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During a survey in Peceneaga, Tulcea county in Dobruja, several settlements and mounds (necropolises) from the 4th century were discovered. Topographic and geophysical surveys of the “Breazu tumulus” and its surroundings have revealed a partially destroyed tumular necropolis, where the barrow with the statue had a stone ring. The presence of a burial chamber below the embankment could not be proven; another burial structure was probably present. On the largest tumulus lay a Scythian stone statue from the 4th century BC. The bearded left-handed warrior was represented with a belt, a gorythos and protective armor on his right thigh. In this time the North Pontic Scythians under Ataias, migrating westward, became increasingly sedentary. A Scythian center of power may have emerged there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the unpublished archives collected by M. K. Kadyrbaev from his field work in Central Kazakhstan in 1955–1979. It provides information on eight stone statues and structures. The authors attributed and dated them in line with the contemporary rules of archeology. One of the statues appeared to belong to the Saka period of the Tasmola culture. Another monument had no obvious analogies but, possibly, was part of a Qipcaq sanctuary. The authors also touched upon some challenging or debatable issues raised by M. K. Kadyrbaev and other expedition members, e.g., the validity of correlating statues without sings of sex with images of women; the secret Polovtsian sanctuary, which have to be studied in the context of similar Qipcaq sites, etc.

The article is devoted to cases of mound robbery recorded during the excavations of the Popov Yar-2 mound group (Donetsk region). The scarce material has made it possible to attribute robbery attempts to the end of the 19th -beginning of the 20th centuries. A special role in planning and organizing the predatory excavations was played by the presence of a stone statue on one of the burial mounds.

Abstract A large stone statue was brought from the Amazon to France in 1848 by the explorer Francis de Castelnau. It depicts a being, apparently human, squatting, with his hands on his chest. Now exhibited at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, this piece created a strong controversy since it was made public. In the mid-19th century, several Brazilian intellectuals strongly criticized the arrogant attitude of the Frenchman who had ‘looted’ their heritage. In reality, the reasons for this conflict are much deeper since they affect the very identity of the nation, then in formation. In any case, even a play was written to mock the explorer. This gave rise to doubts about the authenticity of the object, which has persisted to this day. The authors therefore studied the artifact to determine its cultural origin, while analyzing existing references to compare it with other pieces from the Amazon. They were thus able to validate the statue’s Amerindian identity, nearly 170 years after its discovery.

The results of excavations of barrow with “mustaches” at Atasu river (Central Kazakhstan, Karaganda region) are presented in the paper. Barrows with "mustaches" are a little-studied type of ancient monuments. Monuments of this type were dated back to the periods of the Saks, Huns, Türks. More precise definition of their cultural and chronological affiliation is regarded as difficult but important aim. The barrow with "mustaches" Atasu-2 consists of one rounded stone mound and two stone ridges oriented to the east. In 1977, near the mound was found a stone sculpture of the Saka type. Since 2015, investigation at Atasu area were conducted under the leadership of A.Z. Beisenov. Two pits were discovered under the embankment where the iron arrowheads and items of horse harness were found. Details of horse harness are represented by the different tips of the belts plaques, the head piece and the lining of the forward parts of the saddle flanges. The details of the set are made of an alloy of gold and silver in a polychrome style which has analogies in the archaeological sites of the Hunnish time in Eastern Europe. By analogies the complex is dated by the authors of the middle / second half of the 5th century, and is synchronized with the antiquities of the horizon D2 / D3 of the central European chronology of J. Teiral. The presented materials replenish in science a few information on the Hunnish time of Central Kazakhstan.

The paper introduces into scientific use the materials of the research done on the unique funerary monument of the Early Iron Age – the mound number 6 with a statue of the cemetery Aybas Darasy 3. With the radiocarbon method the burial – one crouched skeleton without any inventory – was dated within the first quarter of the 8th – the last third of the 5th centuries BC. The authors characterize the signs of similarity of Aybas Darasy statue with early Scythian ones; identify correspondence of the depicted object to the real attribute (dagger) in the iconography of the Early Iron Age statues from Saryarka. The assumption about the connection between the burial with the statues is validated (the repeated finding of statues in the context of the Early Iron Age mounds, common direction of the statue’s front face and the buried person’s head, etc.). Comparison of the published site was made with similar sites of the 5th century BC from the South Ural steppes, statues of Saryarka and steppes of the Southern Ural. It is concluded that the appearance of Saryarka statues, like the South Ural ones, was associated with the "Scythian" cultural influence.

Throughout time, plants have been central to human life; plants have provided humans with food, wood, fuel, cosmetics, medicine, and humans have attributed symbolism to plants, including fertility, power, and purity. The Istanbul Archaeology Museum houses many stone statues and sarcophaguses featuring a variety of figures. Among other things, these figures depict fighting, richness, fertility, peace, gods, and plants. Plants are represented as whole trees, cones, leaves, fruits and flowers. These figures help us to understand both the cultural history of these plants and ancient human relationships with plants. The purpose of this study is to identify the genera and species of the plant figures on the stone statues, reliefs and sarcophaguses from the Hellenistic and Roman periods in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum and to discuss their historical importance. To this end, a list was created to record the inventory number, original location where the remains were found, and the age and historical time period of 47 Roman and Hellenistic statues and sarcophaguses. A total of 24 different types of plants were identified: acanthus leaves, apple, apricot, bay laurel, common grape wine, common fig, a whole eastern plane tree, eggplants, a globe of artichoke, oak leaves and fruits, olive, opium poppy, pear, a cone of umbrella pine, pine leaves and cones, pomegranate, quince, walnut, wheat, strawberry fruit, and date palm leaves, fruit, and stems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]