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Studies of artefacts from Corded Ware culture graves in western Lesser Poland have demonstrated that raw materials originating from the eastern Świętokrzyskie region take a leading role: Świeciechów flint (for the production of axes), and chocolate flint (for making flake and blade tools). New data obtained through the study of settlement sites in the vicinity of Kraków have highlighted the significant role of another hitherto little-noticed raw material: K-type flint (otherwise known as the Wielka Wieś type). This raw material was used mainly for the production of core tools. Workshops producing axes from this flint were discovered on the right bank of the Vistula River in the area between Kraków-Bieżanow and Zakrzów. Tools made from K-type flint appear in Final Eneolithic graves north of Kraków as well, and another production centre is known from this region, near Ojców. The provenance of the raw materials used in the vicinity of Ojców and in the Kraków-Bieżanów - Zakrzów area remains undetermined. Hypothetically, two deposits with different locations were used. In light of new discoveries made during large-scale rescue research projects, the raw material preferences in Final Eneolithic Lesser Poland seem more complex than previously believed, and they varied from micro-region to micro-region.

The origins of horseback riding remain elusive. Scientific studies show that horses were kept for their milk similar to 3500 to 3000 BCE, widely accepted as indicating domestication. However, this does not confirm them to be ridden. Equipment used by early riders is rarely preserved, and the reliability of equine dental and mandibular pathol-ogies remains contested. However, horsemanship has two interacting components: the horse as mount and the human as rider. Alterations associated with riding in human skeletons therefore possibly provide the best source of information. Here, we report five Yamnaya individuals well-dated to 3021 to 2501 calibrated BCE from kurgans in Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary, displaying changes in bone morphology and distinct pathologies associated with horseback riding. These are the oldest humans identified as riders so far.

On the Nad Wawrem site in Złota, unique instances of stratigraphic sequences were recorded, involving materials linked to the Globular Amphora culture and Corded Ware culture. This article discusses these sequences and presents hitherto unpublished materials that may contribute to the study of the decline of the Eneolithic in Małopolska. The stratigraphic sequences involve the presence of pottery belonging to the older phase of the Corded Ware culture in pits related to the Globular Amphora culture and the intercutting of Globular Amphora settlement features by Corded Ware graves. In settlement pits, besides dominating materials of the Globular Amphora culture, pottery typical of the older phase of the Corded Ware culture was discovered. Corded Ware niche graves, in turn, were clearly younger than the Globular Amphora settlement pits they cut into. The study of the sequences reveals the complexity of cultural relations on the Sandomierz Upland in the first half of the 3rd millennium BC. An interesting aspect is the cross-border nature of the pottery often treated as a clear cultural marker. Substantiated by absolute dating, the synchronous development model of the Globular Amphora culture, the older phase of the Corded Ware culture and the Złota culture is reflected in the peculiarity of recorded pottery assemblages.

Due to postmortem DNA degradation, most ancient genomes sequenced to date have low depth of coverage, preventing the true underlying genotypes from being recovered. Genotype imputation has been put forward to improve genotyping accuracy for low-coverage genomes. However, it is unknown to what extent imputation of ancient genomes produces accurate genotypes and whether imputation introduces bias to downstream analyses. To address these questions, we downsampled 43 ancient genomes, 42 of which are high-coverage (above 10x) and three constitute a trio (mother, father and son), from different times and continents to simulate data with coverage in the range of 0.1x-2.0x and imputed these using state-of-the-art methods and reference panels. We assessed imputation accuracy across ancestries and depths of coverage. We found that ancient and modern DNA imputation accuracies were comparable. We imputed most of the 42 high-coverage genomes downsampled to 1x with low error rates (below 5%) and estimated higher error rates for African genomes, which are underrepresented in the reference panel. We used the ancient trio data to validate imputation and phasing results using an orthogonal approach based on Mendel’s rules of inheritance. This resulted in imputation and switch error rates of 1.9% and 2.0%, respectively, for 1x genomes. We further compared the results of downstream analyses between imputed and high-coverage genomes, notably principal component analysis (PCA), genetic clustering, and runs of homozygosity (ROH). For these three approaches, we observed similar results between imputed and high-coverage genomes using depths of coverage of at least 0.5x, except for African genomes, for which the decreased imputation accuracy impacted ROH estimates. Altogether, these results suggest that, for most populations and depths of coverage as low as 0.5x, imputation is a reliable method with potential to expand and improve ancient DNA studies.

This article discusses the absolute chronology of collective burials of the Trzciniec Cultural Circle communities of the Middle Bronze Age in East Central Europe. Based on Bayesian modeling of 91 accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates from 18 cemeteries, the practice of collective burying of individuals was linked to a period of 400–640 (95.4%) years, between 1830–1690 (95.4%) and 1320–1160 (95.4%) BC. Collective burials in mounds with both cremation and inhumation rites were found earliest in the upland zone regardless of grave structure type (mounded or flat). Bayesian modeling of 14C determinations suggests that this practice was being transmitted generally from the southeast to the northwest direction. Bayesian modeling of the dates from the largest cemetery in Żerniki Górne, Lesser Poland Upland, confirmed the duration of use of the necropolis as ca. 140–310 (95.4%) years. Further results show the partial contemporaneity of burials and allow formulation of a spatial and temporal development model of the necropolis. Based on the investigation, some graves were used over just a couple of years and others over nearly 200, with up to 30 individuals found in a single grave.

Objective In this work we aim to investigate the origins and genetic affinities of Bronze Age populations (2,400-1,100 BC) from the region of southern Poland and to trace maternal kinship patterns present in the burials of those populations by the use of complete mitochondrial genomes. Materials and methods We performed ancient DNA analyses for Bronze Age individuals from present-day Poland associated with the Strzyzow culture, the Mierzanowice culture, and the Trzciniec Cultural circle. To obtain complete mitochondrial genomes, we sequenced genomic libraries using Illumina platform. Additionally, hybridization capture was used to enrich some of the samples for mitochondrial DNA. AMS 14 C-dating was conducted for 51 individuals to verify chronological and cultural attribution of the analyzed samples. Results Complete ancient mitochondrial genomes were generated for 80 of the Bronze Age individuals from present-day Poland. The results of the population genetic analyses indicate close maternal genetic affinity between Mierzanowice, Trzciniec, and Corded Ware culture-associated populations. This is in contrast to the genetically more distant Strzyzow people that displayed closer maternal genetic relation to steppe populations associated with the preceding Yamnaya culture and Catacomb culture, and with later Scythians. Potential maternal kinship relations were identified in burials of Mierzanowice and Trzciniec populations analyzed in this study. Discussion Results revealed genetic continuity from the Late Neolithic Corded Ware groups to Bronze Age Mierzanowice and Trzciniec-associated populations, and possible additional genetic contribution from the steppe to the formation of the Strzyzow-associated group at the end of 3rd millennium BC. Mitochondrial patterns indicated several pairs of potentially maternally related individuals mostly in Trzciniec-associated group.

We present the first ancient DNA data from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Mesopotamia (Southeastern Turkey and Northern Iraq), Cyprus, and the Northwestern Zagros, along with the first data from Neolithic Armenia. We show that these and neighboring populations were formed through admixture of pre-Neolithic sources related to Anatolian, Caucasus, and Levantine hunter-gatherers, forming a Neolithic continuum of ancestry mirroring the geography of West Asia. By analyzing Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic populations of Anatolia, we show that the former were derived from admixture between Mesopotamian-related and local Epipaleolithic-related sources, but the latter experienced additional Levantine-related gene flow, thus documenting at least two pulses of migration from the Fertile Crescent heartland to the early farmers of Anatolia., National Institutes of Health [GM100233, HG012287]; John Templeton Foundation [61220]; Allen Discovery Center program; Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group advised program of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The newly reported dataset is described in detail in an accompanying Research Article, where we also acknowledge the funders who supported dataset generation (12). Analysis of data was supported by the National Institutes of Health (GM100233 and HG012287), the John Templeton Foundation (grant 61220), a private gift from Jean-Francois Clin, the Allen Discovery Center program, a Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group advised program of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (D.R.).

Literary and archaeological sources have preserved a rich history of Southern Europe and West Asia since the Bronze Age that can be complemented by genetics. Mycenaean period elites in Greece did not differ from the general population and included both people with some steppe ancestry and others, like the Griffin Warrior, without it. Similarly, people in the central area of the Urartian Kingdom around Lake Van lacked the steppe ancestry characteristic of the kingdom's northern provinces. Anatolia exhibited extraordinary continuity down to the Roman and Byzantine periods, with its people serving as the demographic core of much of the Roman Empire, including the city of Rome itself. During medieval times, migrations associated with Slavic and Turkic speakers profoundly affected the region., National Institutes of Health [GM100233, HG012287]; John Templeton Foundation [61220]; Allen Discovery Center program; Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group advised program of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The newly reported dataset is described in detail in an accompanying manuscript, where we also acknowledge the funders who supported dataset generation (1). Analysis of data was supported by the National Institutes of Health (GM100233 and HG012287), the John Templeton Foundation (grant 61220), a private gift from Jean-Francois Clin, the Allen Discovery Center program, a Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group advised program of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (to D.R.).

The barrows of the Yamnaya culture located along the middle Dniester River (southern Ukraine, Yampil region) became a matter of concern for a Polish-Ukrainian archaeological expedition. As a result of this joint effort, a series of earlier studies of the barrows were published and additional excavations were conducted. A total of seven barrows located at four archaeological sites were excavated. Consequently, a variety of new materials were obtained, which made it possible to perform extensive specialist analyses (radiocarbon, isotope, and aDNA, among others). The results of this research show a broader picture of local Yamnaya culture communities, allowing a comparison with Central European Corded Ware culture communities and contributing immensely to the discussion regarding the relations between these groups. 124 145 Treasures of Time: Research of the Faculty of Archaeology of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

The borderland of the Vistula Plain and the Proszowice Plateau is part of the loess zone extending mainly to the north of the Vistula River, known for numerous discoveries of archaeological sites from the Eneolithic period and the early Bronze Age. The state of reconnaissance of settlement is far from satisfactory here. From the final Eneolithic period primarily cemeteries of the Corded Ware culture (around 2800–2300 BC) are known. Falling within this age range is probably the only burial mound in the area, in Igołomia, which yielded a niche grave of the Corded Ware culture within the eastern part of its cover. Another cemetery was investigated in Rudno Górne, where niche graves of the culture in question were found dug into the embankments of Funnel Beaker culture megalithic graves from the middle Eneolithic period. From the early Bronze Age, the richest and most cognitively significant sites of the Mierzanowice culture (around 2200–1600 BC) are concentrated on loess hills rising above the valleys of Ropotek and Rudnik. They are both cemeteries and large settlements. Particularly valuable results were obtained during research on the cemetery in Szarbia, where as many as 44 graves were found. These findings enable the reconstruction of funeral rite rules from the early Bronze Age.

In the interwar period, in the northern part of the village of Pobiednik Wielki in today’s district of Kraków, a backup landing pad of the 2nd Aviation Regiment was built, based at Rakowice-Czyżyny airport in Kraków. From 1 to 4 September 1939, various air units of this regiment were stationed in Pobiednik – two squadrons of the Cracow III/2 Fighter Squadron (Nos 121 and 122), as well as planes of the 23rd and 26th Observation Squadron and Liaison Platoon No. 3. Fighter aircraft took off from here to fight German air bomber raids, and reconnaissance planes worked for the land units of the „Kraków” Army. The stay at the airstrip in Pobiednik, lasting only a few dozen hours, was an intensely active time for the Kraków aviation units.

The aim of this paper is to present the multidimensional characteristics of the feature number 4 at the site in Wilczyce located on the Sandomierz Upland. During exploration of the pit rich flint material, fragments of pottery vessels and animal bones were found and just above the bottom a “deposit” involved a human skull of the young female, two cattle mandibles, a sheep/goat tibia and astragalus, a damaged cattle scapula and radius, and a polishing stone were deposited. The C14 date obtained from the tooth from the cattle jaw was 3790 ± 35 BP. Based on the shape and the size of discovered feature it is possible to classify it as a typical storage pit but presence of “deposit” enable to postulate a ritual character of assemblage that reflect some kind of burial practices of the Mierzanowice culture. Rituals in the form of interring the dead or parts of their bodies can be found also in the Unietice culture so such features may indicate the emergence of a certain supra- -regional and cross-cultural trend in the early Bronze Age.

Graves from the Final Eneolithic period are very common in the loess uplands of western Lesser Poland (Małopolska). Their predominant form is a catacomb construction, related to the Kraków-Sandomierz group of the Corded Ware culture. A grave from Aleksandrowice, Kraków district, belongs to a smaller group of features known from the western border of this region. The grave goods are comprised of a stone battle-axe and a long blade knife, and the bones of the burial have not survived due to unfavourable soil conditions. The grave construction and the type of furnishing allow us to suppose that the grave was originally covered with a barrow. The faceted stone battle-axe with western stylistic connotations (Bohemia, Central Germany) is a unique find. It is the first find of this type in the western part of Lesser Poland. Based on the nature of the finds, the grave can be dated to around 2700–2500 BC, which means to the younger stage of the “barrow phase” of the Corded Ware culture.

Grave 3/2016 from site 3 in Węgrzce, Comm. Zielonki, Kraków District was discovered during archaeological excavations preceding construction of a detached house. This was a niche grave, holding two burials: a male aged 38–47 years, and a child 4–5 years old. The recorded funeral rite is characteristic of a cluster of Corded Ware culture cemeteries on the lower Dłubnia River, near Kraków. A vessel recovered from the grave reveals local features characteristic of that cluster. One radiocarbon age determination was obtained for the burial, pointing to ca. 2470–2350 BC as the most likely range. Thus, the grave links with the younger phase of the Final Eneolithic in Lesser Poland.

Significance We sequenced the genomes of 15 skeletons from a 5,000-y-old mass grave in Poland associated with the Globular Amphora culture. All individuals had been brutally killed by blows to the head, but buried with great care. Genome-wide analyses demonstrate that this was a large extended family and that the people who buried them knew them well: mothers are buried with their children, and siblings next to each other. From a population genetic viewpoint, the individuals are clearly distinct from neighboring Corded Ware groups because of their lack of steppe-related ancestry. Although the reason for the massacre is unknown, it is possible that it was connected with the expansion of Corded Ware groups, which may have resulted in violent conflict., The third millennium BCE was a period of major cultural and demographic changes in Europe that signaled the beginning of the Bronze Age. People from the Pontic steppe expanded westward, leading to the formation of the Corded Ware complex and transforming the genetic landscape of Europe. At the time, the Globular Amphora culture (3300–2700 BCE) existed over large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, but little is known about their interaction with neighboring Corded Ware groups and steppe societies. Here we present a detailed study of a Late Neolithic mass grave from southern Poland belonging to the Globular Amphora culture and containing the remains of 15 men, women, and children, all killed by blows to the head. We sequenced their genomes to between 1.1- and 3.9-fold coverage and performed kinship analyses that demonstrate that the individuals belonged to a large extended family. The bodies had been carefully laid out according to kin relationships by someone who evidently knew the deceased. From a population genetic viewpoint, the people from Koszyce are clearly distinct from neighboring Corded Ware groups because of their lack of steppe-related ancestry. Although the reason for the massacre is unknown, it is possible that it was connected with the expansion of Corded Ware groups, which may have resulted in competition for resources and violent conflict. Together with the archaeological evidence, these analyses provide an unprecedented level of insight into the kinship structure and social behavior of a Late Neolithic community.

Broomcorn millet is one of the most important plants species in pre-history. It was first domesticated in China and subsequently spread across Eurasia becoming a significant staple crop. For a long time, the arrival of millet into Europe was assumed to have taken place in the Neolithic. However, this has recently been challenged, with new direct radiocarbon measurements on reportedly Neolithic charred millet grains in fact dating to the Middle Bronze Age. To aid in understanding the timing of millet's spread across East-Central Europe in the Bronze Age we present the results of over 120 new paired radiocarbon dates and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) measurements on human bone collagen from individuals across 33 archaeological sites in Poland and western Ukraine. In doing so we directly assess millet's role in the Bronze Age diets. Our results show a clear increase in bone collagen δ13C values from the middle 15th century BC onwards. This increase is rapid across the whole study area, occurring almost simultaneously with respect to the precision of our radiocarbon dates. Pilot stable isotope data for contemporary animals suggests that they were not foddered with millet and hence it was probably eaten directly by humans. Interestingly, individuals consuming millet appear to be exclusive to geographically upland regions compared to lowland ones. However, not all individuals from upland zone have δ13C values consistent with millet consumption. Based on the stable isotope evidence for upland millet consumption and the well documented evidence for connections between these people and those in the northern Carpathian Basin at this time, we posit that it is through this route, across the Carpathians, that millet was introduced into the region. An increase of its economic importance in Lesser Poland was plausibly caused by a significant growth in human populations.

The grave of the Globular Amphora culture from site 2 in Koszyce, near Kraków, has already been the subject of a separate monograph and specialised analyses. This article addresses the chronology of the mass burial, resulting from a comparison of 23 radiocarbon dates obtained in three laboratories. The chronometric data were then juxtaposed with the results of isotopic analyses of strontium (87Sr/86Sr), carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). The analysis of the results indicates that the burial from Koszyce should most likely be dated to around 2880–2870 BC, which is slightly earlier than assumed in previous studies. It comes from a time when the Final Eneolithic barrow communities of the Corded Ware culture had already been present in the loess uplands of western Lesser Poland, and the burial ritual of some of the GAC groups was evolving towards the ritual of the Złota culture. The similar dating of these cultural phenomena makes it difficult to determine which community was responsible for the mass murder committed at Koszyce.

The article presents new radiocarbon datings made for a funeral complex from Malice, site 1, located on the Sandomierz Upland and related to the Globular Amphora culture. The complex included at least two human graves (features no. 32 and 33) and two animal deposits or sacrificial pits (no. 31 and probably 54). Feature 32 was a collective grave including five burials (of a male, a female and three children), while in Feature 33 the only one disarticulated human skeleton has been excavated. Pit 31 contained at least three animal individuals. It is possible the unexamined Pit 54 also contained animal depositions. The described features probably formed two clusters, each of which included a human grave and an accompanying pit with animal deposits. Altogether ten radiocarbon dates were obtained with the dated bone samples coming from five human skeletons found in Graves 32 and 33, and animal remains from Pit 31. The calibration results point to the first half of the 3rd millennium BC and stay between 2909 and 2472 BC (with the probability of 95.4%) or more precisely between 2898 and 2490 BC (probability of 68.2%). However, thanks to the stratigraphic documentation it was possible to determine that five deceased from Feature 32 were buried in three phases most likely to ca. 2850–2750 BC. It is highly probable that individual burials were separated by short time intervals. A similar age should be adopted for Feature 31 – a sacrificial pit linked to Grave 32. However, it is not possible to determine with any certainty the age of Grave 33: it could have been contemporaneous with, or slightly younger (ca 2620–2500 BC) than Feature 32.

Archaeological excavations at site 20, Święte, Radymno Commune, Jarosław District, were prompted by construction of the A4 motorway. Among the results the site has yielded there are two Corded Ware graves. Both of them are niche constructions datable to the younger Corded Ware phase in Małopolska. Accommodating three interments, grave 43 is particularly interesting for the re-use of its burial chamber and re-deposition of disarticulated older human remains. Grave goods within the graves are typical of the younger Corded Ware phase, with parallels found at closely located sites of the Lower San Valley and Rzeszów Foothills. The absolute date range for both graves has been determined to be ca. 2550-2400 BC.

This study discusses the issue of ‘animal deposits’ in funerary practices of early barrow communities settling the Black Sea steppe and forest-steppe in the 4rd/3nd-2nd millennium. The focus of analytical studies is directly on the Yampil Barrow Cemetery Complex situated along the left bank of the Dniester, between the Murafa and Markivka rivers, or what is the Yampil Region (Vinnitsa Oblast) now. The chorological system developed by N.Ya. Merpert in his “Yamnaya Cultural-Historical Area” places this area within the Southwestern Variant (between the Southern Bug and Danube rivers) as the Yampil (Podolia) territorial centre. From the perspective of the research programme exploring the ‘bio-cultural border land between the West and East of Europe’, the Yampil Barrow Cemetery Complex is of special scholarly interest because of its western most location on the Dniester route of exchange for cultural patterns developed by communities settling the drainage basins of the Black and Baltic seas. The investigations followed the excavations of 23 barrows between 1984 and 2014.

The research on archaeological materials from sites 11, 15, and 20 at Święte produced a series of 13 radiocarbon dates for niche graves of the Corded Ware culture (CWC). The results are coherent and point to a range of 2550-2350 BC. This corresponds well with other results obtained for nearby CWC cemeteries in the Rzeszów Foothills, and is consistent with dates obtained for CWC graves in other regions in Lesser Poland: the Lesser Poland Upland, the Sokal Ridge, and the Lublin Upland. At the same time, the obtained absolute age range corresponds with a wave of influences from the North Pontic circle of steppe cultures and the Middle Dnieper culture. It can be synchronized with the beginning of the development of the classic variants of the Catacomb culture: the Ingul and Doniec variants.

A set of sources embodied by features 1149A and 1149B at Święte 11, Jarosław District, Podkarpackie Province, is one of a kind in Lesser Poland as it includes a vessel associated with steppe cultures of the Northwest Black Sea Coast. The vessel has been discovered in a stratigraphic context that is not fully clear. It probably constituted an offering (trizna) connected with the male burial identified in the niche grave underneath. The vessel appears to be linked to the late Yamnaya/early Catacomb horizon. Such chronological attribution is further supported by an absolute date of the 2nd half of the third millennium BC established for bones. The vessel sits alongside other finds that provide corroboration for connections the population of the younger Corded Ware phase in Lesser Poland had with eastern European regions.

The paper presents δ13C and δ15N isotope content measurements in human bones from 16 graves, being part of the Yampil Barrow Complex. From the results, conclusions may be drawn about the diet of barrow builders and users. It was based on vegetable foodstuffs and characterised by a varied share of terrestrial animal meat, depending on the period. High δ13C values suggest a share of C4-type plants in the diet, possibly millet.

This study explores a Subcarpathian assemblage of Corded Ware funeral materials as evidence obtained over the last decade, with a focus on their research value for studies of the transmission of civilization models embraced by Final Eneolithic/Early Bronze communities settling the border zone between eastern and western Europe. Results of studies on the correspondence among ceremonial traditions that existed in the area between the Dnieper and the Vistula in the third millennium BC are presented, with two stages of adaptation of Black Sea or ‘barrow’ thanatological belief systems by Corded Ware groups in Lesser Poland being highlighted. Chronometric determinations relating to the development of ceremonial centres of the Rzeszów Foothills (Szczytna) and Lower San Valley (Święte) in the context of ‘western intrusions’ of late Yamnaya and Catacomb cultures are considered significant, providing the date range of ca. 2550-2400 BC.

The Corded Ware culture (CWC) cemetery at site 15 in Święte, Radymno Commune, Jarosław District, was researched in 2010-2011 in the context of rescue excavations before the construction of the A4 motorway. Nine features were discovered, including six graves with a niche construction. An analysis of funerary rite traits and relics forming the grave inventory indicates that the above is linked with the later stage of the CWC development in Lesser Poland. Analogical materials are found in the neighbouring sites 11 and 20 in Święte and 7 in Skołoszów. On the basis of radiocarbon dating the chronology of the cemetery complex was defined to the period 2525-2380 BC. An interesting element of grave inventories is vessels analogous to finds from the Middle Dnieper and Catacomb cultures. These point to the ties of communities using the cemetery complex in Święte with those to the east of Lesser Poland – confirmed in the analysis conducted of stable isotopes of strontium.

Ancient DNA was analyzed in altogether 28 Late Eneolithic and Bronze Age human skeletons form 4 sites in southern Ukraine. More than 0,3% of human DNA was preserved only in 13 skeletons. The results of our analyses provide evidence that recovery of DNA molecules suitable for genetic analyses is more dependent on the specificity of the archaeological site and is not strongly correlated with particular environmental factors.

The paper discusses the kurgan burial rites observed by communities inhabiting the eastern part of the Podolie Region in the second half of the 4th and first half of the 3rd millennia BC. The presented data concern finds from four areas: Yampil, Kamienka, Mocra, and Tymkove. The research made it possible to distinguish among the examined material assemblages linked with Late Eneolithic communities. They included graves of the Zhivolitovka-Volchansk type, burials in the extended position, as well as burials representing other cultural traditions (Nizhnaya Mikhailovka, Post-Stog). Materials attributed to the Yamnaya culture prevailed, and their analysis allowed us to trace changes in funeral rituals, reflected in the architecture of graves, arrangement of burials, and grave goods. Materials linked with the late phase of this cultural unit have not been recorded.

The rescue excavations at site 11 in Święte, Radymno Commune, Jarosław District, were conducted prior to the construction of the A4 motorway. Thirteen Corded Ware culture (CWC) features, including eleven graves, were discovered. The Final Eneolithic cemetery was placed in the neighbourhood of FBC graves, possibly at megalithic tombs. Most of the CWC graves have a niche construction – typical of the Lesser Poland funerary rite. The furnishings found in these features are characteristic of Subcarpathia as are inventories from nearby sites in the Lower San Valley and Rzeszów Foothills. Their typo-chronological assessments point to the younger phase of the CWC. Ceramic artefacts include vessels finding analogies in the assemblages of the Middle Dnieper culture and the cultures of the steppe/forest-steppe of the North-Western Black Sea Area. Among the latter is the spectacular find of a round-base pot from Feature 1149B. A series of five dates estimate the origins of the Święte cemetery graves at the interval of 2530-2375 BC.

The present paper discusses the results of an interdisciplinary study of human remains in the form of two ulnae from a female skeleton found in grave 10, Porohy 3A site (Middle Dniester Area), dated to Early Bronze Age: 2650-2500 BC. The paper describes the technical aspects of applying the decorations revealed in the examination of the aforementioned bones.

During the Final Eneolithic the Corded Ware Complex (CWC) emerges, chiefly identified by its specific burial rites. This complex spanned most of central Europe and exhibits demographic and cultural associations to the Yamnaya culture. To study the genetic structure and kin relations in CWC communities, we sequenced the genomes of 19 individuals located in the heartland of the CWC complex region, south-eastern Poland. Whole genome sequence and strontium isotope data allowed us to investigate genetic ancestry, admixture, kinship and mobility. The analysis showed a unique pattern, not detected in other parts of Poland; maternally the individuals are linked to earlier Neolithic lineages, whereas on the paternal side a Steppe ancestry is clearly visible. We identified three cases of kinship. Of these two were between individuals buried in double graves. Interestingly, we identified kinship between a local and a non-local individual thus discovering a novel, previously unknown burial custom.

We describe a methodology of investigation of both Cu metal matrix and its mineral inclusions that aims at increasing the effectiveness of identifying the type of ore used in metal production. We point to sulphosalt ores as the main source of metal for the Final Neolithic/Early Bronze Age copper artefacts from southern Poland. The inclusions, rich in Ag, As, Sb and Sn, document the type of ore, regardless of the metallurgical process leading to depletion of As and Sb. The copper metal should contain neither Sb nor As, hence both of these elements, if originally present in ore, can be preserved only in inclusions. The concentrations of Ag, Sb, As and Sn in the artefacts investigated, the presence of inclusions, and their chemical composition, are the key indicators for the determination of the mineralogical composition of the original ores. Given the high concentrations of Sb, As and Ag in the Cu metal and mineralogy of the inclusions, the ore must have contained varying proportions of Ag-bearing tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe) 12 Sb 4 S 13 and tennantite (Cu,Fe) 12 As 4 S 13 . Mineralogical compositions of the copper ores indicate the deposits in Slovakia (Spania Dolina) as the source of metal for the artefacts investigated. The results of Pb and Cu isotopic analyses carried out for this study support those conclusions.

The paper discusses the 2010-2015 studies of the radiocarbon chronology of Podolia ‘barrow cultures’ on the left bank of the middle dniester . The studies have relied on series of 14 C dates for the Klembivka 1, Pidlisivka 1, Porohy 3a and Prydnistryanske 1 sites determined in Kyiv and Poznań laboratories . They are the first attempt to construct a regional (‘Yampil’) radiocarbon scale for ‘Early Bronze’ funerary rites (4th/3rd-2nd millennium BC) as practised by barrow builders – the communities of the Tripolye and Yamnaya cultures – and the secondary barrow users – the designers of necropolises located on barrows – belonging to the Catacomb, Babyno and Noua cultures. This publication constitutes the fruits of the National Programme for the Development of the Humanities (grant no. 0108/NPH3/H12/82/2014).

The paper presents excavation results and analytical studies concerning the taxonomic classification of a funerary site identified with the communities of the early ‘barrow cultures’ settling the north-western Black Sea Coast in the 4th/3rd-2nd millennium BC. The study focuses on the ceremonial centres of the Eneolithic, Yamnaya, Catacomb and Babyno cultures.

The paper presents the results of excavations and analytical studies regarding the taxonomic classification of a unique funeral site associated with the societies of early ‘barrow cultures’ of the north-western Black Sea Coast in the 4th-3rd millennium BC. The study discusses the ceremonial centres of the Tripolye culture-Gordineşti group, as well as Yamnaya and Catacomb cultures.

The paper presents the results of excavations and analytical studies regarding the taxonomic classification of a funeral site associated with the societies of ‘barrow cultures’ of the north-western Black Sea Coast in the first half of the 3rd and the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. The study discusses the ceremonial centres of the Eneolithic, Yamnaya and Noua cultures. This publication constitutes the fruits of the National Programme for the Development of the Humanities (grant no. 0108/NPH3/H12/82/2014).