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Post by Admin on Jan 24, 2022 19:20:26 GMT
Burial site included in this article
Berendeyevo (Nikitin 1976; Kostyleva & Utkin 2010) burial site is situated on the edge of the
Berendeyevo bog in the Yaroslavl region. Graves with three individuals were discovered during the
excavation settlement site Berendeyevo I. Our study includes burial 1, which was unearthed by A. L.
Nikitin in 1965. Burial 1 (BER001) is a 55–60-year-old male, who was placed in the grave on his left
side in a flexed position, head directed to NW. The size of the grave was 1.1 × 0.7 m and the body had
been wrapped in birchbark. Grave goods were not found, but the peat had preserved some remnants of
clothing on a few bones and some rope, which had been used to wrap the body. The birchbark of burial
1 has been sampled and two radiocarbon datings were made from the sample: 7,730±40 BP (GIN-197)
– 6,638–6,478 cal BC with a 95.4% probability – and 4,340±40 BP (GIN-197b) – 3,086–2,890 cal BC
with a 95.4% probability. Birchbark was also discovered and radiocarbon dated in other graves: grave 2
4,970±95 (Mo-446) – 3,972–3537 cal BC with a 95.4% probability – and grave 3 5,540±50 BP (GIN3886) – 4,487–4271 cal BC with a 95.4% probability. We have dated the individual from burial 1 –
5,487±40 BP (UBA-41612), 4,447–4,259 cal BC with a 95.4% probability. This result is similar to the
dating from grave 3, but freshwater reservoir effect cannot be excluded. Burial 1 has been linked to
Volosovo culture based on the flexed body position, the birchbark container and the stratigraphy of the
site, but according to the radiocarbon date, the Lyalovo culture cannot be ruled out either.
Fatyanovo culture
The antiquities of the Fatyanovo culture are recognized in a wide area of the European part of Russia
from the Novgorod oblast to Tatarstan, particularly the Lake Ilmen area to the Vyatka River (e.g. Krainov
1987b; Krenke 2019b). The research history of this culture extends back to about 150 years ago when in
1873 the Fatyanovo burial ground, which also gave its name to the culture, was discovered near the town
of Jaroslav, prompting the beginning of excavations on the site the same year (Uvarov 1881). The main
features of the culture were defined during the first quarter of the 20th century (Gorodtsov 1915).
Research was especially active during the 1950s and 1970s when the topic was handled mainly by Dimitri
Krainov in the western and Otto Bader in the eastern part of the culture area. Bader (1950) distinguished
a separate Balanovo culture, but the two are still commonly approached as a singular comprehensive
culture (e.g. Krainov 1987b; Krenke 2019b). Other subgroups have been recognized in the Fatyanovo
culture on the basis of differences in pottery and the shape and material of tools as well as burial methods
(Krainov 1972; 1987b). By now, more than three hundred burial places belonging to the Fatyanovo
culture (most of them found by chance during other excavation works) and numerous stray finds (mainly
shaft-hole axes) have been found.
Information about the settlements of the Fatyanovo culture people is scarce – for a long time, a number
of them were only known from the area of the Balanovo group (Krainov 1987b). Found mostly on
riverbanks, the settlement sites of the Balanovo group are usually in areas well protected by nature. Both
open and fortified settlements were founded by the Balanovo culture group and the remains of dwellings
(incl. timber-framed structures), as well as fortifications, have been excavated (Bader & Khalikov 1987).
More extensive investigation into the settlement sites of the western part of Fatyonovo culture, including
a systematic survey, began in the 2000s (e.g. Krenke 2014; 2019a).
The Fatyanovo culture people buried their dead mostly in inhumation cemeteries without visible above
ground signs. In a constrained area of the Middle Volga region, they were buried in singular or grouped
barrows, located on higher moraine or sandi hills and the shores of watercourses and lakes (Bader &
Khalikov 1987; Krainov 1987). The number of graves in a burial ground varies between 2 and 125
(Krainov 1987). Some regularities in the burial customs can be detected, described in more detail below
(Krainov 1972; 1987b; Bader & Khalikov 1987; Volkova 2010). The dead are usually buried at a depth
of 0.1–2.7 meters and the grave shafts can be relatively large (maximum 3 × 5.6 meters), some with
wooden, birch bark or root constructions. The bodies have been laid in the grave mostly on their sides,
with elbow, hip and knee joints flexed. In general, the men are laid on their right side and the women on
their left. It has been suggested that some of the deceased had been wrapped prior to burial. As an
exception, some cremation burials can be found. In some cases, charcoal and ochre have been found in
graves. The grave goods usually consist of pottery vessels, battle axes, flint work axes, adzes and knives,
as well as metal weapons and jewelry and in special cases, animal bones and shells. Differences between
sexes and age groups have been detected in the depth of the graves as well as the grave goods. The stone
battle axes are usually found with male burials, rarely with children and women, with the axe often placed
near the head. Polished flint work axes and adzes as well as flint knives are usually found in the hip
region in male burials and near the feet in female burials. Other items, such as flint arrowheads, scrapers,
blades and flakes, bone tools (awls, points, adzes etc.) and ornaments made of animal teeth, bone and
amber can also be found. The age-at-death of the deceased is usually between 30–50 years of age, in
special cases up to 70 years. Women, however, are rarely older than 40 years (Krainov 1987b).
The source of subsistence for the people of the Fatyanovo culture has mostly been thought to be animal
husbandry, but also hunting, fishing and gathering, and the possibility of cultivation has not been
excluded either (Krainov 1972, 1987b). The bones of domestic animals (pig, goat/sheep, sometimes cattle
and horse) and items made from the bones have been found from several burial places (Krainov 1987b).
Teeth belonging to horses, cattle and goat/sheep have been found from an extensively excavated RANIS
settlement site in the Moscow area (Krenke 2019a) and the bones of domesticated animals have also been
recovered from many settlement sites of the Balanovo area (Bader & Khalikov 1987). Both nomadic and
sedentary animal husbandry has been assumed. The idea of a nomadic lifestyle has been reasoned from
the scarcity of settlement sites (e.g. Tretiakov 1966) while the location of the burial places in the
landscape is considered as indirect evidence for agriculture (e.g. Bader 1939; Krainov 1987b). The
deforestation on the shores of the Moscow River during the Fatyanovo culture period, visible on pollen
diagrams, is presumed to be related to agriculture (Ershova 2014). However, direct evidence of cereal
crop farming has yet to be found. Hunting as a source of subsistence can be inferred from the bone items
found from burial places and animal bones from the settlement sites of the Balanovo group. The bones
of elk, roe deer, reindeer, beaver, bear, marten and fox as well as other types of wild animals and fish
have been differentiated (Bader & Khalikov 1987; Krainov 1987b).
In the anthropological sense, the Fatyanovo culture people can be seen as a relatively homogeneous group
with the greatest similarities, mostly in cranial features, to other Corded Ware cultures (Denisova 1966;
Balueva et al. 1988; Varul et al. 2019). Craniometric studies of skulls from the Upper Volga region reveal
that the people of Fatyanovo culture are characterized by dolichocranic skulls (long and narrow
neurocranium), medium-height and medium-width face, obvious horizontal profiling and a high
protruding noseband. These features are especially clear in the oldest skeletons.
Only 14 radiocarbon dates of the Fatyanovo culture sites have been published until this research project
and in many cases, the context has been unclear (Krenke 2019b). Based on reliable radiocarbon results,
the Fatyanovo culture has been dated to the period between c. 2,750–2,500 (2,300) cal. BC (Krenke
2019b). While our results completely overlap with the beginning of the period, they do shift the end of
the culture to be a bit younger, c. 2,150 cal. BC.
Different hypotheses have been proposed on the topic of the origin of Fatyanovo culture as well as on its
connections to the cultures of the East European Plain that preceded and followed it. In the first half of
the 20th century, the idea of an autochthon emergence of the culture was assumed but many of the
researchers later renounced the opinion in favour of migration (Krainov 1987b and references therein).
The Fatyanovo culture has been quite unanimously treated as a part of European Corded Ware and Battle
Axe cultures. The formation and distribution of the culture has on different occurrences been thought to
be both prolonged (Krainov 1987b) as well as a relatively fast process (Krenke 2019b). Mostly, the
formation of this culture has been described as a migration of settlers to the area that had previously been
inhabited by the people of Vosolovo culture whose main form of subsistence was foraging (Krainov
1987a). The most impactful has been Krainov’s (1987) approach where he localized the source of
Fatyanovo culture, as well as to all Corded Ware cultures, to the wider area of the basins of rivers Dnepr,
Visla and Oder in modern Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Lithuania and Latvia. Krainov assumed that
the people of the Corded Ware culture settled on the areas of the later Fatyanovo culture in four major
migration waves: 1) from Belarus, Lithuania and Eastern Latvia to the Upper-Volga region, 2) from
Belarus and Mid- and Upper Dnepr area of Ukraine to Moscow area, 3) from the southernmost areas of
Ukraine to Middle-Volga and 4) from Eastern Latvia and Belarus to the areas of Western Dvina and
Ilmen. Krainov also did not exclude the idea of some mixing between the settlers and the local
populations.
From the pottery found from the Moscow river basin during the 2000s, matches have been found in
Globular Amphorae, the pottery of the Rzucewo culture in the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea and the epi
Corded Ware of the Southern Poland and Ukrainian Volyn areas. It has been assumed that the Fatyanovo
culture developed rapidly on the basis of western Globular Amphorae and Corded Ware culture peoples
and that the area of its formulation also included the modern Moscow area (Krenke 2019a; 2019b).
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Post by Admin on Jan 24, 2022 20:56:16 GMT
Bolshnevo 3 (Krainov 1972; 1975) burial site is on a morainal hillock in the Tver region. It is the only
Fatyanovo culture burial place in Bolshnevo that has been excavated – the other two which are known
were destroyed by gravel mining. D. A. Krainov excavated the site in 1970. He discovered four graves –
two were individual graves, while the other two had four skeletons in each grave. We included individual
1 and 2 from grave 4 and the individual from grave 3. A 40–50-year-old male was buried in grave 3
(BOL003). He was buried on his left side in a flexed position, head directed to NE. Grave goods included
a battle axe, flint axe, two ceramic vessels, two flint knives, some bone artifacts and a shell. In grave 4
remains of four adults – two male and two female – and a dog were unearthed. Three skulls had signs of
perimortem trauma. Individual 1 (BOL001) was a 45–55-year-old male, who was placed on his left side
in a flexed position, head directed to E-NE. He had a perimortem injury. The grave goods included a
battle axe and a flint knife, also a bear-tooth pendant and a pig’s bone were near the skeleton. Individual
2 (BOL002) from grave 4 was a 20–25-year-old woman, who was placed on her left side in a flexed
position, head directed to SW. Signs of perimortem trauma were also present on her skeleton. AMS
radiocarbon dating results from grave 4 are considerably different (burial 1 4,005±39 BP (UBA-41613),
burial 2 3,876±36 BP (UBA-41614)) and conventional date from charcoal (3,960±130 BP (GIN-5240),
Krenke 2019b), suggesting that possibly the freshwater reservoir effect should be taken into account in
when interpreting the data.
Goluzinovo (Krainov 1972, Krainov & Gadzyatskaya 1987) burial ground is located on a hillock near
Sinyavka river in the Yaroslavl region. Five individual graves were excavated by D. Krainov in 1964–
65, and burial 4 was included into the current study. The individual (GOL001) is a 20–30-year-old male,
who was buried on his right side in a flexed position, head directed to NW. Several grave goods were
recovered: a battle axe, a flint work axe, three bone items, a ceramic vessel and half of a shell.
Ivanovogorsky (Krainov 1963; Krainov 1972) burial ground is situated on the shore of the Ruza river in
the Moscow region. The burials of two males and one female were unearthed by K. Ya. Vinogradov in
1928–29. We have included burial 3 to our study. The individual (IVA001) is a 30–40-year-old woman,
who was buried in a flexed position on her left side, head directed to NE. Grave goods included two
ceramic vessels, a flint arrowhead, two flint knives, a whetstone, several bone items, pendants from teeth
and tubular bones, and small shells. Pig bones were recovered near her lower limbs – it has been
suggested that these are food offerings.
Khaldeevo (Nikitin 1964; Krainov 1972) burial site is on a small morainal hillock in the Yaroslavl region.
A. L. Nikitin and D. A. Krainov excavated there in 1959. They discovered one grave, where an 18–25-
year-old male (HAL001) was buried. He was placed in a supine position, head directed to SW. Two
ceramic vessels, a bone adze and some animal bones were found near the skeleton.
Khanevo (Krainov 1972; Kirianova 1976; Sidorov & Engovatova 1992) burial ground is situated on a
hillock on the shore of the Iskona river in the Moscow region. Three graves were excavated by A. V.
Sidorov in 1969 and three graves by D. A. Krainov in 1970. Our study includes burials 4, 5, 6 and a
cranium (HAN001) which most likely was recovered from a grave that was disturbed by human activity.
Burial 4 (HAN004) included a male skeleton aged 18–20 years, who was buried on his right side in a
flexed position, head directed to SW. Grave goods included a battle axe, a flint spearhead, a flint
arrowhead, a stone axe, a ceramic vessel, a flint knife and two bone items. Additionally, pig bones were
recovered – most likely remnants of a food offering. Burial 5 (HAN003) included two individuals, a man
and a woman. Both were buried in a flexed position on their right side, heads directed to SW. Several
grave goods were found: a battle axe, a stone axe, a flint knife, a flint arrowhead, two ceramic vessels,
two bone awls and shells. Near their lower limbs, pig and coat/sheep bones were found – most likely
remains from meat that was interred to the grave. Burial 6 (HAN002) is a male aged 18–20 (25) years,
who was placed in a supine position, lower limbs flexed from joints, head directed to SW. Grave goods
included two work axes, a flint knife, several bone artifacts and a ceramic vessel.
Miloslavka (Krainov 1961; Gadzyatskaya 1964; Krainov 1972) burial site is located on a hillock on the
bank of a small lake in the Ivanovo region. D. A. Krainov excavated the site in 1958 and 1961, revealing
two graves. Also, reports of two additional destroyed graves were gathered from locals. Three graves out
of four were single graves, and one was a double grave. The current study included burials 1 and 4. Burial
1 (MIL001) is a 30–35-year-old female, who was placed in the grave on her left side in a flexed position,
head directed to E. Her grave goods included a ceramic vessel, a flint flake and several bone artifacts.
Burial 4 (MIL002) is a woman, aged approximately 25 years, who was placed in the grave on her left
side in a flexed position, head directed to SE. She was inhumed with a 4–5-year-old child. Several grave
goods were recovered: a flint work axe, a ceramic vessel, flint flakes, pendants made from shells, and
also animal and bird bones.
Mytishchi (Bader 1959; Gadzyatskaya 1969; Krainov 1972) burial site is situated on a little hillock in
the Ivanovo region. One grave with two individuals was excavated by N. P. Milonova and O. N. Bader
in 1928 and D. A. Krainov opened another grave in 1966. Our study included material from burial 3
(MOT001), excavated by Krainov – likely an 18–20-year-old woman, who was placed on her left side in
a flexed position, head directed to E. The grave had been partially destroyed. Recovered grave goods
included a battle axe, four ceramic vessels, several copper items and a bear-tooth pendant.
Naumovskoye (Krainov 1972; Kirianova 1973; Krainov & Gadzyatskaya 1987) burial ground is situated
on a hillock next to the Kurbitsa river in the Yaroslavl region. Two graves were unearthed by N. A.
Kirianova in 1965. Both individuals are included in the current study. The cranial region of burial 1 was
disturbed during gravel mining. The remains of burial 1 (NAU001) derive from a 50–60-year-old male.
The individual in burial 2 (NAU002) is an 18–20-year-old male, who was placed into the grave on his
left side in a flexed position, head directed to NE. The burial included a battle axe, a ceramic vessel, two
flint knives, a bear-tooth pendant, a bone awl, an adze and a circular item made of copper
Nikolo-Perevoz (Raushenbah 1960; Krainov 1963) is located on the right bank of the Dubna river in the
Moscow region. In 1958 V. M. Raushenbah excavated a settlement site which had cultural layers from
different time periods and unearthed a mass grave with nine individuals. The heads of six of them were
directed to SW and three to NE, eight were placed into the grave in a flexed and one in a supine position.
Five ceramic vessels, two battle axes, five arrowheads and a spear head were found. In three instances,
some arrowheads characteristic to Volosovo culture were recovered amongst the human remains. Most
likely the mass grave included individuals who were killed by Volosovo people. Four skeletons were
sampled for this study (RDT001, RDT002, RDT003, RDT004).
Nikultsino (Krainov 1987; Krainov & Gadzyatskaya 1987) burial site is on a hillock in the Yaroslavl
region. 18 graves, some with double burials, were excavated by D. A. Krainov in 1964–65. Our study
included burials 3b, 6, 7, 9, 11, 15, 16 and 17. Burial 3b (NIK005) was partially destroyed. The individual
is a woman, who was placed in the grave on her left side, head directed to NE. A ceramic vessel and
shards from two additional ceramic vessels were found. Burial 6 (NIK007) is an 18–20-year-old woman,
who was placed in the grave on her left side in a flexed position, head directed to SE. A stone work axe,
a flint flake and a lump, numerous pendants from animal teeth, shells and copper, also pig bones and
three ceramic vessels were recovered. Burial 7 (NIK008) is a 25–30-year-old male, who was placed in
the grave on his right side in a flexed position, head directed to SW. His grave goods included a battle
axe, a flint blade, two ceramic vessels, a bear-tooth pendant and a bone awl. Burial 9 (NIK004) is a 50–
60-year-old male, who was placed in the grave on his right side in a flexed position, had directed to SSE.
His grave goods included a battle axe, a flint work axe, two ceramic vessels, a sheep bone awl and a flint
flake. Burial 11 (NIK006) is a 13–16-year-old male, who was placed in the grave on his right side, head
directed to SW. A battle axe, a flint knife, two ceramic vessels, flint flakes and quartz flakes were found.
Burial 15 (NIK002) is a 40–50-year-old male, who was placed in the grave on his left side in a flexed
position, head directed to NE. His grave goods included a battle axe, a flint work axe, a flint knife, a flint
arrowhead, a bone pin, two copper items, a grinding stone, a bear-tooth pendant and three ceramic
vessels. Burial 16 (NIK003) is a 30–40-year-old male, who was placed in the grave on his left side in a
flexed position, head directed to NE. A battle axe was found in the grave. The human remains in burial
17 (NIK001) were poorly preserved and thus age-at-death and sex on the individual have not been
assessed. The individual was placed on the left side, most likely in a flexed position. An unidentified flint
item, a bone awl, a blank for an awl, a ceramic vessel, animal bones, a piece of a reindeer antler and
pieces of red quartzite were found.
Skomorokhovo (Krainov 1972; Gadzyatskaya 1976b) is situated on a sandy hillock on the bank of a
small stream which flows to the Zmeyka river in the Ivanovo region. D. A. Krainov excavated three
graves and discovered two destroyed graves in 1961–62. Our study includes burial 3 (SKO001) – a 20–
30-year-old woman, who was placed in the grave on her right side, head directed to SW. A piece of
copper wire and three dog’s teeth were found in the grave.
Timofeyevka (Krainov 1964; Krainov 1965; Krainov 1972) burial site is located on a small hillock in the
Ivanovo region. In 1959 and 1961, D. A. Krainov excavated 15 single burials and two dog graves. The
current study included burials 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Burial 1 (TIM007) is a 30–35-yearold male, who was placed on his right side in a flexed position, head directed to SW. The grave goods
included a battle axe, a flint knife and a scraper, a ceramic vessel with sheep bones, two flint flakes and
some bone artifacts. Burial 2 (TIM006) is a woman with 20–25 (35–40) years of age, who was placed
on her left side in a flexed position, head directed to E. Two ceramic vessels, a flint knife, two bone items
and sheep bones were found with the individual. Burial 4 (TIM003) is a 35(45)–55-year-old male who
was placed in supine position, head directed to SW. He was buried with a flint blade and a flint lump.
Burial 5 (TIM004) is a male with 30–40 (45–50) years of age who was placed in a flexed position, head
directed to SW. The grave goods included a battle axe, a flint work axe, a flint knife, a fragment of a flint
point, a flint scraper, three ceramic vessels, a grinding stone and some bone items. Additionally, five
pebbles were placed into the grave. Burial 6 (TIM009) is a (16)18–20-year-old male, who was placed on
his right side in a flexed position, head directed to SW. Grave goods included a battle axe, a flint work
axe, a boar tusk pendant, a flint point, some bone artifacts, sheep bones and a ceramic vessel. Burial 7
(TIM010) is an 18–20-year-old male, who was placed in the grave on his right side, head directed to SW.
A battle axe, flint flakes, a bone dagger, bones from a domestic animal, a round stone and two ceramic
vessels were recovered from the grave. Burial 10 (TIM011) is a 12–13-year-old female, who was placed
on her left side in a flexed position, head directed to NE. The grave goods were a copper tube, a flint
flake, a bone awl, several animal bones and teeth, and a ceramic vessel. Burial 12 (TIM002) is a 12–13-
year-old male, who was placed in the grave on his right side in a flexed position, head directed to NW.
Two flint flakes, a bone awl and a ceramic vessel were found. Burial 13 (TIM008) is a male with (30–
35) 50–60 years of age, who was placed on his right side in a flexed position, head directed to NE. His
grave goods included a battle axe, a flint work axe, a flint knife, a ceramic vessel with sheep bones and
a bone awl. Burial 14 (TIM005) is a female with 18–20 (25–30) years of age, who was placed in the
grave on her left side in a flexed position, head directed to SE. A flint knife, two shell pendants, dozens
bone tubular and other beads, several animal and bird bones, and two ceramic vessels were found. Burial
15 (TIM001) is an 18–25(30)-year-old male, who was placed on his right side in a flexed position, head
directed to SW. A battle axe, a stone slab, a flint flake and a ceramic vessel with pig and dog bones were
found in the grave.
Volosovo-Danilovsky (Krainov 1972; Krainov & Gadzyatskaya 1987) burial site is located on a morainal
hillock on the bank of the Levashevk river in the Yaroslavl region. Stray finds have been collected there
since the 1930s, archaeological excavations were held by D. A. Krainov in 1962–64. This is the largest
known Fatyanovo culture burial place, where 107 graves with 117 individuals have been discovered.
Additionally, a dog’s burial was found. Previously, one radiocarbon dating of the site has been published,
but it is unknown what was dated. The dating – 3,650±80 BP (Le-1044) – 2,281–1,775 cal BC with a
95.4% probability – is disputable. Krenke (2019b) has expressed doubt and the previously published
dating also does not correlate with our AMS radiocarbon dating of 2570–2299 cal BC. One individual
from burial 11 was included in the aDNA study: an adult woman who was placed on her left side in a
flexed position, head directed to NE. Her grave goods included three ceramic vessels, a copper circular
item, a flint knife and a work axe.
Voronkovo (Krainov 1972; Gadzyatskaya 1976; Krainov & Gadzyatskaya 1987) burial site is on a
morainal hillock on the bank of the Vondeli river in the Yaroslavl region. O.S. Gadzyatskaya excavated
13 graves from the site in 1965. We have included burials 5, 6, 7, 8 and 13. Burial 5 is a 20–30-year-old
male, who was placed to the grave on his right side in a flexed position, head directed to SW. A battle
axe, a flint work axe, a flint knife, a flint flake and a ceramic vessel were found from the grave. Burial 6
is a 45–55-year-old male, who was placed on his right side in a flexed position, head directed to SW. A
battle axe, a flint work axe, two ceramic vessels, a flint knife and other flint, bone and copper items were
in the grave. Burial 7 is an 18–20-year-old male, who was placed on his right side in a flexed position,
head directed to SW. His grave goods included a battle axe, a flint work axe, a flint knife, a ceramic
vessel, and several bone items and shells. Burial 8 is a 50–60-year-old woman, who was placed on her
left side in a flexed position, head directed to SW. A battle axe, a flint work axe, a flint knife, three
ceramic vessels, numerous tooth pendants, some bone artifacts and flint flakes were discovered near the
remains. Also, bird bones were found from the grave backfill. Burial 13 is a 30–40-year-old male, who
was placed on his right side in a flexed position, head directed to W. Only a few grave goods were
discovered: a flint work axe, a flint flake and one animal bone.
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Post by Admin on Jan 24, 2022 22:10:54 GMT
Estonian regional group of Corded Ware culture
Judging mainly by the characteristic pottery and stone axes, the Estonian group of Corded Ware culture
prevailed in present-day Estonia, northern and eastern parts of Latvia, southeastern Finland, as well as in
the Karelian Isthmus, Ingria and the Pskov region in northwestern Russia (Jaanits et al. 1982; Nordqvist
2016, Kriiska et al. 2017). Geographically, it is a neighboring group of Fatyanovo culture, but their
contact zone is still almost unexplored. Solitary Fatyanovo-type axes in Estonian Corded Ware culture
context and Estonian-type axes in the area of Fatyanovo culture indicate some but not very close contacts
between these groups (Jaanits 1973; Nordqvist & Häkälä 2014; Kriiska et al. 2015). Also, in time, the
Estonian group is almost analogous to Fatyanovo culture, continuing perhaps only a little longer, the
averaged range of AMS dates is 2800–2000 cal BC (Kriiska et al. 2015).
Research on the Estonian Corded Ware culture group began in the second half of the 19th century
(Grewingk 1871) and the first general presentations were compiled in the first quarter of the 20th century
(Ebert 1913; Tallgren 1922). Several important burial sites were studied in the 1920s and 30s, above all
Sope and Ardu (Aul 1935; Indreko 1935; 1937). Excavations at settlement sites started more widely in
the 1950s (Jaanits 1955; 19669). The Estonian group is characterized by a relatively large number of
settlements (a little less than a hundred) located in different natural environments (Kriiska 2000; Kriiska
et al. 2015; Paavel et al. 2016). Their burials (more than twenty) are all flat earth graves. The graves are
simple pits, less than 1.5 m deep and with varying orientations. The burials are single, sometimes double
inhumations, the deceased are in a flexed, rarely in a supine position (Indreko 1935; Varul et al. 2019).
The grave goods include battle axes, work axes and adzes of flint and crystalline rock, flint knives as
well as different bone tools. The subsistence of the Estonian Corded Ware group was likely based on a
mixed economy, combining productive livelihoods with hunting, gathering and fishing (Kriiska 2000;
Lõugas et al. 2007; Kriiska 2009). Based on aDNA studies (Saag et al. 2017; Mittnik et al. 2018), Corded
Ware culture was brought into this area by newcomers, likely coming from somewhere in eastern or
central Europe.
Burial site included in this article
Sope (Jaanits et al. 1982; Kriiska et al. 2007; Varul et al. 2019) is a burial ground situated on a sandy
knoll on the bank of the Sope stream in Northeastern Estonia. Several graves were exhumed by locals in
the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century and the unearthed remains were reburied into an
unknown location. The site has been archaeologically studied twice: in 1926 by H. Moora who
discovered burial Sope I, and in 1933 by R. Indreko who unearthed burial Sope II. According to reported
information the burial site included at least 14 individuals, but only remains of Sope I and II have
survived. The current study included a sample from Sope II, an adult woman, who was placed into the
grave on her right side, lower limbs flexed from joints, head directed towards NW. The burial included
a ceramic vessel, a bone awl, a shell of a freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) and some
small round stones.
Supplementary Figure 4. qpAdm, ChromoPainter/NNLS and kinship test results. A qpAdm and ChromoPainter/NNLS (CP) models with Baltic Corded Ware culture (CWC) or Central CWC and Levant Neolithic (Levant N) as sources, B Fatyanovo kinship test results, 100 most similar pairs out of 253 shown. Attachments:
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Post by Admin on Feb 8, 2022 17:54:53 GMT
Over the past week or so, since the publication of new Corded Ware samples in Narasimhan, Patterson et al. (2019) and after finding out that the R1a-M417 star-like phylogeny may have started ca. 3000 BC, I have been ruminating the relevance of contradictory data about the Ukraine_Eneolithic_o sample from Alexandria, its potential wrong radiocarbon date, and its implications for the Indo-European question. How many other similar ‘controversial’ samples are there which we haven’t even considered? And what mechanisms are in place to control that the case of Hajji_Firuz_CA I2327 is not repeated? Ukraine Eneolithic outlier I6561 It was not the first time that I (or many others) have alternatively questioned its subclade or its date, but the contradictory data seem to keep piling up. We can still explain all these discrepancies by assuming that the radiocarbon date is correct – seeing how it is a direct and newly reported lab analysis – because it is an isolated individual from a poorly sampled region, so he may actually be the first one to show features proper of later Corded Ware-related samples.  The main problem is that this sample has more than one inconsistent, anachronistic data compared to its reported precise radiocarbon date ca. 4045–3974 calBCE (5215±20BP, PSUAMS-2832). I summarized them on Twitter: First known R1a-M417 sample, with subclade R1a-Y26 (Y2-), with formation date and TMRCA ca. 2750 BC (CI 95% ca. 3750–1950 BC), and proper of much later Steppe_MLBA bottlenecks. The closest available sample would be the Poltavka outlier of hg. R1a-Z94 (ca. 2700 BC), from a mixed cemetery that could belong to a later (likely Abashevo) layer; the closest related subclade is probably found in sample I12450 of Butkara_IA (ca. 800 BC). NOTE. The formation date of upper clade R1a-Z93 is estimated ca. 3000 BC, with a CI 95% ca. 3550–2550 BC, suggesting that the actual TMRCA range for the subclade has most likely a lower maximum formation date than estimated with the available samples under Y3. Ancestry and PCA cluster like Steppe_MLBA (see PCA below), different from neighbouring Sredni Stog samples of the roughly coetaneous Dereivka site (ca. 3600-3400 BC), and from a later Yamnaya sample from Dereivka (ca. 2800 BC), even more shifted toward WHG-related ancestry. Allele for lactase persistence (I3910-T), found only much later among Bell Beakers, and still later in Sintashta and Steppe_MLBA samples. This suggests a strong selection in northern Europe and South Asia stemming from steppe-related (and not forest-steppe-related) peoples, postdating the age of massive Indo-European migrations. |
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Post by Admin on Feb 8, 2022 19:04:36 GMT
Hajji Firuz Chalcolithic outlierMy impression is that the Hajji_Firuz Chalcolithic outlier, initially dated ca. 5900-5500 BC, had much less reason to be questioned than this sample, since Pre-Yamnaya ancestry was (and apparently is still) believed by members of the Reich Lab to have come from south of the Caucasus, and to have arrived around that time or earlier to the North Caspian steppe, i.e. before the 5th millennium BC. The formation date of its initially reported haplogroup, R1b-Z2103, is ca. 4100 BC (CI 95% 4800-3500 BC), which seems also roughly compatible with that date and site – at least as compatible as R1a-Y3(xY2) is for ca. 4000 BC -, so it could have been interpreted as a migrant from the South Caspian region, potentially related to Proto-Anatolians, especially before the description of the Caucasus genetic barrier in Wang et al (2018). For some reason, though, the Hajji_Firuz sample was questioned, but this one didn’t even merited an interrogation mark. There was already a similar situation with two samples (RISE568 and RISE569) initially reported as belonging to Czech Corded Ware groups, that turned out to be Early Slavs ca. 3,000 years younger, in turn more closely related to Bell Beaker-derived cultures of Central-East Europe. It seems little has changed since that case. All in all, my guess is that genomic data of I6561 would have been a priori more compatible with a later period, during the expansion of East Corded Ware groups: at least Middle Dnieper culture, potentially Multi-Cordoned Ware culture, but most likely a Srubnaya-related one, given the most likely SNP mutation and TMRCA date, and the haplogroup variability found in the few samples available from that culture. 
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