes of the Bronze Age from archaeological and anthropological perspectives and is based on the materials from 12 burials. The main burial No. 14 can be attributed to the late stage of the Early Bronze Age within the boundaries of the first half of the 3rd millennium BC. The Middle Bronze Age is represented by 9 inlet burials belonging to the Middle Don Catacomb culture. Two burials No. 2 and 19, located in the lateral part of the kurgan mound, were made in the Late Bronze Age in 19th-18th centuries BC. The paleoanthropological study data have shown that this kurgan is to be considered as a family cemetery for a group of individuals (mainly children) belonging to the Middle Don Catacomb culture. The signs of deliberate artificial deformation in most of the children may indicate selectivity and belonging of this complex to a particular group with a special social status. In all probability, most of the children buried in the kurgan died as a result of stress caused by a long period of hunger, possibly in winter or early spring seasons. For adults, regardless of cultural affiliation, the typical diet was based on viscous food rich in proteins, as indicated by a specific pathological complex (absence of caries and abscesses, presence of tartar, periodontal disease and interproximal grooves). Exostosis of the external auditory canal was identified in a Pokrovsk time individual from burial 19 which might have been caused by his professional activity associated with a long stay in a cold wind or water environment.

The paper presents the reconstruction of the lifestyle, environment, and climate conditions of the inhabitants of the forest-steppe zone of the East European Plain in the Middle Bronze Age. Presented study is based on the results of archaeological work on the territory of the archaeological heritage site «Volkhonskiye Vyselki 1, kurgan» carried out in 2021 by the expedition of the Lipetsk regional scientific public organization «Archaeological Research». The mound belongs to the Middle Don Catacomb culture and contains 9 graves. It was demonstrated that the climate at the time of the creation of the mound were more arid than at modern times by soil-archaeological method. Levels of mobile P forms in soils suggest that the site was used for feasts, both before the creation of the mound and after. The gender and age, osteometric and pathological characteristics of the skeletons of 15 buried are given. Because of the results of isotope analyzes it has been assumed that the diet of the deceased was based on plant food.

Copyright of Journal of Faculty of Letters / Edebiyat Fakultesi Dergisi is the property of Hacettepe University Faculty of Letters and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Eurasia is a geography dominated by political groups that formed the basis of Turkish history such as Scythian, Sarmatian, Saka, Yueh-Chih, Hiung-Nu in the Early Iron Age. This article focuses on postgraduate thesis studies focused on Early Iron Age Eurasian archeology registered in the National Thesis Center system of the Council of Higher Education. The article identified 51 theses on this subject. The article has three types of research questions. The first of these groups is on the number of thesis studies according to the publication years, the universities and departments in which they are published, and the geographies they focus on. The second group is the status of the number of thesis studies on the Early Iron Age archaeology of Eurasia conducted by the supervisors of the thesis studies and whether their own doctoral theses were on this subject. The third group is whether the authors of doctoral theses have prepared their master's theses on Eurasian archaeology. The article aims to analyze the current status of postgraduate thesis studies focused on Early Iron Age Eurasian archeology at universities in Türkiye, to discuss the current status of theses, and to provide researchers with ideas for future thesis studies by showing the gaps in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of History / Habaršy Tarihi Seriâsy is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Place names are an important but vanishing part of cultural diversity, and their relevance for environmental sciences is increasingly acknowledged. Still little is known about whether the diversity of toponyms affects human–nature relationships and the decisions of humans on how to use certain parts of the landscape. To investigate this question, we combined approaches from social sciences and ecology in a comprehensive multidisciplinary survey of 1521 cultural landscape features in Hungary. The landscape features studied were ancient millennia‐old burial earthen mounds built by nomadic steppic tribes, that often hold the last remnants of grassland vegetation and provide safe havens for grassland specialist plant and animal species in the intensively used agricultural landscapes of Eurasia. In our research, we (i) compiled a comprehensive database of the mounds in the 5150 km2‐sized study region, (ii) collected all toponyms of the mounds recorded since the 18th century, (iii) derived the height and distance from settlements for each mound and (iv) visited all the mounds in a field survey, and evaluated their vegetation naturalness. We found that despite the intensive landscape transformation in the region, and independently of topographical factors, a higher number of toponyms was associated with a higher degree of naturalness of the vegetation on the landscape features. Independently of the protective effect of the height of the mound against ploughing, and the distance from settlements that reflects to decreasing land use intensity, we found that the vegetation on the mounds with more names had a higher degree of naturalness. Synthesis and applications. Cultural recognition of these places has eroded considerably in the past centuries, but its effect is still noticeable, suggesting an extinction delay of culture‐driven biodiversity patterns. Our results suggest that reestablishment of the lost cultural connections between people and nature can contribute to reversing the deterioration. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Запропонована стаття присвячена оцінці структури землекористування та демографічної ситуації на Криворіжжі за часів енеоліту–доби бронзи на основі картографування давніх курганів. Як джерело даних про просторове розташування використано триверстову карту «Корпусу військових топографів» 1853 р. На основі результатів аналізу автор статті описує щільність розташування давніх курганів, закономірності їхнього розміщення відносно рік другого порядку, робить оцінку чисельності населення часів енеоліту та ямної культури, та порівнює отримані дані з показниками чисельності населення трипільської культури. На основі засвідченої демографічної переваги трипільського населення над «степовим» автор робить висновок про міграцію частини носіїв трипільської культури до степу в другій половині IV тис. до н. е., що призвело до формування «трипіллєзованих» курганних культур: усатівськох та серезліївської. The suggested paper evaluates the structure of land use and demographic situation in the Kryvyi Rih region during the Eneolithic–Early Bronze age according to the maps of kurgans. The 1853 map compiled by the Corps of Military Topographers is used as a source of primary data. Insights about kurgan density, leaning towards the watercourse of rivers and population size are made. The received results are also compared against the data about the Trypillia culture. Appealing to the demographic advantage of the Trypillia people, the author argues towards the migration of the trypillians to the steppe zone during the second half of the 4th Millenium BC which resulted in the formation of Trypillia-like cultures: Usatovo and Serezlievka

Copyright of Herald of Social Sciences is the property of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Each nation has created a unique culture as a result of the geographical conditions of the region where it lives. In the tribes living in the steppe geography, they have created their own unique nomadic culture. One of these steppe tribes is Scythians. There is information in written and archaeological sources about the history and culture of the Scythians, who were active in Central Asia, especially in the north of the Black Sea and Anatolia between the 8th century BC and the 2nd century AD. Greek sources are at the top of the written sources. In archaeological sources, on the other hand, since the Scythians adopted a nomadic lifestyle, tombs, not settlements, take the first place. The graves of the Scythians are called "kurgan". Kurgan means "shelter" and means protecting the person buried in the grave. In Scythian culture and history, there are many kurgans where remains and finds were obtained. Among these kurgans, the Arzhan 2 kurgan stands out. Located in the Tuva region, Arzhan 2 kurgan was furnished in the tent style used by the steppe people in their daily life. Especially the clothes of men and women found in the burial chamber number 5, gold figures decorating them, weapons, everyday items such as plates and utensils are all important in the research of Scythian culture and history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a consequence of agricultural intensification and habitat fragmentation since the mid-20th century, biological diversity has declined considerably throughout the world, particularly in Europe. We assessed how habitat and landscape-scale heterogeneity, such as variation in fragment size (small vs. large) and landscape configuration (measured as connectivity index), affect plant and arthropod diversity. We focused on arthropods with different feeding behaviour and mobility, spiders (predators, moderate dispersal), true bugs (mainly herbivores and omnivores with moderate dispersal), wild bees (pollinators with good dispersal abilities), and wasps (pollinators, omnivores with good dispersal abilities). We studied 60 dry grassland fragments in the same region (Hungarian Great Plain); 30 fragments were represented by the grassland component of forest-steppe stands, and 30 were situated on burial mounds (kurgans). Forest-steppes are mosaics of dry grasslands with small forests in a matrix of plantation forests. Kurgans are ancient burial mounds with moderately disturbed grasslands surrounded by agricultural fields. The size of fragments ranged between 0.16–6.88 ha (small: 0.16–0.48 ha, large: 0.93–6.88 ha) for forest-steppes and 0.01–0.44 ha (small: 0.01–0.10 ha and large: 0.20–0.44 ha) for kurgans. Fragments also represented an isolation gradient from almost cleared and homogenous landscapes, to landscapes with relatively high compositional heterogeneity. Fragment size, connectivity, and their interaction affected specialist and generalist species abundances of forest-steppes and kurgans. Large fragments had higher species richness of ground-dwelling spiders, and the effect of connectivity was more strongly positive for specialist arthropods and more strongly negative for generalists in large than in small fragments. However, we also found a strong positive impact of connectivity for generalist plants in small kurgans in contrast to larger ones. We conclude that besides the well-known effect of enhancing habitat quality, increasing connectivity between fragments by restoring natural and semi-natural habitat patches would help to maintain grassland biodiversity.

The study deals with the question of determining time of the first appearance of the Sarmatians in the Crimean Steppe. Discrepancy between scientific interpretations of ancient written sources and dating by archaeological researches can be observed: while the former admit that the Sarmatians inhabited the Crimean peninsula in 3rd – 2nd centuries BC, the later assume the origin time to be the late 1st century BC. The monument considered in the article is burial 80 of kurgan Ungut-1 which partially helps to overcome this discrepancy. The studied monument is a single burial of a male positioned on his back with his head oriented to the north accompanied by a moulded pot, a fibula, a knife and a bead. These grave goods and, the first of all, fibula date back the burial to the early 1st century BC, and allow this Sarmatian complex to be considered the earliest precisely dated one in the Crimea. This fact indicates the presence of the nomads on the peninsula during the reign of Mithradates VI Eupator. At the same time, the examined monument does not mitigate completely discrepancies existing between ancient written sources and massive archaeological material regarding their timing. The only indisputable fact is that the nomads were there during the events of the Diophantine wars. However, their presence on the Crimean peninsula in earlier periods, especially in the late 4th – early 3rd centuries BC, remains disputable.

Place names are an important but vanishing part of cultural diversity, and their relevance for environmental sciences is increasingly acknowledged. Still little is known about whether the diversity of toponyms affects human–nature relationships and the decisions of humans on how to use certain parts of the landscape.To investigate this question, we combined approaches from social sciences and ecology in a comprehensive multidisciplinary survey of 1521 cultural landscape features in Hungary. The landscape features studied were ancient millennia‐old burial earthen mounds built by nomadic steppic tribes, that often hold the last remnants of grassland vegetation and provide safe havens for grassland specialist plant and animal species in the intensively used agricultural landscapes of Eurasia. In our research, we (i) compiled a comprehensive database of the mounds in the 5150 km2‐sized study region, (ii) collected all toponyms of the mounds recorded since the 18th century, (iii) derived the height and distance from settlements for each mound and (iv) visited all the mounds in a field survey, and evaluated their vegetation naturalness.We found that despite the intensive landscape transformation in the region, and independently of topographical factors, a higher number of toponyms was associated with a higher degree of naturalness of the vegetation on the landscape features. Independently of the protective effect of the height of the mound against ploughing, and the distance from settlements that reflects to decreasing land use intensity, we found that the vegetation on the mounds with more names had a higher degree of naturalness.Synthesis and applications. Cultural recognition of these places has eroded considerably in the past centuries, but its effect is still noticeable, suggesting an extinction delay of culture‐driven biodiversity patterns. Our results suggest that reestablishment of the lost cultural connections between people and nature can contribute to reversing the deterioration. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. When it comes to contemporary maps of Kalmykia, one can mention those contain quite a number of symbols to denote kurgans / mounds. Goals. The study aims at examining informational values of contemporary cartographic sources it terms of localizing actual archaeological sites of the Republic. Results. The work reveals 7.860 objects strongly supposed to be kurgans, the bulk of them placed in the Ergeni Upland, Kuma-Manych Depression, and Sarpa Lowland, while a lower density observed in western parts of the region (northwest of the Stavropol Upland) with scarcest numbers delineated within the Caspian Depression. The distribution of archaeological objects on the map essentially aligns with the well-known fact that different natural and geographic zones of Kalmykia are characterized by varying densities of kurgans. Despite the maps contain not all kurgans, they do mention sizeable ones, and 1.580 of 7.860 objects have height indications. So, there is a review map with largest sites. As is known, immense kurgans are not that solitary and often serve to mark groups of smaller mounds. Conclusions. The examined cartographic materials are significant sources that may be instrumental in exploring archeological sites in future. The data obtained can be used in further expeditions and development of image interpreting methods. Such efforts shall make it possible to discover not only large monuments but also minor ones.

Burial mounds represent a challenge for microbiologists. Could ancient buried soils preserve microbiomes as they do archaeological artifacts? To investigate this question, we studied the soil microbiome under a burial mound dating from 2500 years ago in Western Kazakhstan. Two soil profile cuts were established: one under the burial mound and another adjacent to the mound surface steppe soil. Both soils represented the same dark chestnut soil type and had the same horizontal stratification (A, B, C horizons) with slight alterations. DNA samples isolated from all horizons were studied with molecular techniques including qPCR and high throughput sequencing of amplicon libraries of the 16S rRNA gene fragment. The taxonomic structure of the microbiome of the buried horizons demonstrated a deep divergence from ones of the surface, comparable to the variation between different soil types (representatives of the soil types were included in the survey). The cause of this divergence could be attributed to diagenetic processes characterized by the reduction of organic matter content and changes in its structure. Corresponding trends in the microbiome structure are obvious from the beta-diversity pattern: the A and B horizons of the buried soils form one cluster with the C horizons of both buried and surface soil. This trend could generally be designated as ‘mineralization’. Statistically significant changes between the buried and surface soils microbiomes were detected in the number of phylogenetic clusters, the biology of which is in the line of diagenesis. The trend of ‘mineralization’ was also supported by PICRUSt2 functional prediction, demonstrating a higher occurrence of the processes of degradation in the buried microbiome. Our results show a profound shift in the buried microbiome relatively the “surface” microbiome, indicating the deep difference between the original and buried microbiomes.

IntroductionLand use changes have seriously fragmented grasslands leading to extensive biodiversity loss worldwide. Habitat fragmentation affects grasslands at both local and landscape scales, adversely affecting the probability of species colonisation and extinction. In our study, we addressed the effects of fragment size and landscape-scale habitat connectivity on the vegetation composition in two grassland types, i.e., loess steppe fragments (situated on kurgans) and sand steppe fragments of the Pannonian forest steppe region.MethodsWe collected frequency data on vascular plant species in 12 1 m × 1 m quadrats in altogether 60 fragments along a connectivity gradient in sand steppes and loess steppe fragments. We analysed whether habitat specialists, generalists and exotic species were affected by the level of fragmentation based on species richness and traits related to local persistence (life span, clonality and soil seed bank type) and dispersal (dispersal strategy and seed mass) in the two grassland types using linear mixed-effects models.ResultsBased on our results, both fragment size and landscape-scale connectivity were important in shaping the trait composition of the vegetation. We observed more fragmentation effects in generalist than in specialist species. We found that isolation resulted in fewer specialist species with autochorous dispersal strategy in loess steppe fragments, but, at the same time, also fewer exotics. Isolated loess steppe fragments harboured fewer generalist species with persistent seed bank. Large loess steppe fragments supported more wind-dispersed species than smaller ones. In isolated sand steppe fragments, generalists were more frequent with endozoochorous dispersal strategy and without clonal propagation. Life span, clonal propagation and seed mass did not depend on the level of fragmentation in the two grassland types.DiscussionOur results imply that both sand and loess steppe fragments can rely to some extent on the persistence of clonal perennial specialist and generalist species in small and isolated patches to mitigate fragmentation effects. In conclusion, these processes should be supported by the preservation of large fragments, increase of habitat connectivity combined with targeted management of exotic species.

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Abstract. According to available archaeological materials, there is no earthenware pottery in the Tasmola graves. This feature of the funeral rite was specifically noted in early publications of materials belonging to this culture discovered in 1966. In the 21st century, the available sources of the material significantly expanded, new categories of monuments, including the kurgans of the elite and settlements were discovered. The increased interest in Tasmola ceramics can be explained by the fact that some ceramics were found in the new mounds, and the possibility of comparing them with pottery from earlier settlements arose. New studies have confirmed the absence of earthenware pottery in the graves. At the same time, available data on “kurgan ceramics” are currently increasing. Occasionally whole vessels but more often their fragments were found in the course of excavations in the upper part of the kurgan. This situation is typical for the burial sites of the early Saka time of the Sayano-Altai. period, where fragments of earthenware pottery were also found in the upper part of the structure. The report presents the results of a technical and technological analysis of ceramics from the two kurgans of the Tasmola culture. Sixteen fragments belonging to 8 vessels were found in kurgan 1 of the Kyzylzhartas burial ground. There were 40 fragments from 7 vessels in kurgan 1 of the burial ground Karazhartas-2. Both burial grounds are located at a distance of 2.6 km from each other on the territory of the Shet district of the Karaganda region. The studied burial mounds date back to the 7th–5th centuries BC. According to external features, the ceramics from the two burial mounds are very close to each other. The results of technical and technological analysis showed that, in terms of manufacturing methods, this ceramics is similar to pottery from the settlements of Central Kazakhstan.

As a consequence of agricultural intensification and habitat fragmentation since the mid-20th century, biological diversity has declined considerably throughout the world, particularly in Europe. We assessed how habitat and landscape-scale heterogeneity, such as variation in fragment size (small vs. large) and landscape configuration (measured as connectivity index), affect plant and arthropod diversity. We focused on arthropods with different feeding behaviour and mobility, spiders (predators, moderate dispersal), true bugs (mainly herbivores and omnivores with moderate dispersal), wild bees (pollinators with good dispersal abilities), and wasps (pollinators, omnivores with good dispersal abilities). We studied 60 dry grassland fragments in the same region (Hungarian Great Plain); 30 fragments were represented by the grassland component of forest-steppe stands, and 30 were situated on burial mounds (kurgans). Forest-steppes are mosaics of dry grasslands with small forests in a matrix of plantation forests. Kurgans are ancient burial mounds with moderately disturbed grasslands surrounded by agricultural fields. The size of fragments ranged between 0.16–6.88 ha (small: 0.16–0.48 ha, large: 0.93–6.88 ha) for forest-steppes and 0.01–0.44 ha (small: 0.01–0.10 ha and large: 0.20–0.44 ha) for kurgans. Fragments also represented an isolation gradient from almost cleared and homogenous landscapes, to landscapes with relatively high compositional heterogeneity. Fragment size, connectivity, and their interaction affected specialist and generalist species abundances of forest-steppes and kurgans. Large fragments had higher species richness of ground-dwelling spiders, and the effect of connectivity was more strongly positive for specialist arthropods and more strongly negative for generalists in large than in small fragments. However, we also found a strong positive impact of connectivity for generalist plants in small kurgans in contrast to larger ones. We conclude that besides the well-known effect of enhancing habitat quality, increasing connectivity between fragments by restoring natural and semi-natural habitat patches would help to maintain grassland biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diaspora studies penetrating into the Polish-Siberian theme since the late 1990s focused as a rule on the study of stable institutions, social organizations created by migrants for the preservation and development of ethnic community, and articulation of ethnic interests. However, such organizations among the Siberian Poles appeared only in the late XIX-early XX centuries. To understand the ethnic processes that took place among Polish migrants in the earlier period, the study of informal social ties of Polish migrants, various elements of group solidarity and communication systems becomes of paramount importance. The purpose of this study is to reconstruct, on the basis of office documentation and correspondence, the communication strategies of exiled participants in the revolts of the 1863-1864 on the example of two cities of Tobolsk province, namely, Kurgan and Tara. As a result of the study, we recorded the existence of a fraternity in Tara, covering most of the Poles who lived in the city. The self-organization of the exiles was facilitated by the presence of ready-made social structures – large traditional families and the system of communication between them that has developed at home. The emersion of the community in Kurgan was the result of the efforts of a group of exiled nobles who had a good education. In the conditions of a limited social status, and the absence of rich compatriots, the social value of this community turned out to be insufficient to become the center of attraction for Poles.

Cultural interactions between the societies of Old Europe and the Steppe ‘Kurgan people’ played a significant role in the academic writings of Maria Gimbutas. In her texts, the interplay between mentioned human groups was described as a dichotomy and was put into a framework of violent struggle. Three waves of destructive intrusion of steppe pastorals were reconstructed and the determinative role of ‘kurgan people’ in the spread of Indo-European nations was described (Gimbutas, 1993). However, although Gimbutas’ model is still influential and is used as a methodological framework for the most recent genomic studies (Haak et al., 2015), (Allentoft et al., 2015), (Juras et al., 2018), (Scorrano et al., 2021), there are certain archaeological data that allow suggesting a more complicated interaction than simple ‘east-to-west’ migration. In the current paper, we will publish a rare example of a kurgan burial with mixed Late Trypillia and ‘steppe’ traits, excavated by one of the authors in 1989 near the village of Pomichna. The context of similar burials discovered in the south of Eastern Europe between the South Buh and Dnieper rivers will be provided. The emergence of the Serezlievka local group with a hybrid Trypillia-steppe identity at the end of the 4th millennium BC will be conceptualized.

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Introduction. The article introduces results of studies of animal bones excavated by the archaeological expedition of Kalmyk Research Institute of History, Philology and Economics (with E. V. Tsutskin as leading scientist) from Late Sarmatian burials within the Kermen Tolga Mound Group in the Sarpa Lowlands in 1979. Goals. The paper provides detailed descriptions of the animal bone remains, identifies their species composition, enumerates and compares the samples. Results. The study shows all the investigated Late Sarmatian burials of the Kermen Tolga Mound Group contained bone remains of only one domesticated animal — sheep (Ovis aries). Conclusions. The analysis of bone materials described in the field summary report and stored at Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS reveals that seven of the ten female burials excavated were containing bones of the back right leg, while in four of the six male burials there were found bones of the back left leg. The conclusions are preliminary but there is a definite relationship between the gender of each single buried individual and the side of animal’s body used therein. This may indicate the earlier unnoticed element of Late Sarmatian funeral rites

This paper proposes three measures for a new archaeological study on the Silk Road. First, a systematic understanding is required for the archaeological achievements on the Silk Road made during the Soviet Era before the 1990s. Nowadays, many scholars in East Asia, including South Korea, rely on literature written mainly in English to study and understand the Silk Road. However, the Silk Road’s archaeological excavations were mostly made before the 1990s, that is, they were not well known in South Korea and the West. Therefore, a systematic understanding of those achievements can be the basis of new international research. Bernshtam’s achievements representing the studies until the 1960s are good examples. They have recently led to the joint publication of an art catalog on South Korea and Kazakhstan’s gold culture. Second, we should move away from the narrow nationalism advocated by nowindependent countries and pursue the research at the international level. The real value of the Silk Road should lie in finding common ground beyond borders and ideology. Thus, it is necessary to understand the research trends in individual countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. The Asian Archaeology conference held annually by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage of South Korea is one of excellent examples of such an effort. Finally, archaeological research on the Silk Road should move forward not just as an academic pursuit but also as a means of global cultural cooperation. In this regard, active collaboration with international organizations, such as UNESCO, is crucial. As such, if these three aspects are considered together, the international archaeological research on the Silk Road led by South Korea in the new phase of the 21st century will contribute to the Silk Road research in the new era.

The chronosequence of paleosols buried under structures of different ages in kurgan 1 of the Boldyrevo IV burial site in Orenburg oblast of Russia has been studied. The kurgan was built by representatives of the early (Repino) stage of the Yamnaya culture (about 5500 years ago) and included four successively made structures. According to archaeological data, the kurgan was built during decades, and 300-year-long interval was determined by radiocarbon dating. During that period, the morphological and physicochemical properties of buried soils changed: the lower boundary of the humus horizon became more tonguing; the degree of zooturbation of the profiles by burrowing animals increased; the organic carbon content dropped; and the contents of carbonate carbon, gypsum, and exchangeable sodium in the composition of exchangeable bases and magnetic susceptibility increased. The trend of changes in morphological properties, in the content of organic carbon and carbonates, and in magnetic susceptibility in the materials from the early to late kurgan structures correlated with that for the soils buried under them. Our study enables us to suggest that the climate during the analyzed period (the early stage of the Yamnaya culture) was more arid than the modern climate. The technological approaches used by the ancient builders for kurgan construction were revealed on the basis of data on the micromorphology and physicochemical properties of the materials of kurgan structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kurgans are the custodians of outstanding archaeological, natural and environmental-historical value in the lowland landscape of Eastern Europe, which has been continuously transformed over millennia by agricultural activity. Their protection and study are, therefore, essential. By comparative soil and sedimentological analysis of the soil levels buried during the kurgans' construction, the levels of buried soil, and the recent surface soil, we can gain information on the environmental changes of the second half of the Holocene; we can also gain information about how the activity of humans, even in the case of prehistoric cultures, can cause changes in the soil and environment on a local scale, beyond the regional scale. The aim of our research was to conduct a geoarchaeological examination of the Császárné Mound, which is one of the kurgans in the Hungarian Great Plain. For this purpose, sedimentological analyses (grain size distribution, magnetic susceptibility measurements), a pollen analysis, and a malacological analysis were carried out on the samples from the Császárné Mound. The complex geoarchaeological investigation of the mound allowed us to distinguish three different construction layers in the kurgan's soil material. Besides the archaeological results, we were able to reconstruct steppe-like environmental conditions before and during construction in the local surroundings of the kurgan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Cultural heritage and natural beauties in urban destinations with high touristic infrastructure and superstructure opportunities, with using effective marketing and promotion activities enable them to gain a strong image and competitive advantage in international tourism markets. Turkestan city, located in Kazakhstan, has cultural attractions with its location on the Silk Road route, its declaration as a "spiritual capital" by the Turkic Council, the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Tomb, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and its historical kurgans. In this context, the urban tourism potential of Turkestan will be evaluated and suggestions for promotion and marketing will be presented. The study is meaningful and important in terms of offering marketing alternatives to future academic studies and sectoral applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until now, the well-known Kurgans in northwestern Iran were associated with burial mounds containing burial pits;however, discoveries in 2018 revealed mounds lacking human burials indicating still unknown rituals and ceremonies.Shahliq Kurgan, 178 km northeast of Tabriz, is one of such Kurgans. Before the construction of Peygham-Chay Damby East Azerbaijan Regional Water Authority, the survey and identification of archaeological sites at the dam sitewas done in 2014 in order to save the historical-cultural monuments at risk of being submerged. The first season ofrescue excavation began in 2018. The architecture of the mound, abundant stone tools, sacrificial offerings as wellas ash deposits, indicate that the mound had been a place for some special rituals and ceremonies during the earlyfirst millennium BCE. The ash material recovered from the site suggested the tradition of cremation, a hypothesisrejected in later anthropological experiments. It may also be one of the first sites where fire was set in an openspace for ritual purposes, since the large volume of ash could be evidence for this idea. The evidences for ecologicalsequence obtained from deposits underneath a stone structure indicate that during the period of establishment ofhuman settlements in Bronze Age, metal extraction and smelting and extensive use of forest resources caused thevegetation to turn from dense forests into scattered shrubs. The present study is based on field excavations as wellas library resources to study the function of burial-deprived kurgans following a descriptive analytic approach.

"Taştar Ata" is one of the sacred places located in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Taştar Ata is also a kurgan where stone balbals, oboos, votive trees, petroglyphs, traditional Kyrgyz house Boz Üy, are located, where traces of old Turkish folk beliefs blended with Islam and new forms of old Turkish folk beliefs are seen, where worship and rituals are held for various purposes. Kyrgyz Turks often visit places they consider sacred, ancestral graves and such places to pray to the souls of their ancestors, pay their respects to them, sacrifice, wish health, children, money, work, etc., and to ask for protection from ancestral spirits. During these visits, several cult mountains, stones, ancestors, the dead, fire, trees, etc., intertwined in religious practices and rituals, are revealed. In this study, other intertwined cults, especially the cult of ancestors that reached from animist period to Islamic period in Taştar Ata, is sacred for the Kyrgyz Turks, were examined and evaluated in terms of visits to sacred places and their functions. In addition, the use of treatment based on the conversion of substance abuse and mental problems into stone for the purpose of treatment and rehabilitation at Taştar Ata, is carried out by physicians within the medical center of substance-alcohol dependent people, "Lapidopycoterapy" (LPT], has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Determination of the rocks used for the building of the 4th millennium BCE megalithic construction in Novooleksandrivka (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine) as well as establishing the places of their probable provenance. Methodology. The study was performed using the method of comparative mineralogical and petrographic analysis in thin sections of the building stone and the rocks from the outcrops in the valleys of the rivers Mokra Sura and Dnipro. The chemical composition of the petrographically identical rocks was also compared using X-ray fluorescence analysis. Findings. Nine specimens of rocks that represent all the species of granitoids used for the cromlech-crepidoma construction of the Novooleksandrivka kurgan “Sura-Oba” were analyzed. As a result of the conducted research, it was ascertained that they are represented by plagiogranites (trondhjemites), tonalites, granite gneisses, migmatites and pegmatites. Besides, some granitoids comprise small xenoliths of biotite gneiss. All the indicated rocks are characteristic for the occurrences of the Surskyi and Dnipropetrovskyi plagiogranitoid complexes, widespread in the valley of the river Morka Sura – the right tributary of the river Dnipro, where the monument is directly located. Granitoids with the massive structure were most likely to be delivered from the occurrences located upstream of the river Mokra Sura in the village of Sursko-Lytovske. Migmatites and gneiss-like granites occur both downstream and upstream of the river from the village of Novooleksandrivka. Originality. For the first time, the building stone of the megalithic construction, discovered during the excavations of the “Sura-Oba” kurgan in the village of Novooleksandrivka (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine) has been studied using mineralogical and petrographic analysis; in addition, the probable places of its extraction were determined. Practical value. The results obtained can be used in conducting research on history and archaeology, as well as in popular science works and excursion activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article analyzes the metal fibulae found in 2 burials: the first one in the burial No. 4 from the Kholmskoe cemetery and the second one in the burial No.7 from the kurgan No. 1 near to the Nikolskoe village. These burials appear in most of the generalizing works as the most ancient Sarmatian monuments of the North-Western Black Sea Region, although their exact date is still debatable. Furthermore, the researchers date the complex from the burial Kholmskoe to the different time periods such as: the beginning / first half / the end of the 1st century BC, or even later time.While the burial near to the Nikolskoe village is dated by various time intervals – from the second half of the 3rd century BC to the middle of the 2nd century BC. Acquaintance with the original fibula from the burial No. 4 of the Kholmskoe cemetery, stored in the Odessa Archaeological Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, has allowed the author to identify this sample with the latest form of fibula of the Early La Tene scheme, which existed in the 2nd century BC, possibly in the second half of this century. Additionally, the fibula from the burial No.7 of the kurgan close to the Nikolskoye village should be dated within the 2nd century BC, since it belongs to the “dismembered” fibulae of the Middle La Tene scheme. It is important to highlight that both items, regardless of their narrow dating, are undoubtedly more ancient artifacts compared to the majority of fibulae of the Northern Black Sea region, marking the earliest Sarmatian monuments in the region. Sarmatian antiquities, which are synchronous to the mentioned particular artifacts are inherent only to the Volga-Don steppes and further to the east. In this regard, it is more relevant to correlate the studied complexes under consideration with the simultaneous and territorially close monuments of the Tiraspol group, reasonably associated with the Late Scythian culture.

The report introduces study materials of new kurgans dating back to the early Iron Age of Central Kazakhstan. Monuments are located in the eastern part of the Karaganda region. Geographically, this territory is part of the Kazakh Upland’s eastern region. In three cemeteries located at the area of Mount Aiyrtas, 8 kurgans were excavated. Mounds of 5–13 m in diameter and 0.2–1.2 m tall are built of earth and stone. Eachmound contains one grave. Dead bodies are placed head to the northwest. Despite the fact the kurgans were heavily robbed, the data about the funeral rite demonstrate important aspects of the of the ancient population culture of this region, as well as the found objects do. According to archaeological data, the monuments belong to the Tasmola culture of the Saka tribes time period. The materials obtained indicate that representatives of the ordinary population are buried at the studied sites. Monuments are dating back to VII–V centuries BC. The study of monuments left by the lower class is a poorly researched aspect of tasmol culture’s population, so it is very important. The data accumulated by now have been obtained from burials being widely scattered over a large area. Studying small mounds in places of their accumulation is more promising, though. One of such places is Aiyrtas valley, where large number of small mounds is located, as parts of nearby cemeteries. There are still some unexcavated kurgans in Aiyrtas-2 kurgan cemetery remaining. As it is known, a complete study of burial grounds makes it possible to draw more substantiated conclusions about the social structure of ancient society. There are other burial grounds in the area, including elite kurgans.

During the second half of the Holocene, the Russian Plain experienced several climatic oscillations giving rise to changing vegetation patterns. The spatial variability of vegetation changes and its effects on soils is still a matter of debate. In the present study landscape response to Holocene climatic cycles was analysed on the base of detailed morphological, chemical and microbiomorphic analyses of a paleosol buried under the kurgan of the Abashevo culture (Middle Bronze Age) and a surface soil. Both soils located at the Tokhmeyevo kurgan cemetery (the Middle Volga region, Chuvash Republic, Russia) developed from the same parent material (mantle loam), at the same elevation and in close proximity to each other. Both soils, classified as Retisols, show a similar morphology and key analytical features indicating similar environment. The pollen and phytolith spectra confirm that both buried and surface soils formed under similar forest vegetation. The buried and surface soils at the Tokhmeyevo cemetery could be compared with the previously studied soils of the Sareevo settlement of the Early Iron Age and the Taushkasy kurgan cemetery of the Bronze Age. These studies confirm the stability of the forest environment at the southern boundary of the forest belt since the Bronze Age. At the same time, the buried soil at the Tokhmeyevo cemetery has a thick mollic horizon and black organic coatings overlaying brown clay cutans in the argic horizons, which sets it apart from the surface soil. The radiocarbon dates for the humus in the mollic horizon and black coatings in the argic horizon are surprisingly close to each other (about 5.5 cal ka BP and 5.2 cal ka BP, respectively). The data indicate that the black cutans are derived from degradation of the mollic horizon caused by a sudden increase in humidity during the episodes of extreme summer rainfall events. Our study also prove that the Abashevo people had complicated burial funeral rites. The earth mounds are made of the upper horizons of soils cut off from the surface in the vicinity. The central part of the mound consists of soil bricks with albic material used for the interior, while artificially rumpled material of the argic horizon was used for coverage. The use of albic and artificially rumpled material of argic horizon for earth mound construction implies the similarity between the buried and surface soils since the Bronze Age until today. Thus, the study of such construction techniques is important both for archaeology and paleogeography (paleopedology). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]