Encyclopedia of Prehistory, Volume 4, Europe
.pdfevident and pnmary purpose of the material culture remains in Ukraine sites.
References
Balakin, S., and D. Nuzhnyi, (1995). 'The Origins of Graveyards: The Influence of Landscape Elements on Social and Ideological Changes in Prehistoric Communities." Prehistoire Europeenne 7: 191-202.
Bibikov, S. N. (1940). "Grot Murzak-Koba-Novaya pozdnipaleoliticheskaya stoyanka v Krymu." Sovetskaya Arkhaeologiya 5: 159178.
Dolukhanov, P. M., and N. A. Khotinskiy (1984). "Human Cultures and the Natural Environment in the USSR during the Mesolithic and Neolithic." In Late Quaternary Environments in the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 319-327.
Golomshtok, E. A. (1938). The Old Stone Age in European Russia.
Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society.
Haeussler, A. M. (1996). Dental Anthropology of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Central Asia: Evaluation of Five Hypotheses for PaleoIndian Origins. Ann Arbor: UMI.
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Klein R. G., Ivanova I. K., and Debets G. F. (1971). "U.S.S.R" ed. K.P. Oakley, B.G. Campbell, and T.I. Molleson. Catalog of Fossil Hominids Part II: Europe. London: Trustees of British Museum, pp.313-335.
Nuzhnyi, D. (1990). "Projectile Damage on Upper Paleolithic Microliths and the Use of Bow and Arrow among Pleistocene Hunters in the Ukraine." In Proceedings of the International Conference on Lithic Use-Wear Analysis, 15-17.02.89 in Uppsa/a, Sweden, ed. K. Knutsson. 113-124.
Savina, S. S., and N. A. Khotinskiy, (1984). "Holocene Paleoclimatic Reconstructions Based on the Zonal Method." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 287-296.
Telegin, D. Ya. (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX-VI Tisyacholittya). Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin, D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106-124.
Zaliznyak, L. L. (1997). Mesolithic Forest Hunters in Ukrainian Polessye. Oxford: BAR International Series 659.
Zhirov, E. V. (1940). "Kostyaki iz Grot Murzak-Koba." SOl'etskaya Arkhaeologiya 5: 179-186.
SITES
Andozero-M
TIME PERIOD: Mesolithic, Late variant of Veretye-type Culture (2nd half of the Boreal to the beginning of the Atlantic periods (Oshibkina 1989: 38).
LOCATION: The Northern shore of Lake Andozero, Vologda Oblast, Russia (Oshibkina 1989: 33, 38).
Eastern European Mesolithic 101
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
During the Boreal era (9000-8000 B.P.) Northern Russia was birch forest (Khotinskiy 1984: 192-195). The early part of the Atlantic period, which includes the late portion of Veretye-type Culture, was a time of transition from the birch forest to the dark coniferous middle taiga of the late Atlantic Period. The average Boreal Period January temperature was -180 , which is colder than at present. The average July temperature was between 140 - 160 , which was also cooler than today. During the Boreal Period, Northern Russia experienced greater precipitation than at present, with an average annual precipitation of about 700 mm (Savina and Khotinskiy 1984: 291-293).
Physical Features
The Mesolithic level of Andozero-M was situated in light-colored sand, which contained small calcified bones of animals and birds. The stone tool assemblage consisted of a combination of large slate and small flint tools. Axes were elongated with a ground edge, a slanted butt, and a surface made with spalls. The characteristic detail of this type of axe, the formation of the butt by a slanted spall, is similar to the lithic industry of Nizhneye Veretye I and the Popova cemetery. In addition to the long axes, Andozero-M contained short wide axes with an oval section, flat axes with a wide butt, an elongated article with an oval-shaped drilled region in the center, and a quartz slab with a hole in the center. Andozero-M also contained flint tools, including a projectile point, numerous scrapers, and a small adze-shaped tool. The projectile point was willow-leaf-shaped with a truncated base and a divided tang. The point was made from knife-shaped blades or lamellar chips. The scrapers, of which five were end scrapers, had high backs and short working surfaces. The only bone artifact that preserved was a blade made from elk antler (Oshibkina 1989: 38).
Cultural Aspects
Andozero-M is a site similar to Veretye-type sites (Oshibkina 1989: 38).
References
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
102 Eastern European Mesolithic
Oshibkina, S. V. (1989). "Mezolit Tsentral'nykh i Severo-vostochnykh Ra'nov Severa Evrope'ski' Chasti SSSR." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 32-45.
Oshibkina, S. V. (1990). "The Material Culture of the Veretye-type Sites in the Region to the East of Lake Onega." In The Mesolithic in Central Europe, ed. C. Bonsall. Edinburgh: John Donaldson, 402-413.
Savina, S. S., and N. A. Khotinskiy, (1984). "Holocene Paleoclimatic Reconstructions Based on the Zonal Method." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 287-296.
Ankievaya Gora
TIME PERIOD: Mesolithic, early stage (Gurina 1989: 24).
LOCATION: Rybachiy Peninsula on northwestern Kola Peninsula, Murmansk Oblast, Russia (Gurina 1989: 24).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Ankievaya Gora was a workshop site for the production of almond-shaped stone tools. A considerable number of the tools had been protected in a hollow of the rock (Gurina 1984: 24).
Local Environment
The region was tundra and very dry (Gurina 1989: 20).
Physical Features
Ankievaya Gora is situated on one of the hills on Rybachiy Peninsula (Gurina 1989: 24).
Cultural Aspects
Ankievaya Gora was a workshop site (Gurina
1989: 24).
References
Gurina, N. N. (1989). "Mezolit Kol'skogo Poluostrova." In Mezolit SSSR, ed, L. V. KoJ'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 20--26.
Beloles'e
TIME PERIOD: Early Mesolithic (Telegin 1989: 110)
LOCATION: On the right (western) bank of the Sarata River near the villages of Beloles'e and Mikha'lovkoe
Tatarbunarski' region, Odessa oblast, Ukraine, Russian Federation (Telegin 1989: 110).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
Beloles'e and the entire Sarata River regIOn III southwest Ukraine was forest steppe with pine trees during the Boreal Period (9000-8000 B.P.), which corresponds to the Mesolithic Era (Khotinskiy 1984: 192193). The average January temperature was -10° C, which is colder than it is today. The average July temperature was also cooler than it is today (Savina and Khotinskiy 1989: 291-292).
Physical Features
Beloles'e is located on the Sarata River, which arises just north of the border between Ukraine and Moldova. It flows southward and empties into Ozero Sasyk, from where its waters meet those of the Black Sea. The site itself is an open space about 180 m2 in area. It contained flint tools, animal bones, and shells, in addition to evidence of an open campfire. The flint tool collection consisted of 1200 flint artifacts (50 cores, 270 knife-shaped blades, chips, and 174 tools of which scrapers were the most numerous, followed by microliths, segments, points with a blunt edge, and blades with oblique end retouch). An important feature was the presence of 19 elongated segments, most of which had been made using circular edge retouch on thick blades. Of the rest of the segments, only two had fine retouch on the back. They had been formed from fine prismatic blades. The Beloles'e complex also contained two short symmetrical trapezes, a triangle, a segmented point with irregular outlines, and a blade insert with a dull edge. Burins accounted for only 8.6 percent of the stone tools and occurred as average burins, angled burins, side burins, and combination burins and scrapers. Cores had one or two striking platforms. All of the cores had been struck off in one direction. Flat cores also occurred. Most of the blades had irregular outlines and were thick with unequal edges. Some were prismatic blades with parallel edges. Of the tools, 6.0 percent were made on blades and 8.8 percent on chips. Of the 158 scrapers, more than 110 were end scrapers on blades or chips. Double scrapers, circular scrapers, and subcircular scrapers were also found. Faunal remains included wild horse, bull, sheep, and shellfish (Telegin 1989: 109-
III ).
Cultural Aspects
Beloles'e is the type site of the Beloles'e Early Mesolithic sites in the Azov-Black Sea area. The Beloles'e group of sites was formed on the basis of the Paleolithic Korpach type on the Dniester River and Moldova (Telegin 1997). Beloles'e sites also represent a continuation of cultures seen in Early Mesolithic sites in Romania, such as Kuina-Turkulu'. Moreover, the frequency of burins is very low in Beloles'e in comparison with other Early Mesolithic sites of Ukraine. Similar amounts of burins have been seen only in the Romanello-Azilian type in Rumania (2.5 percent in Kuina-Turkulu'; 7.9 percent in Be'le-Gerkulanus) and in early levels of Crimean sites (7.0 percent in Shan Koba, levels 6-9; 12.2 percent in Buran Kaya; and 5.1 percent in Zamil' Koba I, lower level) (Telegin 1989: 110-111).
References
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Savina, S. S. and N. A. Khotinskiy, (1984). "Holocene Paleoclimatic Reconstructions Based on the Zonal Method." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 287-296.
Telegin, D. Ya (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX-VI Tisyacholittya). Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Mo1daviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106-123.
Telegin D. Ya (1997). Summary: Cultural-Ethnographic Communities in the South Ukraine in the Mesolithic: Their Genesis and Participation in the Neolithization of Ukraine. Paper presented at the meeting, The Future of the Past in Western Europe, Lodz, Poland.
Eastern European Mesolithic 103
the time that the site was established, the surrounding land was dark coniferous middle taiga with spruce as the predominant tree type (Khotinskiy 1984: 196-197).
Physical Features
Chernaya Guba was situated on a terrace 17 m above the contemporary level of Lake Onega.
Cultural Aspects
Chernaya Guba was a cemetery that contained eight burials situated in two groups. Six graves were in the first group, and two were in the second. The first group of six graves was associated with four burial pits. Four small hearths with poorly defined ash strata adjoined the four graves and sometimes covered them. One of the two graves in the second group contained stones. The graves were fairly shallow (0.12-0.20 m from the contemporary surface). All were defined only by the pits, which had subrectangular elongated outlines and measured 1.44-1.92 m in length and 1.06 m in width. However, none of the skeletons was preserved.
References
Gurina, N. N. (1989). "Mezo1it Karelii." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 27-31.
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Chernaya Guba
TIME PERIOD: Mesolithic, 6000 B.P. (Gurina 1989: 30).
LOCATION: Northeastern shore of Lake Onega near the village of Povenets (Gurina 1989: 22,23,30), Republic Karelia, St. Petersburg oblast, Russian.
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
The site is situated on the contemporary shore of northeastern Lake Onega (Gurina 1989: 22-23). During
Fat'ma Koba
TIME PERIOD: Mesolithic
LOCATION: Northwest of the village of Urkust, Balaklava Region, in the Chernaya River Valley, southern Crimea, Ukraine, (Klein et al. 1971: 318).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
Fatma-Koba is located in the Crimean mountains in southern Crimea, Ukraine. During the Boreal Period (9000-8000 B.P.), southern Crimea was a mixed broad- leaf-coniferous subtaiga. During the second half of the Atlantic Period (6000-4600 B.P.), the area was a forest
104Eastern European Mesolithic
steppe with birch trees (Khotinskiy 1984: 192-195).
Fauna included Lepus europeans, Canis familiaris, c. lupus, Lynx lynx, Vulues vulpes, Sus serofa, Cervus elaphus, and Capreolus eapreolus (Klein et al. 1971: 318).
Physical Features
Fat'ma-Koba is situated in a rock shelter. The site contained a human skeleton (male) that was in a flexed position on its right side. The position of the skeleton indicated that it had been placed in a special pit (Bibikov
1940: 175; Golomshtok 1938: 237; Klein et al. 1971: 318;
Telegin 1982: 18). Neither grave goods nor information about a habitation site has been reported.
Cultural Aspects
Fat'ma Koba is a Murzak Koba-stage late Mesolithic site of the Crimea mountains. It contained an adult human male skeleton in a burial pit (Klein et al. 1971: 318). The position of the skeleton (flexed on the right side) is similar to that of the majority of Dnieper Rapids Mesolithic cemetery burials.
References
Bibikov. S. N. (1940). "Grot Murzak-Koba." Sovetskaya Arkhaeologiya 5: 159-178.
Golomshtok, E. A. (1938). The Old Stone Age in European Russia.
Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society.
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Klein, R. G. Dravora, I. K., and Rebets, G. F. (1971). "U.S.S.R." In
Catalogue of Fossil Hominid5, Part II : Europe, ed. K. P. Oakley, B. G. Campbell, and T. 1. Molleson, London: Trustees of the British Museum, 311-335.
Telegin, D. Ya (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX-VI
Tisyacholittya). Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin, D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106-123.
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
During the late Mesolithic era the part of southern Ukraine in which Girzhevo is located was experiencing a transition from the a mixed grass xerophytic steppe of the Boreal Period (9000-6000 B.P.) to the mixed grass and mesophytic steppe of the second half of the Atlantic Period (6000-4000 B.P.) (Khotinskiy 1984: 191-195).
Physical Features
Girzhevo is located on a high slope (41 m) on the right (western) shore of the Kuchurhan River, which flows into the Dniester River. The excavated area covers 220 m2. The site contained a large number of flint stone tools (11,500), fauna, and evidence of three human burials. Of the stone tools, cores (10,202) were made from flat blades that had been struck off in one direction. Conical cores (3) and pencil-shaped cores (3) were also found. Numerous retouched blades (190) and some blades with grooves (20) also occurred. Scrapers on chips accounted for nearly half of the tools. Most of the scrapers were semicircular and round. Some of the scrapers (30) were end scrapers made from short blades. Only four burins were found. The trapezes that were found (210) usually had average proportions. Retouch on these materials was usually short edge retouch. Flat retouch in the direction of the back also occurred. About 900 sections of blades of trapeze-shaped and rectangular outlines occurred. A few other types of microliths were also present: points with an oblique end (19) and blade inserts (11). Faunal remains included remains of a large bull and wild or domestic horse or donkey. The three burials were found in the central part of the excavation. They were in a rectangular pit in disturbed limestone in the lower part of the artifactbearing level. The burials were those of three children whose remains were flexed on their right sides (Telegin
1982: 92-98, 1989: 111-112).
Girzhevo
TIME PERIOD: Late Mesolithic (Telegin 1989: Ill).
LOCATION: Near the city of Girzhevo, Velikomikha'lovski' Region, Odessa Oblast, southern Ukraine. The site is on the right (western) bank of the Kuchurhan River (Telegin 1989: 106, Ill).
Cultural Aspects
Girzhevo is a Grebeniki Late Mesolithic site of the sea of Azov-Black Sea region. Archaeological evidence consists of a large number of stone tools, including scrapers and microliths. No indications of dwellings or campfires were found. Such evidence suggests that the site was a camp and/or butchering site for hunters. The burial of the children is unusual for Southwestern
Ukraine, where no other Mesolithic burials have been found. However, the burial ground has some similarities in skeletal position (flexed on the right side) and paucity of grave goods to large Dnieper Rapids Mesolithic cemeteries.
References
Khotinskiy. N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179~200.
Savina, S. S., and N. A. Khotinskiy, (1984). "Holocene Paleoclimatic Reconstructions Based on the Zonal Method." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 287~296.
Telegin, D. Ya (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX~VI
Tisyacholittya). Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin, D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106--123.
Igren' 8
TIME PERIOD: Mesolithic (8697-6977 B.P.) (Telegin 1989:
114-115).
LOCATION: Near the city of Dnipropetrovsk in the Dnieper Rapids Oblast, Ukraine (Telegin 1989: 107).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
During the Boreal Period (9000-8000 B.P.), which takes in the early years of occupation of Igren' 8 Mesolithic level, the Dnieper Rapids region was a mixed grass and xerophytic steppe. The period after 8000 B.P. was one of transition from the mixed grass xerophytic steppe to a mixed grass mesophytic steppe (Khotinskiy
1984: 192-195).
Physical Features
Igren' 8 is situated on the left bank of the Samara River at the place where the Samara flows into the Dnieper. In addition to the Mesolithic level, Igren' 8 contained Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Middle Ages horizons. The Mesolithic level had remains of seven dwellings, flint and bone tools, and animal and fish-
Eastern European Mesolithic 105
bones. The dwellings were round with a diameter between 7 and 8 m. They had been covered with conical roofs made from reeds and supported by a wood frame. Unfortunately, only one of the dwellings remained intact. Some of the dwellings had been destroyed in a fire, and six had been washed away by the River. Yet, many flint and bone artifacts were found in and near the dwellings. One of the dwellings contained approximately 1,000 flint and bone tools. Among the flint tools were cores, retouched blades and blades with hollows, Kukrek-type inserts, scrapers of many types, and burins on blades and chips. Bone tools included needles, puncturers, arrow points, burnishers, and projectile points, some of which had grooves for inserts. Osteological remains were those of beaver, rabbit, and fish (Telegin 1989: 114-115).
Cultural Aspects
Igren' 8 is the Dnieper River variant of the Kukrek culture. The Kukrek-definitive artifacts found at Igren' 8 are Kukrek-type inserts. Moreover, the Mesolithic level at Igren' 8 is the most ancient of the many cultures that occupied the site at the confluence of the Samara and Dnieper Rivers. Igren' 8 has great significance for understanding the cultures of this time in the Dnieper Rapids region, because hunters and fishers successfully established a settlement made up of dwellings (Telegin
1982: 239, 1989: 114-115).
References
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179~200.
Telegin, D. Ya (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX~VI
Tisyacholittya). Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin, D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya). In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106--123.
Korabel'ny' Ruche'
TIME PERIOD: Mesolithic, late stage (Gurina 1989: 24).
LOCATION: Bank of Korobel'ny' Ruche' on Bol'shaya Motka Bay, Rybachiy Peninsula, northwestern Kola Peninsula, Murmansk Oblast, Russia.
106Eastern European Mesolithic
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
The region was tundra and very dry (Gurina 1989: 20).
Cultural Aspects
The site had indications of a dwelling and stone tools. Traces of a subrectangular dark stain were joined from the sides to a large flat stone, which evidently served as the wall. This arrangement gave the appearance of a strong construction. The stain also contained quartz chips and quartzite tools (Gurina 1989: 24).
References
Gurina, N. N. (1989). "Mezolit Kol'skogo Poluostrova." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 20-26.
Kukrek
TIME PERIOD: Mesolithic (9647-7332 B.P.) (Telegin 1989:
114).
LOCATION: The right bank of the Zuya River, 25 km west
of the city of Simferopol, Belogorodski' region, in the foothills region of Crimea, Ukraine (Telegin 1989: 108).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
During the Boreal Period (9000-8000 B.P.), which takes in most of the time that the Kukrek site was occupied, south-Central Ukraine was mixed broad-Ieaf- coniferous taiga. To the north was a mixed grass and xerophytic steppe that included nearly all of Ukraine (Khotinskiy 1984: 192-193).
Physical Features
The level with Mesolithic Kukrek culture artifacts was situated in a loamy-sandy layer, which was 1.4- 1.6 m above a Murzak Koba culture level. A sterile level 0.5-0.6 m thick separates the Kukrek and Murzak Koba levels. The site contained the remains of three campfires, a large amount of flint, bones of wild animals (wolf, deer, and wild boar), and Helix shells (Telegin 1989: 114).
Cultural Aspects
Kukrek is the site after which the late Mesolithic Kukrek culture of the Sea of Azov-Black Sea region was named. Kukrek with its definitive features, including its most characteristic feature, the Kukrek insert (Zaliznyak 1997: 45-46), and the near absence of geometric microliths such as trapezes (Telegin 1982: 239, 1989: 113-115 passim), can be traced to the late Paleolithic sites of the Anteovka type (Telegin 1997).
References
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Telegin, D. Ya (1982). "Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX-VI Tisyacholittya)" Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin, D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106-123.
Telegin, D. Ya (1997). Summary: Cultural-Ethnographic Communities in the South Ukraine in the Mesolithic: Their Genesis and Participation in the Neolithization of Ukraine. Paper presented at the meeting, The Future of the Past in Western Europe, Lodz, Poland.
Zaliznyak, L. L. (1997). Mesolithic Forest Hunters in Ukrainian Po/essye. Oxford: BAR International Series 659.
Miromskoe VIII
TIME PERIOD: Late Mesolithic (Gurina 1989: 29).
LOCATION: Miromshoe III is located on Miromskoe Lake, which is joined to Lake Onega near the southeast shore of Lake Onega (Filatova 1996: 41), republic of Karelia, St. Petersburg Oblast, Russia.
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
Miromskoe III was located on Lake Miromskoe, which is now connected to the southeastern part of Lake, Onega (Filatova 1996: 41). During the Boreal Period, the region was covered with birch forests (Khotinskiy, 1984: 192-193). The average January temperature was -18° C, which is colder than it is today. The mean July temperature was between 14 and 16° C, which is also cooler than it is today (Savina and Khotinskiy 1984: 291292).
Physical Features
Miromskoe II contained the remains of three semisubterranean dwellings (Gurina 1989: 29-30; Fi1atova 1996: 42).
Cultural Aspects
The first of the three dwellings had a subrectangular shape and measured 7.2 x 7.2 m. This dwelling had an exit to the north and to the south, The remains of the second dwelling had a suboval shape, measuring 7.0 m long x 3.2 m wide x 0.5 m deep. It may have been subterranean. The third dwelling had a subcircular shape and measured 5.8 x 5.2 m. It had two exits: one to the east and one to the south. Neither of these exits was oriented toward the lake. Dwelling 3 also had 30 pits of various shapes and sizes, among which were three hearths (Gurina 1989: 29-30).
References
Filatova, V. F. (1996). "Mezolit." In Arkheologiya Karelia, ed. M. G. Kosmenko, and S. I. Kochkurkina. Petrozavodsk: Karel'ski' Nauchny' Tsentr RAN, 36-61.
Gurina, N. N. (1989). "Mezolit Karelii". In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 27-31.
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Savina, S. S., and N. A. Khotinskiy, (1984). "Holocene Paleoclimatic Reconstructions Based on the Zonal Method." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 287-296.
Mospino
TIME PERIOD: Late Mesolithic (Telegin 1989: 113).
LOCATION: In the city of Donets. The site occupies the slope of Gnilaya Balka 10 to 12 m above a brook that flows into the Kal'mius River. The cultural materials were collected on the plowed surface of a field, which measured 250 by 350 m. Probings in the place of the site showed that the cultural level had remained in place through time (Telegin 1989: 113).
Eastern European Mesolithic 107
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
During the late Mesolithic era, the Don River Basin, in which Mospino is located, was undergoing a transition from the a mixed-grass xerophytic steppe of the Boreal Period (9000--6000 B.P.) to the mixed-grass and mesophytic steppe of the second half of the Atlantic Period (6000-4000 B.P.) (Khotinskiy 1984: 191-195).
Physical Features
The material culture remains from Mospino make up more than 5,000 small artifacts of high-quality flint. All had a milk-white crust. Most of the tools were retouched blades, 10 percent of which had grooves. The blades were fine in section, and most had a trihedral back. One of the blade fragments had an oblique back. The cores were small; conical, including several pencil shaped; and prismatic. All of the cores had a straight striking platform with circular or nearly circular flaking. Scrapers were mostly end scrapers; others were round. Burins were similar to those made on the corner of a broken blade. Averageand small-sized trapezes made on blades with unidirectional retouch, accounted for 9 percent of the tools. Two were asymmetrical and one was long with lateral grooves. Nongeometric microliths were retouched slanted Yanislavts-type points (Telegin 1989: 113).
Cultural Aspects
Mospino is a Late Mesolithic Nenasytets-Mospino site in the Don River Basin area of the Northern Sea of Azov region. It is the type site of the Mospino type of site (Telegin 1982: 238, 1989: 112). Thus, Mospino is archaeologically similar to other Don River microlith sites such as Kremnevaya Gora, Teploe, Melovoe, Zimovniki, and Petropav10vka.
References
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Telegin, D. Ya. (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX-VI Tisyacholittya). Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin, D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed, L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106-123.
108 Eastern European Mesolithic
Murzak Koba
TIME PERIOD: Mesolithic.
LOCATION: Near the village of Chernorechenskoe in the Chernaya River Valley, southern Crimea, Ukraine (Telegin 1989: 109).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
Murzak-Koba is located in the Crimean Mountains in southern Crimea, Ukraine. During the Boreal Period (9000-8000 B.P.), southern Crimea was a mixed broad leaf-coniferous subtaiga. During the second half of the Atlantic Period (6000--4600 B.P.), the area was a forest steppe with birch trees (Khotinskiy 1984: 192195).
Physical Features
Murzak-Koba is situated in a rock shelter 36 m above the left bank of the Chernaya River at the entrance to Bolku-Dere Gorge. The grotto faces east, is dry, and has a nearly level floor (Bibikov 1940: 159; Telegin 1989: 109). The site contained more than 4000 flint artifacts in addition to bone tools and whetstones with traces of use; fauna; and two human remains. Of the stone tools, cores were numerous. Additional stone tool types included some blades similar to Kukrek blades; a few retouched blades; numerous blades with grooves; side scrapers with the same shape as those in other sites; average burins and burins on blades or chips; projectile points (two) on blades with strait tangs; microliths, most of which were the trapeze type; elongated segments in higher frequency than those in the Shan-Koba Period; a short symmetrical triangle; and two segmented artifacts. Bone tools included bifacial harpoons with widely spaced teeth (one whole and some fragments), awl-puncturers, and spindle-shaped projectile points. Faunal remains consisted of shells and bones of birds, badger, fox, wild ram, red deer, wild boar, lynx, brown bear, and domestic dog (Bibikov 1940: 175; Telegin 1989: 108-109). The remains of two human skeletons, a male and a female, were situated next to each other in Level three. However, no evidence for a burial pit was found (Bibikov 1940: 160, 165). The skeletons were extended and supine with the heads oriented to the east (Bibikov 1940: Fig. 6; Klein
et al. 1971: 326; Telegin 1982: Fig. 3). The skull of the female had been flattened by stones, and the little fingers had been amputated. A small flint blade with lateral retouch was located at the upper epiphyses of the left radius, and a trapeze was between the radius and the lower ribs. The skeleton of the male had a blade with grooving between the ribs and articulating joints (Bibikov 1940: 160-165). The general area of the skeletons had worked animal bones and stone tools.
Cultural Aspects
On a local level, the location of Murzak Koba in a rock shelter and the lack of evidence of a hearth may indicate that the site was used by people with a mobile lifestyle. Stone and bone tools and faunal remains show that the people were hunters, fishers, and foragers for shellfish. The lack of adzes and axes suggests that the inhabitants of the site did not process wood inside the rock shelter. The position of the skeletons of the two individuals suggests some type of purposeful burial, in spite of the absence of evidence ofa burial pit. The bones of the skull and missing phalanges of the female together with the stone tools in both skeletons indicate the possibility of violent death. On a regional level, Murzak Koba is the type site of the Murzak Koba Stage of the Crimean Mountain Mesolithic of the Sea of Azov-Black Sea region sites. As such, it has archaeological similarities with Fat'ma Koba, Levels 2--4; Shan Koba, Levels 2-3; Kara Koba; Lapsi 7; and Zamil' Koba, upper level.
References
Bibikov, S. N. (1940). "Grot Murzak-Koba," Sovetskaya Arkhaeologiya 5: 159-178.
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Klein, R. G. (1971). "U.S.S.R." In Catalogue of Fossil Hominids Part II: Europe, ed. Oakley, K. P., B. G. Campbell, and T. I. Molleson. London: Trustees of the British Museum, 311-335.
Telegin, D. Va. (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX-VI
Tisyacholittya). Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
TeIegin D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, \06--123.
Narodich
TIME PERIOD: End of the Early Mesolithic through the beginning of the Late Mesolithic era (Telegin 1989: 116).
LOCATION: On the north shore 2.0-2.5 m above the floodplain of the Uzh River, which flows into the Pripyat River, which in turn flows into the Dnieper River in Yolyn Oblast, Ukraine (Telegin 1989: 116).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Physical Features
Narodich contained 21 isolated groups of Mesolithic cultural materials concentrated around circular or elongated campfires, one of which was surrounded by fragments of granite. The remaining artifactual remains were stone tools made from flint of various qualities. They included cores, blades, scrapers, projectile points, and axes. A few microliths occurred, but most of the stone tools were fairly large. Of the cores, most had one straight striking platform and had been flaked in a circular manner. They were large and broad (more than 1 cm) with unequal edges and a poorly delineated back. Blades were few and were used as knives. The many types of scrapers included end scrapers made from large blades and lamellar chips. Some were semicircular scrapers, and a few were double scrapers. The burins were mostly average burins made from long, narrow blades or from long chips. Side burins and burins made from the corner of a broken blade, also found with equal outlines, were single finds, as were also microblades. The projectile points (three types) were mostly large (up to 6-7 cm long). The edges were retouched along one or both edges. The projectile point types are points with a lateral groove without retouch on the other regions of the edge, Swederian and Post-Swiderian willow-leaf-shaped projectile points, Narodich projectile points with retouch on one or both edges (some with a unidirectional groove near the tang). Microlithic tools included blades and points with a blunt edge, oblique points, and elongated asymmetrical triangles and trapezes. Macrolithic tools included trench-shaped axes, wedge-shaped axes, and axes with an intercept (Telegin 1982: 239,1989: 115116).
Cultural Aspects
Narodich is the site after which the Narodich camp sites in the Polesse Forest Steppe area are named. As such, Narodich has archaeological similarities to other regional sites, such as Chopovichi, Melini, and Tetrev.
Eastern European Mesolithic 109
References
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Telegin, D. Ya. (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX-VI Tisyacholittya). Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin, D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106--123.
Nenasytets
TIME PERIOD: Late Mesolithic (Telegin 1989: 112).
LOCATION: Nenasytets is situated on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnieper River at the mouth of Bilaevaya Balka between the villages of Vasil'evka and Mar'evka in Sinel'ikov Region, Dniepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine (Telegin 1989: 113).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
During the late Mesolithic Era, the part of southern Ukraine in which Nenasytets is located was undergoing atransition from the a mixed-grass xerophytic steppe of the Boreal Period (9000-6000 B.P.) to the mixed-grass and mesophytic steppe of the second half of the Atlantic Period (6000--4000 B.P.) (Khotinskiy 1984: 191-195).
Physical Features
The material culture evidence from Nenasytets consists of small light gray and dark-colored flint tools (300), excluding chips. Among the microliths (23) are trapezes (17), segment-shaped tools (3), and triangles. All of the microliths had been made on prismatic blades and finished by short edge retouch. The cores and fragments (13) are small, conical, and usually struck off along the entire perimeter. The blades (130) are microlithic and average sized. Nearly half (60) had been retouched. The scrapers (120), most of which were made from chips, are mediumand small-sized. Some of the scrapers (12) were made on the end of knife-shaped blades. The burins (20) had been made on blades (10) and chips (10). Most of the burins were angle burins, some with a retouched end (Telegin 1982: 239, 1989: 113).
110 Eastern European Mesolithic
Cultural Aspects
Nenasytets is a Late Mesolithic Nenasytets-Mospino site in the Dnieper Rapids area of the Northern Sea of Azov region. The site is located in the same region that the Osokorovko-Rogalik sites occupied in the early Mesolithic Era, so the two may be a single cultural group (Telegin 1989: 112-113). Regionally, Nenasytets has an archaeological relation to other microlithic NenasytetsMospino sites such as Mospino, Kremnevaya Gora, Teploe, Melovoe, Zimovniki, Petropavlovka in the Don River Basin.
References
Khotinskiy, N. A. (1984). "Holocene Vegetation History." In Late Quaternary Environments of the Soviet Union, ed. A. A. Velichko. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 179-200.
Telegin, D. Va. (1982). Mezolitichhni Pam'yaki Ukraini (IX-VI Tisyacholittya) Kiev: Naukova Dumka.
Telegin, D. Ya (1989). "Mezolit Yugo-Zapada SSSR (Ukraina i Moldaviya)." In Mezolit SSSR, ed. L. V. Kol'tsov. Moscow: Nauka, 106--123.
N izhneye Veretye I
TlMEPERIOO: Mesolithic: 9050-8520 B.P. (Oshibkina 1985:
402).
LOCATION: Nizhneye Veretye I is located on the left (south) bank of the Kinema River 1 km from the place where the River flows into Lake Lacha from the east, Arkhangelk Oblast, Russian Republic (Oshibkina 1983: 73, 1985: 403, 1989: 34).
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Local Environment
During the Boreal Period, when Nizhneye Veretye I was a viable settlement, the land was a birch and pine forest (Khotinskiy 1984: 192-193; Oshibkina 1985: 402). The average January temperature was -18° C, which is colder than at present (Savina and Khotinskiy 1984: 291). The average July temperature was between 14° and 16°, which was also cooler than today (Savina and Khotinskiy 1984: 292). The region was also experiencing greater precipitation than at present, with an average annual precipitation of about 700 mm (Savina and Khotinskiy
1984: 291).
Physical Features
Lake Lacha was larger during the Boreal Period than it is today. Therefore, Nizhneye Veretye I was probably situated along the lake at the mouth of the Kinema River. Over the years between the Boreal Period and today, Nizhneye Veretye I was covered by peat. The Mesolithic level of the site contained dwellings; stone working areas; stone, bone, wood, and birchbark artifacts; and animal and fish bones (Oshibkina 1985: 402,404, 1989: 34). The site took up an area of about 1,500 m2. The dwellings were square or rectangular, 40 to 50 m2 in area. They had probably been made from poles that had been covered by soft material, such as skins, and reinforced by stones. Each dwelling had one or two hearths, around which were concentrated animal bones, tools, and burnt wood. One dwelling had a sprinkling oflight sand at the level of the floor. Under this were small fragments of bones, flint spalls, and other small trash indicating that the inhabitants may have occasionally returned to the dwelling, straightened it up, and sprinkled a base of clean sand (Oshibkina 1989: 34). The processing of stone tools took place along the River bank and in a workshop in the forest on the outskirts of the site. The workshop contained a high stone anvil; a large quantity of flint chips and spalls; and numerous stone and bone objects, including eight bone projectile points and a case made from a single piece of birch bark. Its ends had been rolled back into a triangle and attached to the front of the box. It contained lumps and chips of high quality gray-blue flint, retouchers, blades, and a finished end scraper. A similar birch bark case was found near the River bank. This case had been reinforced between four small pegs and contained lumps and chips of flint (Oshibkina 1989: 34).
Cultural Aspects
Nizhneye Veretye I contained a large number of versatile tools (over 7500, excluding fragments, spalls, and chips of stone, bone, antler, and wood) for working, hunting, and fishing; wood objects; and decorations. These were found on the floors of the dwellings and especially near the collapsed walls of buildings. The site lacked ceramic materials.
Stone tools were used as stone-processing tools (hammer stones, retouchers, and polishing tools), chopping tools (axes, adzes, chisels, wedges, and hoes), hunting tools (stone projectile points), and domestic tools (awls, burins, and knives made on flint flakes; end scrapers; burins).
Bone and antler tools were used for hunting, catching fish, and domestic tasks. Hunting tools