Early iron age mound near the village Malynivtsi in Podillia

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiienko National University

Early Iron Age Mound Near the Village Malynivtsi in Podillia

Anatoliy Hutsa, Vitaliy Hutsa, Oleksandr Mogylov

Kamianets-Podilskyi, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of the research paper is to introduce the materials of mound 1 near the village of Malynivtsi in the Middle Dniester region to scientific circulation. It is crucial to characterize its funeral rites, as well as to attribute the inventory complex. Burials are included in the list of synchronous antiquities of the region. The social attribution of the persons buried there is conducted.

The scientific novelty of the work is in the general characteristic of the Early Iron Age complex from Podillia. Since its unique characteristic is the presence of both pre- Scythian and Scythian features in the rites, Malynivtsi burial complex is an important source for studying the evolution of the Early Scythian funeral rites in the Middle Dniester region, because most of the burial mounds in the region are associated with the somewhat later Kelermesskaia period.

Conclusions. Mound 1 near Malynivtsi contained several burials performed according to both inhumation and cremation rites. Analogies to them can be found in the Middle Dniester region and they are associated with both pre-Scythian and Scythian times. The pre-Scythian features include the presence of a group of graves under one mound, burial in a cist, group burials are more common, and the peculiar positioning of the dead in one tomb with their heads in different directions. The northwestern orientation of bodies also prevails in the pre-Scythian period and could be found in most necropolises of that time. At the same time, a number of features already have parallels in the Scythian times: the topography of the necropolis on the watershed, and the burning down of the wooden constructions of the tomb. The inventory complex contains mainly handmade pottery. Tulip-shaped vessels are characteristic of the pre-Scythian period. Pots with a roller on the rim and body, or only on the rim, existed both in the pre-Scythian and Scythian times. However, the first type is not yet known among the burials of the Western Podillia group of the Scythian period. Thus, according to the combination of features of the funeral rite and inventory, Mound 1 near the village of Malynivtsi can be attributed to the turn of the Pre-Scythian and Scythian periods.

Keywords: mound, burial, pre-Scythian times, Scythian period, handmade pottery

Анотація

Курган доби раннього заліза біля с. Малинівці на Поділлі

Анатолій Гуцал+1, Віталій Гуцал2, Олександр Могилов3

2 Кам'янець-Подільський національний університет ім. І. Огієнка (Кам'янець-

Подільський, Україна)

Інститут археології НАН України (Київ, Україна)

Метою статті є введення до наукового обігу матеріалів кургану 1 біля с. Малинівці на Середньому Дністрі. Важливим є характеристика його поховальної обрядовості, а також атрибуція інвентарного комплексу. Захоронення вводяться до кола синхронних старожитностей регіону. Проводиться соціальна атрибуція похованих тут осіб.

Наукова новизна роботи полягає у загальній характеристиці комплексу доби раннього заліза з Поділля. Оскільки унікальною його характеристикою є наявність в обрядовості як передскіфських, так і скіфських рис, то Малинівецький поховальний комплекс є важливим джерелом для вивчення становлення поховальної обрядовості ранньоскіфського часу на Середньому Дністрі, адже більшість курганів регіону відноситься до дещо пізнішого келермеського періоду.

Висновки. Курган 1 поблизу Малинівців містив декілька поховань, здійснених за обрядами як інгумації, так і кремації. Аналогії їм можна бачити в Середньому Подністров'ї як у доскіфський, так і в скіфський час. До передскіфських можна зарахувати такі ознаки, як наявність цілої групи могил під одним насипом, захоронення в кам'яному ящику, частіше трапляються групові захоронення, характерне покладання небіжчиків в одній гробниці головами в різні боки. Північно-західне орієнтування тіл теж переважає в доскіфську добу та відоме у більшості тогочасних некрополів. Водночас низка ознак знаходить паралелі вже у скіфський час: топографія некрополя на вододілі, спалення дерев'яних конструкцій гробниці. Інвентарний комплекс складається переважно з ліпного посуду. Тюльпаноподібні посудини характерні для передскіфської доби. Горщики з валиками по вінцю та корпусу, чи тільки по верху, існували й у передскіфський і в скіфський час. Однак перший тип поки що невідомий серед поховань Західноподільської групи скіфської епохи. Отже, за сукупністю ознак поховального обряду й інвентарю курган 1 біля с. Малинівці може бути віднесений до рубежу передскіфської та скіфської епох.

Ключові слова: курган, поховання, доскіфський час, скіфський період, ліпний посуд

Introduction

The advent of the Scythian period in the Northern Black Sea region, and the emergence of a wave of nomads in the steppes had a substantial influence on the cultural genesis of the population of southern Eastern Europe forest-steppe zone. That was manifested primarily in the spread of advanced for that time weapons and horse trappings in the region. Transformations also occurred in the funeral rite of the native population. This is fully illustrated with the materials of the Scythian period from the Middle Dniester region where researchers have singled out the Western Podillia group of sites. One of the burial complexes, which illustrates those changes, was studied by Kamianets-Podilskyi State University expedition in 2003.

Results

The mounds near the village of Malynivtsi, Kamianets-Podilskyi raion, Khmelnytska oblast were located south of the village on a plateau that had a slope to the Dniester river, on the bank of which ancient settlements were found, whose inhabitants could have used the necropolis Старенький І.О., Левінзон Є.Ю. Розвідки на Середньому Дністрі 2009-2019 рр. Археологія і давня історія України. 2020. № 4. С. 219.. A total of 4 mounds were excavated there.

Mound 1, located 0.5 km from the southwestern outskirts of the village and 0.6 km from the river, is of particular interest. It was 0.5 m high with a diameter of 15 m. The mound was made of earth and stones that protruded from the ground. During clearing and surveying the ground of the top layer, stones protruded everywhere, covering an oval area of 12x13 m with a layer of up to 0.3-0.4 m. Small stones (up to 2-3 kg) prevailed, but there were also bigger ones. When the clearing of the stone layer was completed, it turned out that it did not completely cover the mound. Between the accumulation of stones in the center of the mound and on its periphery, there was a gap in the form of a stone-free ring (except unit 6-Д) 0.4-0.9 m wide (fig. 1), which seemed to separate the sides of the mound from its center.

Fig. 1. Malynivtsi, mound 1, plan. 1 - turf layer; 2 - stones; 3 - burnt stone and soil; 4 - pits; 5 - cremation in an urn; 6 - contours of burial 1; 7 - mainland.

In the mounds of the Scythian period studied in Podillia in previous years, in the place where the specified stone-free zone was found in the first Malynivtsi mound, as a rule, large stones were located, which were a kind of foundation of the structure and surrounded the central part with a vault. In the central part, the remains of burned-out wooden constructions were found, from which two strips of burned soil and stones with interspersed ash and embers remained. Those strips were 2.15 m apart and ran parallel to the walls of the primary burial, with which, probably, they formed one complex and stretched in the direction northwest - southeast. They were about 4 m long, 0.4 to 1.2 m wide, and 0.1 to 0.15 m thick. In general, the strips limited the square space around the primary burial with dimensions of about 4x4 m. There is no doubt that the indicated burned-out strips were the remains of some wooden structural parts, like a wall. It was not yet the classic wooden column tomb of the Early Scythian period with characteristic wooden structures burned out during the burial ceremony. But there could already be its ancestral form. The mound contained 4 burials: the primary one (No. 1), the cenotaph (No. 2) on the western side of the main tomb, Nos. 3 and 4 on the northern periphery.

Burial 1 was made under the center of the mound at the level of the ancient horizon, in a small rectangular cist with walls formed using the slabs (fig. 2). There were traces of the aforementioned burned-down wooden construction all around the area of 4x4 m. External dimensions of the cist were 2.1x1.05 m, internal - 2.1x0.7 m. It is oriented with a long axis from northwest to southeast. The longer walls were formed with specially selected oblong stones of regular shapes. They were placed in parallel to the burned stripes at a distance of 0.8 m from them. The narrower walls had no such a frame.

There were remains of two people's skeletons: a man of the age 35-40 and a woman of the age 20-25 in that specific cist. They were placed together in a crouched position, with their heads northwest. The anatomical integrity of the skeletons was violated but nevertheless, analyzes showed that the man was buried the first and

Fig. 3. Finds from burials 1 (1-3) and 2 (4): 1, 3, 4 - ceramics; 2 - stone.

after some time, the woman's body was buried there, too. Bones were in bad condition, and in addition, they were mixed. The fragments of a man's skull were in the northwestern corner, with two femurs placed parallel to each other on top of it. The left arm of the woman, who could be placed on her right side, was with an elbow bent at right angles. Perhaps the right arm was in the same position.

A crushed clay bowl was found farther to the north of the man's skull, at the edge of the grave (fig. 3, 1). The rim is rectilinear, slightly folded inward, and smoothly sloping to the walls and bottom. The vessel resembles a hemispherical cup with a height of 5.5 cm, the rim diameter of 16.2 cm. 30 cm north of the bowl, a stone bead and a fragment of a pot were found. The bead is made of a white stone slab with a width of 0.4 cm, and a diameter of 2 cm (fig. 3, 2). The hole has a regular round shape with a diameter of 0.7 cm. The fragment of the pot's wall was of brown color (fig. 3, 3).

The cenotaph burial 2 was found 3.6 m to the west of the primary grave. A rounded pit with a depth of 0.45 m and a diameter of 0.6 m was excavated there; there was no skeleton or its remains in the pit. The filling of the pit consisted of soil and individual stones. At its bottom, there was a clay mug-shaped ladle with a handle. Its shape is quite specific. It has an unusual for that time somewhat flattened shape of the body, which is why both the bottom and the rim are oval rather than round. The walls are almost straight, narrowing to the bottom, and the rim is slightly bent inwards and beveled in a horizontal plane towards the handle. Because of this, the front part is higher at 1 cm. The diameter of the base is 6-7 cm, the rim is 10-12 cm, and the height - 10.2 cm. The handle is broken. It was round in section, attached to the rim and lower part of the body (fig. 3, 4).

Fig. 4. Burial Nos. 3 (I) and 4 (II), plan: 1 - stones; 2 - bones; 3 - burnt bones; 4 - ceramics; 5 - mainland.

Burial 3 was unearthed 3.7 m to the north from the first burial (fig. 4, 1). In an oval pit with dimensions of 1.3x0.8 m and a depth to 0.3 m, closed up with stones, a biritual burial was found: cremation in urns and two crouched inhumations of children. The earlier one was the urn cremation located deeper. It is partially destroyed by the later burials. Some parts of that vessel were found on top of the stones that covered the grave. The urn was a pot that was only partially preserved.

Given the preserved upper part, it was a tulip-shaped vessel or something between a tulip-shaped or a jar-shaped form (fig. 5, 1). Under the rim and along the body, it is decorated with an applicated roller with pinches and indentations. There are also through punctures along the upper roller. Rim diameter - 18 cm, body - 21.5 cm. The iron ring with an external diameter of 3.5 cm was found near the parts of the urn. It was made of a round in section iron rod almost 0.4 cm thick (fig. 5, 2).

Over the aforementioned cremation, there were also children's burials: two skeletons with their heads in opposite directions. One skeleton belonged to a child of the age 6-7 and was placed in a crouched position on his right side with his head to the northwest; the hands with their palms turned to the face. The other child had southeastern orientation and was several months old, and his position was probably crouched, too. But due to the bad condition of the bone remains, it was hard to say definitely about that.

Fig. 5. Finds from burials 3 (1, 2) and 4 (3): 1, 3 - ceramics; 2 - iron.

Burial 4 was also discovered in a northern section of the mound, 0.2 m to the east of the southern edge of the grave 3 (fig. 4, 2). A narrow crushed pot contained burned bones belonging to an adult. The urn pot was a high vessel with up to 30 cm of slender proportions preserved for more than % of its height (except for the upper part). It could be close to tulip-shaped vessels. The diameter of the body - 23 cm, of flat bottom with a rounded edge - 15 cm (fig. 5, 3).

The complex of funerary gifts was discovered in the southeastern part of the mound in units 5-Д and 6-Д at the level of the old ground surface. There, among the stones in the area of approximately 1 m2 the fragments of several handmade vessels were unearthed. It was impossible to renew completely their shape. But it was determined that those were among them that belonged to the pots with a roller under the rim. During the research, taking into account the find in burial 3, the authors did not exclude that such rollers could be found on the body of those pots. However, it was hard to check that hypothesis due to the absence of their corresponding parts.

The following forms were the subject to reconstruction from collected fragments: attribution inventory mound burial

Large pot having a rounded body and thickened everted rim (fig. 6, 1). The fragments of the neck are decorated with shallow horizontal fluting. The rounded body with projections-applications with three directed downward stripes along the upper part of the body is preserved a little bit better. The bottom is flat, rising smoothly into the walls. Height - 29 cm, diameter of a rim - 21 cm, neck - 16 cm, body - 27 cm, bottom - 10 cm.

Fragment of the lower part of the pot's body with a diameter of up to 27 cm. Width of the wall is up to 1.5 cm (fig. 6, 2).

Fragment of the pot's rim with a diameter of up to 14 cm, that according to its profile, is mean between tulip-shaped and jar-shaped. It is decorated with a low partitioned roller with pinches and punctures along the rim. There are also two deepened slightly profiled horizontal grooves on it (fig. 6, 3).

Upper part of the pot with the roller with indentations and through punctures. Diameter - up to 14.5 cm (fig. 6, 4).

Part of the pot bottom, diameter - 9 cm. The bottom is flat; the walls rise steeply (fig. 6, 5).

The fragments of the ladle's handle are cylindrical in section. One of them clearly shows how the handle was attached to the vessel. Its edge was thinned and after attaching it was thoroughly smoothed (fig. 6, 6).

There were 6 persons buried in the mound 1 near Malynivtsi in 4 graves (one of which, probably, was a cenotaph) of which 3 adults (a man and a woman) and 2 children were identified. Most of the bodies were buried in crouched positions (4 skeletons). 2 urn cremations in other places were studied as well.

The first Malynivtsi mound is located in the area where in the pre-Scythian times Chornyi Lis-Zhabotyn sites were located. In the Early Scythian times, they were replaced by the antiquities of the Western Podillia group. The mound that is being published is interesting for the presence of the pre-Scythian features as well as the Scythian ones, which illustrate the development of funeral rites in the Middle Dniester region. As of today, funeral sites of the pre-Scythian period in the region have been well studied Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження курганного могильника передскіфського часу на Середньому Дністрі. Археологія. 1952. Ч. VII. С. 89-102; Смирнова Г.И. О хронологическом соотношении памятников типа Сахарна-Солончены и Жаботин (по материалам курганов у с. Мервинцы на Днестре). Советская археология. 1977. № 4. С. 94-98; Смирнова Г.И. Закрытые предскифские комплексы у села Днестровка-Лука. Древние памятники культуры на территории СССР. Ленинград: Государственный Эрмитаж, 1982. С. 31-32. Гуцал А.Ф. Бернашевский могильник из Среднего Поднестровья в системе памятников раннего железного века. Скифы, Хазары, Славяне, Древняя Русь. Санкт-Петербург: Издательство Государственного Эрмитажа, 1998. С. 3435.. It allows us to characterize the funeral rite of that time Гуцал А.Ф. Поховальний обряд населення Середньої Наддністрянщини передскіфського часу. Матеріали IXПодільської історико-краєзнавчої конференції. Кам'янець-Подільський: Кам'янець- Подільська друкарня, 1995. С. 94-95; Гуцал В.А. Поховальний обряд передскіфського часу на Могилівщині. Друга Могилів-Подільська краєзнавча конференція. Могилів-Подільський: Oium, 2006. С. 47-52. Могилов О.Д. О формировании раннескифской культуры на Среднем Днестре. Stratum pluS. 2020. № 3. С. 132..

Necropolises were characterized by their location mainly in river valleys and adjacent slopes. The complexes at the watersheds are found only in the east of the region. Mound and underground burials were widespread similarly. Both mound and underground burials were equally common, and necropolises could be mound, underground, or mixed. Under mounds that often had stone constructions, several graves as well as single ones could be found (but then there were cases when there were several bodies in it). Cists and simple pit-graves, as well as burials located on stone layings or with a stone paving floor, are known. There were individual, double, or collective burials. Inhumations in crouched positions prevailed. Those with extended burials were very few. Cremation burials (mainly in urns) were even less in number. Inventory was quite modest and monotonous with the prevalence of handmade pottery, which shows that property and social differentiation were not yet well developed.

Burial sites of the Scythian times of the region, allocated to the Western Podillia group, are studied better Sulimirski T. Scytowie na zachodniem Podolu. Lwow: Nakiadem Lwowskiego Towarzystwa Prehistorycznego, 1936. S. 45-100; Мелюкова А.И. Памятники скифского времени на Среднем Днестре. Краткие сообщения Института истории материальной культуры. 1953. Вып. 51. С. 6067; Смирнова Г.И. Курганы у с. Перебыковцы - новый могильник скифской архаики на Среднем Днестре. Труды Государственного Эрмитажа. 1979. Вып. XX. С. 36-64; Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А., Могилов А.Д. Новые исследования курганов скифского времени на западе Восточноевропейской Лесостепи. Кадырбаевские чтения. Актобэ: ИА КН МОН РК, 2012. С. 141-151.. Taking into account the earlier publications, it can be stated that the funeral rite of the Middle Dniester region compared with the pre- Scythian times had undergone changes Могилов О.Д. О формировании... С. 137.. Necropolises had moved from river backwaters and slops to the watersheds. The underground and mound rite was replaced by the predominant mound one. The size of the mounds and the range of inventory began to vary greatly, reflecting the social and property stratification. Stone layings in the mounds continued to be found regularly. Together with it, such a detail as a stone rampart around the tomb appeared. Mostly there was only one grave under the mound, and cases with more than one grave were much less in number. Wooden tombs became widespread; stone paving could be still often found as well. The cases of cremation (in another place, with pouring ash into the urn or to the bottom of the tomb or burning down together with a tomb) increased highly in number and, along with inhumations, became widespread.

Knowing these details of the development of funeral rites of the Middle Dniester region population, we will try to characterize mound 1 in Malynivtsi.

Fig. 6. Handmade vessels from a complex of accompanying laying of ceramics.

The topography of Malynivtsi necropolis, its location on the slope of the plateau, is associated rather with the Scythian times, when the burials moved to the watersheds Ibid. C. 137.. Their location in river valleys or on their slopes in the region is mainly characteristic of the pre-Scythian times: Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г. Курганний могильник передскіфського часу на Середньому Дністрі. Археологічні пам'ятки УРСР. 1952. Вип. IV. C. 5., Bernashivka Гуцал А.Ф. Бернашевский могильник. С. 34.. Mounds from Mervyntsi and Bandyshivka Смирнова Г.И. О хронологическом соотношении. С. 93-94; Скорый С.А. Киммерийцы в Украинской Лесостепи. Киев-Полтава: Археология, 1999. С. 79. tending to the plateau are located in the very east of the region and distant from Malynivtsi complex.

Mound burials dated to the pre-Scythian times are well known in the Middle Dniester region. At that time there were mound necropolises: Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г. Курганний могильник... С. 5-8; Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція 1949-1951 рр. Археологічні пам'ятки УРСР. 1956. Вип. VI. С. 34-36; Шовкопляс І.Г, Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 90-107., Mervyntsi Смирнова Г.И. О хронологическом соотношении. С. 94-101., Dnistrivka Смирнова Г.И. Закрытые предскифские. С. 31-32., underground necropolises: Lomachyntsi Могилов А.Д. К археологической карте Северной Буковины раннего железного века. Revista arheologica. 2010. Vol. V. С. 105, 108., and also mixed ones, with burials under the mound as well as underground ones that prevailed: Bernashivka Гуцал А.Ф. Бернашевский могильник. С. 34-35; Гуцал А.Ф. Дослідження чорноліських курганів в регіоні Дністровської ГАЕС. Археологія і давня історія України. 2019. 4 С. 148-157.. In the Scythian period, mound necropolises were dominant Sulimirski T. Scytowie. S. 45-99; Гуцал А Ф. Поховальний обряд населення. С. 94-96; Mogylov O. The barrows of the West Podolian group of the Scythian period. MousaioS. 2013. Vol. XVIII. Р. 203-205., while some underground burials, are known only in the west, on the former Vysotsko and Holihrady lands Смирнова Г.И. Некоторые вопросы раннескифского периода на Среднем Днестре (По поводу статьи М. Душека). Archeologicke rozhledy. 1967. Vol. XIX, Issue 2. С. 229-230..

The small size of the mound is associated rather with the pre-Scythian tradition when the mounds usually did not exceed 1-1.1 m (but they often were lower). At the same time, in the Scythian times, because of social stratification, they began to vary greatly in size Могилов О.Д. О формировании. С. 137., from barely noticeable - up to 1-2 m and bigger - up to 4.5 m Гуцал А.Ф. Поховальний комплекс скіфського часу в кургані № 9 біля Спасівки на Збручі. Феномен Більського городища. Київ-Полтава: Центр пам'яткознавства НАНУ, 2014. С. 44..

The tradition of making stone mounds in Podillia dates back to the Bronze Age Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А., Могилов О.Д. Дослідження курганного некрополя Спасівка-Іванківціна Хмельниччині. Археологічні дослідження в Україні 2010 р. Київ: ІА НАНУ, 2011. С. 93, 94.. During the pre-Scythian times, that rite continued to develop: Bernashivka Гуцал А.Ф. Дослідження чорноліських курганів. С. 148-152., Mervyntsi Смирнова Г.И. О хронологическом соотношении. Рис. 1., Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 91-93, 98, 99., Bandyshivka Скорый С.А. Киммерийцы в Украинской Лесостепи. Киев-Полтава: Археология, 1999. С. 79.. It dominated in the Scythian period when there were a majority of such mounds Гуцал А.Ф. Некоторые черты погребального обряда племен Среднего Поднестровья в VIII-V вв. до н.э. Археологические исследования на Украине в 1978-1979 гг. Днепропетровск, 1980. C. 76-77; Mogylov O. The barrows. Р. 203-205..

The spreading of mounds with one grave as well as with several ones was typical for the pre-Scythian times. The first group includes complexes 1 and 2 in Mervyntsi, 2 and 3 near Luka-Vrublivetska, and 2 near Bernashivka. Mound 1 near Dnistrivka, 1, 48 in Luka-Vrublivetska, and 1 near Bernashivka Смирнова Г.И. 1977. О хронологическом соотношении. С. 94-97; Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 90-97; Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція. С. 34-35; Гуцал А.Ф. Бернашевский могильник. С. 148-155. belong to the second one. In the Scythian times, one primary but as a rule, a larger grave prevailed Могилов О.Д. О формировании. С. 137.. Cases with additional graves were rare: mounds 4 and 5 near Spasivka and Ivankivtsi Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А., Могилов О.Д., Болтанюк П.А. Дослідження курганної групи Спасівка- Іванківці у Позбруччі. Археологічні дослідження в Україні 2009 р. Київ: ІА НАНУ, 2010. С. 101-103; Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А., Могилов О.Д. Ранньоскіфський курган з кремацією на Західному Поділлі. Археологія. 2021. № 1. С. 86-95., 1 in Shydlivtsi Sulimirski, T. Scytowie... S. 75-76., and 7 near Shutnivtsi Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А., Мегей В.П. Розкопки курганів скіфського часу на Кам'янеччині. Археологічні відкриття в Україні 1999-2000 pp. Київ: ІА НАНУ, 2001. С. 18..

Wooden details of the graves in the Eastern European Forest-Steppe have been known since the Bronze Age Свєшников И.К. Культура шнуровой керамики. Археология Прикарпатья Волыни и закарпатья (энеолит, бронза и ранниее железо). Киев: Наукова думка, 1990. С. 52; Березанська С.С., Клочко В.І. Гордіївський могильник. Гордіївськиймогильник. Вінниця, 2011. С. 9, 15, 20.. Cases of their burning down have also been recorded Березанская С.С. Северная Украина в эпоху бронзы. Киев: Наукова думка, 1982. С. 150.. There were some cases in the region dated to the pre-Scythian times Скорый С.А. Киммерийцы. С. 12-13; Ильинская В.А. Раннескифские курганы бассейна р. Тясмин. Киев: Наукова думка, 1975. С. 78.. Wooden constructions were used by the Cimmerians as well Махортых С.В. Киммерийцы Северного Причерноморья. Киев: Шлях, 2005. С. 52-95.. They are not an exception for Middle Europe Gedl M. Kultura luzycka. Krakow: Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, 1975. S. 90.. But in the Middle Dniester region of that time, such cases were quite rare and are more often associated with the east of the region but not with the western periphery of Late Chornyi Lis-Zhabotyn tribes where Malynivtsi mound was studied. Therefore, it is possible that the primary tomb of mound 1 of Bernashivka burial ground could have had wooden vaulting Гуцал А.Ф. Бернашевский могильник. С. 150.. The tent-shaped vaulting is found on the grave of mound 1 near Bandashivka Скорый С.А. Киммерийцы. С. 79.. Some structures that looked like walls or fence based on thin wooden poles were found only in burial 1 of mound 1 near Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г. Курганний могильник. С. 7.. It is interesting that there, like in Malynivtsi mound, they were constructed around the cist.

Tombs with wooden pillars dated to the Scythian times became widespread at the sites of the Western Podillia group Гуцал А.Ф. Дерев'яні склепи ранньоскіфського часу в курганах Середнього Подністров'я. Археологія і давня історія України. 2018. Вип. 27. С. 51-63.. Usually, the whole construction of the tomb was made of wood. In Malynivtsi mound 1 beyond burned layers, only two parallel walls were found. Probably, there we had an example of the formation of the wooden vault tradition in the Middle Dniester region which would acquire its classical form during the Early Scythian period.

Burning down of wooden constructions of the tombs was also not typical for the Middle Dniester region in Late Chornyi Lis-Zhabotyn times. Only one case with tentshaped construction of mound 1 in Bandashivka, located in the very east of the area, can be mentioned Скорый С.А. Киммерийцы. С. 79.. Mound 1 near Malynivtsi was the evidence of such rites formation in the region. Fire funeral rites were not too typical for the pre-Scythian Dniester sites. Among them, we can only mention light traces of burning on two stone layings with ware on them, which could be cenotaphs, in mounds 4 and 5 near Luka-Vrublivetska, and also charcoals in the first mound aforementioned Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження... С. 94-99.. Cremations of bodies can also be attributed to such evidence. However, they, as it was mentioned, were few in number in the region. At the same time, it should be added that in the culturally close region of the Middle Dnipro region, the fire in funeral rites was used much more often Ильинская В.А. Раннескифские курганы. С. 36, 50; Ковпаненко Г.Т. Курганы раннескифского времени в багсейне р. Рось. Киев: Наукова думка, 1981. С. 23-24; Романюк В.В., ГречкоД.С., Могилов О.Д. Дослідження курганів раннього залізного віку в Пороссі. Археологія і давня історія України. 2018. Вип. 27. С. 254.. The mass burning of wooden tombs in the Middle Dniester region became widespread only in the Scythian times Гуцал А.Ф. Дерев'яні склепи. С. 81-91.. Mound 1 being studied, shows an initiation of that tradition.

Most of the additional graves in Malynivtsi were small pits, quite a universal type of burial during the whole Early Iron Age. Their small sizes still look like their pre- Scythian analogues, such as the burials from Bernashivka Гуцал А.Ф. Поховальний обряд населення. С. 94-95; Гуцал А.Ф. Бернашевский могильник. С. 34-35., 6 of mound 1 near Dnistrivka Смирнова Г.И. Закрытые предскифские комплексы у села Денстровка-Лука. Древние памятники культуры на территории СССР. Ленинград: Государственный Эрмитаж, 1982. С. 35., 6 of mound 4, 1 and 2 of mound 5 near Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 96, 99-100.. The Scythian tombs, even of relatively small size, generally differ, firstly, by their larger size, and secondly, by their wider proportions, like mounds 5 near Spasivka Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А., Могилов О.Д. Ранньоскіфський курган. С. 46., and 1, 2, and 3 near Kolodiivka Гуцал А.Ф. й ін. Кургани ранньоскіфської доби біля села Колодіївка на Середньому Дністрі. Археологічні відкриття в Україні 2003-2004 рр. Запоріжжя: Дике Поле, 2005. С. 118.. Narrow shallow cist made of slabs has also analogues in the region dated to the pre-Scythian times - burials: 1 of mound 1, 4 of mound 4, 2 of mound 7 near Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 94-95., and mound 2 in Mervyntsi Смирнова Г.И. О хронологическом соотношении. С. 96..

In Malynivtsi, single, double, and collective burials were found. Such a phenomenon in the region is dated to the pre-Scythian Шовкопляс І.Г. Курганний могильник. С. 6-8; Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція. С. 34; Шовкопляс І.Г. Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 90-102; Смирнова Г.И. О хронологическом соотношении. С. 94-97. as well as Scythian times Sulimirski, T. Scytowie... S. 45-100; Смирнова Г.И. Курганы у с. Перебыковцы. С. 37-60; Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А. Курганна група ранньоскіфського часу у пониззі Смотрича. Вісник Кам'янець- Подільського національного університету ім. І. Огієнка: Історичні науки. 2009. 2. С. 5-13.. However, in the Early Scythian period, as a rule, larger and wider graves were used for double and collective burials.

The crouched burial rite in the Middle Dniester region completely dominated in the pre-Scythian times. Only such skeletons were found in necropolises in Luka- Vrublivetska mounds: 1 grave 1; 2 burial 1; 3 burial 1; 4 complexes 1-5; 6 burials 1-2; 7 burials 1-4; 8 tombs 2, 3. They also were found in Lomachyntsi Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція. С. 35-36; Шовкопляс І.Г. Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 102; Смирнова Г.И. О хронологическом соотношении. С. 94-97; Могилов А.Д. К археологической карте. С. 105-108.. Most of them were in Bernashivka - mounds 1, 2 and underground burials Гуцал А.Ф. Бернашевский могильник... С. 34-35; Гуцал А.Ф. Дослідження чорноліських курганів... С. 150-154.. Among inhumations, such cases were also frequently dated to the Scythian period Гуцал А.Ф. й ін. Розкопки курганів ранньоскіфської доби біля села Колодіївка у Середньому Подністров'ї. Археологічні відкриття в Україні 2004-2005 рр., Київ: ІА НАНУ, 2006. С. 159; Гуцал В.А. Дослідження ранньоскіфського кургану біля с. Купин на Хмельниччині. Археологія і давня історія України. 2019. Вип. 31. С. 260., although the percentage of cremations increased then.

In the region, cremation in urns is a minority of burials among Chornyi Lis- Zhabotyn antiquities: 4 of mound 1 in Dnistrivka, 3 of mound 6, and 1 of mound 8 in Luka-Vrublivetska Смирнова Г.И. Закрытые предскифские комплексы. С. 34; Шовкопляс І.Г. Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 102; Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція. С. 35-36.. A certain number dated to the next era were also found in the antiquities of the Western Podillia group - mounds: 2 in Tarasivka ГуцалА.Ф., Мегей В.П. Дослідження курганів скіфського часу біля с. Тарасівка. Кам'янеччина в контексті історії Поділля. Кам'янець-Подільський, 1997. С. 86, 88., 19 near Kolodyivka Гуцал А.Ф. й ін. Продовження робіт на курганах ранньоскіфського часу біля с. Колодіївка. Археологічні дослідження в Україні 2005-2007рр. Київ: ІА НАНУ, 2007. С. 159., and 1 not far from Spasivka Могилов А.Д., Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А. Первый Спасовский курган. Culturi, Procese si Contexte in Arheologia. Cisinau: Tipografia «Garamont-Studio», 2016. С. 248.. It happened against the background of the fact that in the region during the Scythian period, the role of fire in funeral rites increased (both in the form of burning wooden tombs and the cremation of the bodies of the dead).

We should note the biritualism of the rite among those buried under one mound in Malynivtsi, where the researchers found the evidence of both cremation and inhumation. Such a phenomenon is associated with the Dniester region of the pre- Scythian times - mounds: 6 near Luka-Vrublivetska, and 1 near Dnistrivka Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 100-103; Смирнова Г.И. Закрытые предскифские. С. 31-32.. There were also such cases dated to the Early Scythian period, and they illustrate the constancy and gradual development of some funeral rites - mounds: 3 and 5 near Perebykivtsi Смирнова Г.И. Курганы у с. Перебыковцы. С. 51, 57, 61., 3 near Kupyn Гуцал В.А. Дослідження ранньоскіфського кургану. С. 260., 4 and 12 near Kolodiivka Гуцал А.Ф. й ін. Кургани. С. 119; Гуцал А.Ф. й ін. Розкопки курганів. С. 159..

In the mound near the village of Malynivtsi, the northwestern orientation of the bodies prevailed. That is how the dead were laid in the primary grave, including the lower-placed man, in whose honor the construction of the mound began. The older child from complex 3 was also positioned the same way. At the same time, another baby from the mentioned tomb was placed with its head in the opposite direction, to the southeast. In general, the positioning of bodies with the head in the northwest sector (in the interval from west-northwest to north-northwest) prevails in the pre- Scythian complexes of the Middle Dniester region. That was how the smaller number of skeletons in Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г. Поселення. С. 6-8; Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція. С. 34-35; Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 90-102., and almost half of the deceased in Dnistrivka Смирнова Г.И. Закрытые предскифские комплексы. С. 33., buried in Bernashivka mounds, were positioned Гуцал А.Ф. Дослідження чорноліських курганів. С. 150-154..

Placing the dead in one tomb with their heads in different directions is a typical pre-Scythian Middle Dniester tradition. Evidence of that could be seen in burials 2 and 3 of mound 1 in Dnistrivka Смирнова Г.И. Закрытые предскифские комплексы... С. 33., 1 of mound 1, 1 and 3 of mound 4 near Luka- Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г. Поселення. С. 8; Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. С. 93-94..

The inventory complex of the mound with a predominance of handmade ceramics is a general characteristic of the Dniester region and is dated to both the pre-Scythian and Scythian periods; although the number of complexes with metal and glass produced items (weapons, bridles, ornaments) of the Scythian period is larger. Pots with a tulip-shaped profile are characteristic primarily of the pre-Scythian period Смирнова Г.И., Кашуба М.Т. О двух локальных группах культуры позднего чернолесья на Среднем Днестре. Археологический сборник Государственного Эрмитажа. 1988. 29. Рис. 3; Могилов О.Д. Комарів. Поселення доскіфського часу на Середньому Дністрі. Київ: ІА НАНУ, 2021. С. 54-57.. Their variants with rollers both under the rim and on the body are transitional forms to the Early Scythian jar-shaped pots. Such vessels emerged in the pre-Scythian period and were used in the Scythian archaic period, at pre-Kelermesskaia sites, and even in the Early Kelermesskaia period. In the Middle Dniester region, they were found at settlements near Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція. Табл. I: 11., Dnistrivka Смирнова Г.И. Поселение у с. Днестровка - памятник чернолесской культуры на Днестре. Археологический сборник Государственного Эрмитажа. 1985. 26. С. 5-29., in mound 8 near Luka- Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція. Рис. 7: 4. and were dated to the pre-Scythian times. They also came from more eastern forest-steppe regions among which Nemyriv settlement Смирнова Г.И. Гальштатский компонент в раннескифской культуре Лесостепи Северного Причерноморья (по материалам Немировского городища). Российская археология. 2001. № 4. Рис. 1: 15.. Decoration in the form of two rollers can be occasionally found on vessels of Basarab-Sholdenesht culture Бруяко И.В. Землянка культуры Басараби из Картала (о соотношении культурных традиций в древностях эпохи среднего гальштата в низовьях Дуная). Culturi, Procese si Contexte in Arheologia. Cisinau: Tipografia «Garamont-Studio», 2016. Рис. 5: 14..

The analogues dated to the Early Scythian times are sometimes found in the Dniester region, for example, the settlements of Dolyniany Смирнова Г.И. Поселение скифского времени у села Долиняны в Днестровском Правобережье. Археологический сборник Государственного Эрмитажа. 1978. 19. Рис. 7: 1. and Neporotove Крушельницька Л.І. Чорноліська культура. Рис. 5: 1.. However, most of the analogies came from the Right Bank Forest-Steppe Dnipro region. Mound 6 near Yasnozoria is dated to pre-Kelermesskaia period Ковпаненко Г.Т., Бессонова С.С., Скорый С.А. Новые курганы раннего железного века в Поросье. Древности скифов. Киев: Институт археологи АН Украины, 1994. Рис. 5: 5.. Mounds near Mala Ofirna Петровська Є.О. Курган VI ст. до н.е. на Київщині. Археологія. 1968. Вип. XXI. Рис. 6: 7. and Ivankovychi Скорый С.А., Солтыс О.Б., Белан Ю.А. Большой курган эпохи скифской архаики на Киевщине. Российская археология. 2001. № 4. Рис. 9. are dated back to Kelermesskaia period. Similar Early Scythian wares came from Nemyriv giant settlement in the Forest-Steppe Buh region Смирнова Г.И. Немировское городище - общая характеристика памятника VIII-VII вв. до н.э. Археологія. 1996. № 4. Рис. 6: 3, 4., and the Western Bilsk settlement in the Vorskla region Шрамко Б.А. Бельское городище скифской эпохи (город Гелон). Киев: Наукова думка, 1987. Рис. 49: 1..

It should be noted that such pots seem to be unknown in the Western Podillia mounds of the Scythian period. However, the fact of the use of a similar item as an urn dated to the pre-Scythian times is recorded in the mentioned burial near Luka- Vrublivetska.

Pots with a roller, indentations, and pinches under the rim emerged as early as the pre-Scythian period, but then they were inferior in number to tulip-shaped pots Смирнова Г.И., Кашуба М.Т. О двух локальных группах... Рис. 3; Могилов О.Д. Комарів... Рис. 136.. Finds of that time came from the Dniester region settlements near Nagoriany Шовкопляс І.Г. Поселення ранньоскіфського часу на Середньому Дністрі. Археологія. 1954. Вип. IX. Табл. 1: 6., Mereshivka Мелюкова А.И. Памятники скифского времени лесостепного Среднего Поднестровья. Материалы и исследования по Археологии СССР. 1958. Вып. 64. Рис. 6: 17., Komarove Могилов О.Д. Комарів. С. 62-64., Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г. Поселення.. Табл. 1: 9, 11, 12; Шовкопляс І.Г. Середньодністровська експедиція. Табл. I: 1, 2., Neporotove Крушельницька Л.І. Чорноліська культура. Рис. 40: 4., Lenkivtsi Мелюкова А.И. Памятники скифского времени лесостепного. Рис. 2: 19-21.,

Dnistrivka Смирнова Г.И. Последний сезон работ на чернолесском поселении Днестровка-Лука и вопросы хронологии позднего чернолесья. Археологический сборник Государственного Эрмитажа. 1986. Вып. 27. Рис. 5: 1, 2., Bronnytsia Осокин И.В. Памятники чернолесской культуры Левобережного Среднего Поднестровья (по материалам Юго-Подольской экспедиции 1953-1954 гг.). Археологические вести. 1994. № 9. Рис. 2: 4, 7, 8., Teremtsi, Strikhivtsi Могилов О.Д. Теремці - поселення доскіфськго часу на Середньому Дністрі. Археологія і фортифікація Середнього Подністров'я. Кам'янець-Подільський: ПП «Медобори-2006», 2011. Рис. 4: 1-9; С. 23-31; Могилов О., Нечитайло П. Археологічні розвідки на поселеннях раннього залізного віку в Середньому Подністров'ї. Археологія і фортифікація України. Кам'янець- Подільський: ПП Буйницький, 2016. Рис. 3; 6. and also from burial complexes: mounds 4 and 6 near Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. Табл. I:5; III: 7., burials near Velyka Slobidka Гуцал В.А., Мегей В.П. Поховання ранньоскіфського часу на багатошаровому поселенні Велика Слобідка. Наукові записки Кам'янець-Подільського державного університету, 2005. 14. Рис. 2: 8..

Some produced items of this type were also found in the eastern forest-steppe lands. In the Buh region, the mentioned kitchenware is known from Vyshenky-2 Бойко Ю.Н. Вишенка-2 - новый чернолесско-жаботинский памятник в Среднем Побужье. Древности. Харьков: НМЦ «МД», 2004. Рис. 3: 9.. In the Right Bank Dnipro region, such produced items are found en masse in the late pre-Scythian antiquities Покровская Е.Ф. Предскифское поселение у с. Жаботин. Советская археология. 1973. № 4. Рис. 5: 12.. They also came to Moldova, where they are known in Sholdanesht layers Кашуба М.Т. Заметки о формировании среднегальштатской культуры Басарабь-Шолдэнешть в Днестро-Прутском междуречье. Stratum plus. 2000. № 3. Рис. 4: 6; 6: 4..

Such pots became the predominant variety in the Early Scythian period. Although in the Dniester region during pre-Kelermesskaia period, they still seemed to be in the minority Могилов О.Д. Комарів. С. 63-64.. At least this can be assumed for some settlements: Kozliv Белозор В., Могилов А., Скорый С. Комплексы раннего железного века у с. Козлов на Среднем Днестре. Tyragetia. 2010. Vol. XIX, Issue 1. Рис. 7: 3, 7, 9. and the upper layers of Neporotove-II Крушельницька Л.І. Чорноліська культура. Рис. 5: 4.. They became the dominant type during Kelermesskaia period. In the Middle Dniester region, they were found in the mounds: 2 in Dolyniany Смирнова Г.И. Курганный могильник раннескифского времени у с. Долиняны. Археологический сборник Государственного Эрмитажа. 1977. 18. Рис. 3: 4., 3 and 5 in Perebykivtsi Смирнова Г.И. Курганы у с. Перебыковцы... Рис. 12: 8., 4 near Bilche-Zolote, 2 near Ivakhnivtsi Sulimirski T. Scytowie.Tabl. XVII: 10-12., 2 in Tarasivtsi Гуцал А.Ф, Мегей В.П. Дослідження курганів. Рис. 1, 2., etc. They were also traditional for that time settlements of the region: Sukhostav Свєшніков І.К. Поселення ранньоскіфського часу біля с. Сухостав, Тернопільської області. Археологія. 1957. ХІ. Табл. I: 10, 11., Oselivka Никитина Г.Ф. Землянка скифского времени у с. Оселивка Черновицкой области. Советская археология. 1979. № 3. Рис. 6: 3., Dolyniany Смирнова Г.И. Новые данные о поселении у с. Долиняны (по материалам раскопок 19771978 гг.). Археологический сборник государственного Эрмитажа. 1981. Вып. 22. Рис. 11: 1, 2., Zalissia, and Ivane-Puste Ганіна О.Д. Поселення скіфського часу у селі Іване-Пусте. Археологія, 1965. ХІХ. Рис. 1, 6-8; Ганіна О.Д. Поселення ранньоскіфської доби поблизу с. Залісся. Археологія. 1984. Вип. 47. Рис. 3, 2..

Such jar-shaped produced items were also spread to the Upper Dniester region Бандрівський М. й ін. Пам'ятки гальштатського періоду в межиріччі Вісли, Дністра і Прип'яті. Київ: Наукова Думка, 1993. Рис. 88: 1, 6; 105: 11.. They were massive in the Middle Buh region Смирнова Г.И. Севериновское городище (по материалам Юго-Подольской экспедиции 19471948, 1953 гг.) Археологический сборник Государственного Эрмитажа. 1961. Вып. 2. Рис. 5: 1; 6: 13; Смирнова Г.И. Гальштатский компонент. Рис. 2: 15-17. and the Right Bank Dnipro region Ковпаненко Г.Т. Раскопки Трахтемировского городища. Археологические исследования в Украине в 1967 г. Киев: Наукова думка, 1968. Рис. 10: 26; Петровська Є.О. Ранньоскіфські пам'ятки на південній околиці Києва. Археологія. 1970. Ч. XXIV. Рис. 5: 4; Ильинская В.А., Мозолевский Б.Н., Тереножкин А.И. Курганы VI в. до н.э. у с. Матусов. Скифия и Кавказ. Киев: Наукова думка, 1980. Рис. 24: 1, 2..

Thus, pots with a roller under the rim are characteristic primarily of the Early Scythian period. However, in the Middle Dniester region, their finds also occur at the sites dated to the pre-Scythian period, where they are also found in burials.

Straight-sided bowls have analogies in the pre-Scythian antiquities of the Middle Dniester region: the settlements of Halytsia-2 Гуцал А.Ф. Нові пам'ятки раннього залізного віку в Середньому Подністров'ї. Археологія. 1979. Ч. 31. Рис. 2, 9., Mereshivka Левицкий О.Г. Горизонт раннего железного века на поселении Мерешовка. Молдавское Приднестровье в первобытную эпоху. Кишинев: Штиница, 1987. Рис. 2: 7., Teremtsi Могилов О.Д. Теремці. Рис. 7: 5., and Kozliv Белозор В., Могилов А., Скорый С. Копмлексы. Рис. 9, 10.. They were found in mounds 4 and 6 near Luka-Vrublivetska Шовкопляс І.Г., Максимов Є.В. Дослідження. Табл. I: 8.. Their synchronic analogies are known at Chornyi Lis settlements of the Right Bank Dnipro region: Moskovske Тереножкин А.И. Предскифский период на Днепровском Правобережье. Киев: Издательство АН УССР, 1961. Рис. 44: 3., Zalevkynske Покровська Є.Ф. Поселення VIII-VI ст. до н.е. на Тясмині. Археологія. 1952. VII. Табл. I: 15, 16., and Subotivske Гершкович Я.П. Суботовское городище. Киев: Институт археологии НАН Украины, 2016. Рис. В7: 5.. Sometimes they are found at the sites dated to Vysotska culture Крушельницька Л.І. Могильник висоцької культури в м. Золочеві. Археологія. 1965. 19. Рис. 7: 13..

Such produced items existed in Ukrainian Forest Steppe at the Scythian times.

They were found, for example, in mound 4 in Teklivka in Podillia Гуцал А.Ф., Гуцал В.А., Могилов О.Д. Теклівські кургани на Західному Поділлі. Древности Восточной Европы. Сборник научных трудов к 90-летию Б.А. Шрамко. 2011. Харьков: ХНУ, Рис. 6: 8., Cherepyn, and Lahodiv in the Upper Dniester region Бандрівський М. й ін. Пам'ятки... Рис. 87: 10; 197: 27..

Large pots with a rounded body and everted rim are also characteristic of the pre- Scythian and Early Scythian sites of the region. However, at the Scythian times, they often had an asymmetry of the body with an elongated upper part, and often a sharper transition in the center of the body Sulimirski T. Scytowie... Tab. XIV-XV; Могилов А.Д. О формировании. Рис. 2., which is not observed on the large pot from Malynivtsi. With its more symmetrical roundness of the body, it is closer to some pre-Scythian large pots from Hryhorivka Смирнова Г.И. Материальная культура Григоровского городища (к вопросу о формировании чернолесско-жаботинских памятников). Археологический сборник Государственного Эрмитажа.