Serhii Telizhenko - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Serhii Telizhenko
The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice
This study explores how Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine has affected cultural propert... more This study explores how Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine has affected cultural property crime and how cultural property criminals have responded to those practical, social, political and economic changes. To do so, this online ethnography draws on netnographic data from 184 artefact-hunters across Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Greece, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, two artefact-dealers and one violent political operator, whose discussions spanned 19 online communities. It examines the legal fictions and legal nihilism of antiquities looters; the criminal operations of antiquities looters and antiquities traffickers in the occupied territories of Ukraine; the international networks of artefacthunters that facilitate the trading of equipment and antiquities, plus the movement of the artefact-hunters themselves and the conduct of their criminal operations. Thereby, it documents the pollution of Western markets with tainted cultural goods from the occupied territories of Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe and the contribution of Western consumers to the conflict economy.
Quaternary Science Reviews
The recent exploitation of marine species is relatively well documented and understood in terms o... more The recent exploitation of marine species is relatively well documented and understood in terms of impacts on species abundance, distribution, and resource use. In contrast, ancient exploitation of marine mammals remains poorly documented; in part, because a detailed meta-analysis of their presence in the zooarchaeological record is lacking. This is true in the Black Sea, where cetaceans are reported in the zooarchaeological record but have not yet been studied comprehensively. Here, we synthesize all available published and unpublished zooarchaeological data from 27 sites around the Black Sea, dating from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods (6500-6000 BCE) to the Medieval period (641e1475 CE), to document the extent and nature of the exploitation of the Black Sea cetacean species. The results suggest that cetacean exploitation was practised continuously in the Black Sea over a period of 8500 years from the Neolithic through to the Medieval period. This suggests a much longer history of marine mammal exploitation in the Black Sea than previously understood, pushing back the timeline of human impacts on the Black Sea marine fauna.
The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice
The article examines the problems of monitoring the destruction of the archaeological heritage in... more The article examines the problems of monitoring the destruction of the archaeological heritage in Ukraine as a result of the aggression of the Russian Federation. The negative impact of the war on the general state of research is indicated. The problems that arise during the monitoring of archaeological heritage in the de-occupied territories are considered. Among the factors that make it difficult to record the loss of archaeological heritage, the following are detailed: problems related to the accounting of archaeological objects; issues of limited remote and direct access to sites in the de-occupied and front-line territories; immediate risks to life and health when conducting field research. The article also gives a brief description of the work carried out in relation to monitoring of archaeological sites in the de-occupied territories and presents the activities of the ‘Archaeological Landscapes Monitoring Group’. One of the conclusions of the study is the statement that there is an urgent need for a long-term state program to compile an archaeological record of Ukraine. The need to record losses in the field of archaeology during the war allows Ukraine to restart the system of site registration at a modern level and with the use of international experience.
Materials and studies on archaeology of Sub-Carpathian and Volhynian area
The article presents the results of protective excavations and surveillance on the Modrychi 1 arc... more The article presents the results of protective excavations and surveillance on the Modrychi 1 archaeological site, located near the south-eastern outskirts of Modrychi village, Drohobych district, Lviv region. During the construction of a new highway bypassing the town of Truskavets, three excavation trenches were placed on a total area of 1,745.5 m2 on the section passing through the western edge of the monument. During the excavations, 137 archaeological objects were discovered, including 3 large amorphous household pits, 4 structures in the form of narrow ditches, and 130 pillar pits. Most objects are grouped and composed of two large overground buildings, once erected on the pillar supports. Considering the likeness with similar structures, which were discovered in the settlements of the Linear Pottery culture all over Europe, these objects are defined as the remains of residential buildings – the so-called «longhouses». The collection of archaeological finds was gathered in the...
Arheologia
A total of 145 flint items, as well as four obsidians and seven stone-made artefacts, were collec... more A total of 145 flint items, as well as four obsidians and seven stone-made artefacts, were collected during the excavations on the Linear Pottery culture settlement Modrychi-1 in Lviv Oblast, which is located within Ukrainian Outer Subcarpathia. The assemblage of flint and obsidian items has been analyzed as an integral complex that characterizes the material culture of the Neolithic settlement. The prevailing number of flint items such as cores, flakes and blades reflect on-site production. As for the obsidian artefacts, an attempt was made to establish the origin of raw materials.
Archaeology and Early History of Ukraine, 2020
The Neolithic site Bondarikha ІІ was explored 70 years ago by D. Ya. Telegin. The materials of th... more The Neolithic site Bondarikha ІІ was explored 70 years ago by D. Ya. Telegin. The materials of the site were not processed utilizing modern methods. The authors of the paper re-examined and analyzed the site’s materials using current methodologies. The Bondarikha II site is set along a natural boundary on what is now the south-eastern outskirts of the modern city of Izium, Kharkiv region. The location of the site is a section of an over-flooded terrace that stretches along the left bank of the River Siversky Donets, and a section of an older river bed named the Willow Pit. In the north, sections of the terrace were crossed by an unnamed stream, and its southern boundary defined by floodplains. The lowlands nearest the terrace are primarily comprised of wetlands. It is quite clear that the Willow Pit was once an active river and seasonally may have transformed into a lake during times of flooding. The site is located approximately 7 m above the current floodplain. The general site po...
Samara Journal of Science, 2014
During the archaeological research of a multilayer Kaya Arasy site of Crimea, a clear stratigraph... more During the archaeological research of a multilayer Kaya Arasy site of Crimea, a clear stratigraphical sequence of cultural layers was established, that are corresponding to the diverse archaeological contexts. In addition, the material from the previous excavations by the A.A. Schepinskii and A.A. Formozov was analyzed and combining those two datasets the stratigraphic sequence of the Kaya Arasy site was established. The material of the site is currently stored in the Bakhchisaray Historical and Cultural Reserve; however, it was not organized according to the periods and the stratigraphical units. The research presented in this paper allowed to attribute this abandoned material to the chronological sequence of the Kaya Arasy site.
Archaeology and Early History of Ukraine, 2020
In 2016 during the inventory and transportation of the archaeological finds from temporary archae... more In 2016 during the inventory and transportation of the archaeological finds from temporary archaeological storage at Pheophania to the present-day storage facility of the Institute of Archaeology, the materials of the excavations of the expeditions of 1980 and 1985 were selected and processed. The excavations and surveys were conducted by expeditions under the lead of O. G. Shaposhnikova and D. Ya. Telehin on the territory of the Starobilsk district of the Luhansk region. The surveys in 1980 were conducted at only two locations located close to each other — the settlements of Aidar-Bila and Pidhorivka. Aydar-Bila. Because the location plan is missing (it is also missing from the 1986 report), it was not possible to locate the settlement on the map. However, it can be assumed that the multilayered settlement of Aydar-Bila is located in the eastern part of the village Pidhorivka of the Starobilsk district of the Lugansk region, on the low floodplain terrace of the right bank of the ri...
Materiały i Sprawozdania Rzeszowskiego Ośrodka Archeologicznego, 2016
The ceramic complex of the neolithic feature 17 of the multilayered site Ratniv-II (Volyn, wester... more The ceramic complex of the neolithic feature 17 of the multilayered site Ratniv-II (Volyn, western Ukraine) The multilayered settlement of Ratniv-II is situated on the rise of the first terrace above the floodplain of the Chornohuzka river (formerly the Polonka river, left tributary of the Stir river), on the northern outskirts of Ratniv village, Lutsk district, Volyn region. As a result of archaeological research of the settlement in 2014, 50 features were found of differing chronological range from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. The pottery assemblage coming from the feature 17 at the multilayer site Ratniv-II is quite clear regarding its cultural and chronological affiliation i.e. the middle or so-called Music Note phase of Linear Pottery culture, which dates falls into the second half of the sixth and early fifth millennium BC.
Archaeologia Lituana, 2017
Pirmieji Ukrainos žemdirbiai: Ratniv-2 objekto archeo-botaniniai tyrimai ir kviečių grūdų datavim... more Pirmieji Ukrainos žemdirbiai: Ratniv-2 objekto archeo-botaniniai tyrimai ir kviečių grūdų datavimas radioaktyviosios anglies metodu (AMS)Šiame straipsnyje pateikiami archeobotaninių tyrimų rezultatai iš Ratniv-2 archeologinio objekto, esančio Vakarų Ukrainoje, priklausančio linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūrai. Augintų kultūrinių augalų ir piktžolių įvairovė atspindi įprastą linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūros gyventojų augintų augalų racioną, kuris labai panašus visuose šios kultūros paplitimo regionuose. Datavimas gautas tiesiogiai tiriant kultūrinius augalus, aptiktus Ratniv-2 objekte, parodė, kad ši kultūra išplito iki pat Ukrainos jau pirmoje savo stadijoje, tai yra gerokai anksčiau nei prieš tai manyta. Nauji archeobotaniniai duomenys ir datavimo rezultatai, pristatyti šiamestraipsnyje, padėjo eliminuoti anksčiau pateiktas teorijas apie žemdirbystės laikotarpį ir geografinę kilmę Ukrainoje. Tikėtiniausia, kad linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūros gyventojai yra pirmieji,...
Journal of Field Archaeology, 2013
Abstract This paper reports the discovery of the earliest evidence of domesticated wheat in the C... more Abstract This paper reports the discovery of the earliest evidence of domesticated wheat in the Crimean peninsula from the Ardych-Burun shell midden site, Ukraine. The Ardych-Burun site dates to middle of the 4th millennium cal b.c. For the first time, the chronology of a Ukrainian Chalcolithic period site has been established through direct radiocarbon dating of cereal grains retrieved from it. This discovery allows for a wider discussion of the chronology and geographical origins of domesticated plant species in Ukraine and the role the Caucasian corridor may have played in the spread of agriculture into eastern Europe. The presence of cereal crops in the southern Crimea enriches our understanding of the subsistence strategies of the coastal population, which was previously linked only with pastoralism, hunting, and the exploitation of marine resources.
Radiocarbon, 2015
The Seversky Donets River (Northern Donets) basin in eastern Ukraine and the Lower Don River vall... more The Seversky Donets River (Northern Donets) basin in eastern Ukraine and the Lower Don River valley in Russia were inhabited by populations that have been considered to be one of the earliest pottery-using cultures in Europe. The early pottery sites are all located on riverbanks and contain middens with many mollusk shells and fish bones. This suggests the intense exploitation of freshwater resources. The accuracy of radiocarbon dates obtained from these locations is of crucial importance for understanding the development of new technologies, diversification of the food consumed and its preparation strategies, as well as the degree of sedentism in this region, associated with the beginnings of pottery-making technology. The chronology of Neolithic sites in this region, however, was developed on the basis of 14C dates commonly obtained through the dating of freshwater mollusk shells, pottery with mollusk shell temper, or organic residue on pottery shards. Such samples are potentially...
Journal of Field Archaeology, 2012
ABSTRACT Two Scythian-Sarmatian period pits dated to the 5th-1st centuries B. C. were discovered ... more ABSTRACT Two Scythian-Sarmatian period pits dated to the 5th-1st centuries B. C. were discovered while excavating the Chalcolithic site of Zanovskoe, located on a floodplain of the Donets River in the steppe region of eastern Ukraine, Lugansk oblast. No contemporaneous settlement sites are known in the region. Archaeobotanical analysis was conducted on charred plant macrofossils recovered from pits at the site. The crop assemblage consisted of hulled barley and broomcorn millet, from which AMS radiocarbon dates were obtained. Other identified plant species mostly constituted arable weeds and wetland plants. The archaeobotanical assemblage implies floodplain cereal cultivation strategies among the steppe inhabitants during this period.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2013
During the archaeobotanical investigation of Scythian-Sarmatian period (Early Iron Age), pits wit... more During the archaeobotanical investigation of Scythian-Sarmatian period (Early Iron Age), pits with crop processing waste, discovered in the floodplain of Donets River, eastern Ukraine, and charred remains of cereal grains, dominated by broomcorn millet, were recorded. The grains from the pits were radiocarbon dated to the fifth to first century BC. Those pits are distant from any known contemporaneous settlement. The apparent disconnection of these pits from any local settlement suggests that (1) millet was brought from other locations by mobile groups, or (2) millet was cultivated locally by populations whose settlements have left no discernible archaeological trace. The analysis of molecular biomarkers preserved in palaeosols that are stratigraphically connected to the pits revealed high levels of miliacin, a molecule that can be preserved in ancient soils and sediments, and that is consistent with broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum). High levels in miliacin in soils stratigraphically connected to the pits are interpreted as the result of a large biomass of P. miliaceum produced at time of soil formation. Our biogeochemical results applied to a palaeosol thus attest to the in situ cultivation of crops dominated by the broomcorn millet during the early Iron Age in the floodplain of Donets River. Biochemical examination of soils and palaeosols can thus provide useful information on past dynamics of land-use by ancient population, especially when settlements or macrobotanical remains are absent.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Nov 3, 2022
The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice
This study explores how Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine has affected cultural propert... more This study explores how Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine has affected cultural property crime and how cultural property criminals have responded to those practical, social, political and economic changes. To do so, this online ethnography draws on netnographic data from 184 artefact-hunters across Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Greece, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, two artefact-dealers and one violent political operator, whose discussions spanned 19 online communities. It examines the legal fictions and legal nihilism of antiquities looters; the criminal operations of antiquities looters and antiquities traffickers in the occupied territories of Ukraine; the international networks of artefacthunters that facilitate the trading of equipment and antiquities, plus the movement of the artefact-hunters themselves and the conduct of their criminal operations. Thereby, it documents the pollution of Western markets with tainted cultural goods from the occupied territories of Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe and the contribution of Western consumers to the conflict economy.
Quaternary Science Reviews
The recent exploitation of marine species is relatively well documented and understood in terms o... more The recent exploitation of marine species is relatively well documented and understood in terms of impacts on species abundance, distribution, and resource use. In contrast, ancient exploitation of marine mammals remains poorly documented; in part, because a detailed meta-analysis of their presence in the zooarchaeological record is lacking. This is true in the Black Sea, where cetaceans are reported in the zooarchaeological record but have not yet been studied comprehensively. Here, we synthesize all available published and unpublished zooarchaeological data from 27 sites around the Black Sea, dating from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods (6500-6000 BCE) to the Medieval period (641e1475 CE), to document the extent and nature of the exploitation of the Black Sea cetacean species. The results suggest that cetacean exploitation was practised continuously in the Black Sea over a period of 8500 years from the Neolithic through to the Medieval period. This suggests a much longer history of marine mammal exploitation in the Black Sea than previously understood, pushing back the timeline of human impacts on the Black Sea marine fauna.
The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice
The article examines the problems of monitoring the destruction of the archaeological heritage in... more The article examines the problems of monitoring the destruction of the archaeological heritage in Ukraine as a result of the aggression of the Russian Federation. The negative impact of the war on the general state of research is indicated. The problems that arise during the monitoring of archaeological heritage in the de-occupied territories are considered. Among the factors that make it difficult to record the loss of archaeological heritage, the following are detailed: problems related to the accounting of archaeological objects; issues of limited remote and direct access to sites in the de-occupied and front-line territories; immediate risks to life and health when conducting field research. The article also gives a brief description of the work carried out in relation to monitoring of archaeological sites in the de-occupied territories and presents the activities of the ‘Archaeological Landscapes Monitoring Group’. One of the conclusions of the study is the statement that there is an urgent need for a long-term state program to compile an archaeological record of Ukraine. The need to record losses in the field of archaeology during the war allows Ukraine to restart the system of site registration at a modern level and with the use of international experience.
Materials and studies on archaeology of Sub-Carpathian and Volhynian area
The article presents the results of protective excavations and surveillance on the Modrychi 1 arc... more The article presents the results of protective excavations and surveillance on the Modrychi 1 archaeological site, located near the south-eastern outskirts of Modrychi village, Drohobych district, Lviv region. During the construction of a new highway bypassing the town of Truskavets, three excavation trenches were placed on a total area of 1,745.5 m2 on the section passing through the western edge of the monument. During the excavations, 137 archaeological objects were discovered, including 3 large amorphous household pits, 4 structures in the form of narrow ditches, and 130 pillar pits. Most objects are grouped and composed of two large overground buildings, once erected on the pillar supports. Considering the likeness with similar structures, which were discovered in the settlements of the Linear Pottery culture all over Europe, these objects are defined as the remains of residential buildings – the so-called «longhouses». The collection of archaeological finds was gathered in the...
Arheologia
A total of 145 flint items, as well as four obsidians and seven stone-made artefacts, were collec... more A total of 145 flint items, as well as four obsidians and seven stone-made artefacts, were collected during the excavations on the Linear Pottery culture settlement Modrychi-1 in Lviv Oblast, which is located within Ukrainian Outer Subcarpathia. The assemblage of flint and obsidian items has been analyzed as an integral complex that characterizes the material culture of the Neolithic settlement. The prevailing number of flint items such as cores, flakes and blades reflect on-site production. As for the obsidian artefacts, an attempt was made to establish the origin of raw materials.
Archaeology and Early History of Ukraine, 2020
The Neolithic site Bondarikha ІІ was explored 70 years ago by D. Ya. Telegin. The materials of th... more The Neolithic site Bondarikha ІІ was explored 70 years ago by D. Ya. Telegin. The materials of the site were not processed utilizing modern methods. The authors of the paper re-examined and analyzed the site’s materials using current methodologies. The Bondarikha II site is set along a natural boundary on what is now the south-eastern outskirts of the modern city of Izium, Kharkiv region. The location of the site is a section of an over-flooded terrace that stretches along the left bank of the River Siversky Donets, and a section of an older river bed named the Willow Pit. In the north, sections of the terrace were crossed by an unnamed stream, and its southern boundary defined by floodplains. The lowlands nearest the terrace are primarily comprised of wetlands. It is quite clear that the Willow Pit was once an active river and seasonally may have transformed into a lake during times of flooding. The site is located approximately 7 m above the current floodplain. The general site po...
Samara Journal of Science, 2014
During the archaeological research of a multilayer Kaya Arasy site of Crimea, a clear stratigraph... more During the archaeological research of a multilayer Kaya Arasy site of Crimea, a clear stratigraphical sequence of cultural layers was established, that are corresponding to the diverse archaeological contexts. In addition, the material from the previous excavations by the A.A. Schepinskii and A.A. Formozov was analyzed and combining those two datasets the stratigraphic sequence of the Kaya Arasy site was established. The material of the site is currently stored in the Bakhchisaray Historical and Cultural Reserve; however, it was not organized according to the periods and the stratigraphical units. The research presented in this paper allowed to attribute this abandoned material to the chronological sequence of the Kaya Arasy site.
Archaeology and Early History of Ukraine, 2020
In 2016 during the inventory and transportation of the archaeological finds from temporary archae... more In 2016 during the inventory and transportation of the archaeological finds from temporary archaeological storage at Pheophania to the present-day storage facility of the Institute of Archaeology, the materials of the excavations of the expeditions of 1980 and 1985 were selected and processed. The excavations and surveys were conducted by expeditions under the lead of O. G. Shaposhnikova and D. Ya. Telehin on the territory of the Starobilsk district of the Luhansk region. The surveys in 1980 were conducted at only two locations located close to each other — the settlements of Aidar-Bila and Pidhorivka. Aydar-Bila. Because the location plan is missing (it is also missing from the 1986 report), it was not possible to locate the settlement on the map. However, it can be assumed that the multilayered settlement of Aydar-Bila is located in the eastern part of the village Pidhorivka of the Starobilsk district of the Lugansk region, on the low floodplain terrace of the right bank of the ri...
Materiały i Sprawozdania Rzeszowskiego Ośrodka Archeologicznego, 2016
The ceramic complex of the neolithic feature 17 of the multilayered site Ratniv-II (Volyn, wester... more The ceramic complex of the neolithic feature 17 of the multilayered site Ratniv-II (Volyn, western Ukraine) The multilayered settlement of Ratniv-II is situated on the rise of the first terrace above the floodplain of the Chornohuzka river (formerly the Polonka river, left tributary of the Stir river), on the northern outskirts of Ratniv village, Lutsk district, Volyn region. As a result of archaeological research of the settlement in 2014, 50 features were found of differing chronological range from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. The pottery assemblage coming from the feature 17 at the multilayer site Ratniv-II is quite clear regarding its cultural and chronological affiliation i.e. the middle or so-called Music Note phase of Linear Pottery culture, which dates falls into the second half of the sixth and early fifth millennium BC.
Archaeologia Lituana, 2017
Pirmieji Ukrainos žemdirbiai: Ratniv-2 objekto archeo-botaniniai tyrimai ir kviečių grūdų datavim... more Pirmieji Ukrainos žemdirbiai: Ratniv-2 objekto archeo-botaniniai tyrimai ir kviečių grūdų datavimas radioaktyviosios anglies metodu (AMS)Šiame straipsnyje pateikiami archeobotaninių tyrimų rezultatai iš Ratniv-2 archeologinio objekto, esančio Vakarų Ukrainoje, priklausančio linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūrai. Augintų kultūrinių augalų ir piktžolių įvairovė atspindi įprastą linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūros gyventojų augintų augalų racioną, kuris labai panašus visuose šios kultūros paplitimo regionuose. Datavimas gautas tiesiogiai tiriant kultūrinius augalus, aptiktus Ratniv-2 objekte, parodė, kad ši kultūra išplito iki pat Ukrainos jau pirmoje savo stadijoje, tai yra gerokai anksčiau nei prieš tai manyta. Nauji archeobotaniniai duomenys ir datavimo rezultatai, pristatyti šiamestraipsnyje, padėjo eliminuoti anksčiau pateiktas teorijas apie žemdirbystės laikotarpį ir geografinę kilmę Ukrainoje. Tikėtiniausia, kad linijinės juostinės keramikos kultūros gyventojai yra pirmieji,...
Journal of Field Archaeology, 2013
Abstract This paper reports the discovery of the earliest evidence of domesticated wheat in the C... more Abstract This paper reports the discovery of the earliest evidence of domesticated wheat in the Crimean peninsula from the Ardych-Burun shell midden site, Ukraine. The Ardych-Burun site dates to middle of the 4th millennium cal b.c. For the first time, the chronology of a Ukrainian Chalcolithic period site has been established through direct radiocarbon dating of cereal grains retrieved from it. This discovery allows for a wider discussion of the chronology and geographical origins of domesticated plant species in Ukraine and the role the Caucasian corridor may have played in the spread of agriculture into eastern Europe. The presence of cereal crops in the southern Crimea enriches our understanding of the subsistence strategies of the coastal population, which was previously linked only with pastoralism, hunting, and the exploitation of marine resources.
Radiocarbon, 2015
The Seversky Donets River (Northern Donets) basin in eastern Ukraine and the Lower Don River vall... more The Seversky Donets River (Northern Donets) basin in eastern Ukraine and the Lower Don River valley in Russia were inhabited by populations that have been considered to be one of the earliest pottery-using cultures in Europe. The early pottery sites are all located on riverbanks and contain middens with many mollusk shells and fish bones. This suggests the intense exploitation of freshwater resources. The accuracy of radiocarbon dates obtained from these locations is of crucial importance for understanding the development of new technologies, diversification of the food consumed and its preparation strategies, as well as the degree of sedentism in this region, associated with the beginnings of pottery-making technology. The chronology of Neolithic sites in this region, however, was developed on the basis of 14C dates commonly obtained through the dating of freshwater mollusk shells, pottery with mollusk shell temper, or organic residue on pottery shards. Such samples are potentially...
Journal of Field Archaeology, 2012
ABSTRACT Two Scythian-Sarmatian period pits dated to the 5th-1st centuries B. C. were discovered ... more ABSTRACT Two Scythian-Sarmatian period pits dated to the 5th-1st centuries B. C. were discovered while excavating the Chalcolithic site of Zanovskoe, located on a floodplain of the Donets River in the steppe region of eastern Ukraine, Lugansk oblast. No contemporaneous settlement sites are known in the region. Archaeobotanical analysis was conducted on charred plant macrofossils recovered from pits at the site. The crop assemblage consisted of hulled barley and broomcorn millet, from which AMS radiocarbon dates were obtained. Other identified plant species mostly constituted arable weeds and wetland plants. The archaeobotanical assemblage implies floodplain cereal cultivation strategies among the steppe inhabitants during this period.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2013
During the archaeobotanical investigation of Scythian-Sarmatian period (Early Iron Age), pits wit... more During the archaeobotanical investigation of Scythian-Sarmatian period (Early Iron Age), pits with crop processing waste, discovered in the floodplain of Donets River, eastern Ukraine, and charred remains of cereal grains, dominated by broomcorn millet, were recorded. The grains from the pits were radiocarbon dated to the fifth to first century BC. Those pits are distant from any known contemporaneous settlement. The apparent disconnection of these pits from any local settlement suggests that (1) millet was brought from other locations by mobile groups, or (2) millet was cultivated locally by populations whose settlements have left no discernible archaeological trace. The analysis of molecular biomarkers preserved in palaeosols that are stratigraphically connected to the pits revealed high levels of miliacin, a molecule that can be preserved in ancient soils and sediments, and that is consistent with broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum). High levels in miliacin in soils stratigraphically connected to the pits are interpreted as the result of a large biomass of P. miliaceum produced at time of soil formation. Our biogeochemical results applied to a palaeosol thus attest to the in situ cultivation of crops dominated by the broomcorn millet during the early Iron Age in the floodplain of Donets River. Biochemical examination of soils and palaeosols can thus provide useful information on past dynamics of land-use by ancient population, especially when settlements or macrobotanical remains are absent.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Nov 3, 2022