History of the Corded Decoration Technique in the Right Bank Ukraine During the Eneolithic

Abstract

Since many scholars (M. Gimbutas, D. Telehin, T. Movsha and others) considered the corded pottery decoration as a feature of the so-called pra-Indo-European cultural complex, the history of its diffusion is one of the key problems of the Eastern European past of the 5th–4th Millennia BC. Nevertheless, despite the question's significance, no comprehensive research would describe the spread of the corded decoration throughout Europe and define which cultures used it first. Fulfilment of this lacune is the purpose of the research paper. The scholarly novelty of the paper is such that for the first time, the corded pottery of the thirteen Eneolithic cultures will be analysed within the same text: Seredniy Stih, Dereivka, Moliukhiv Buhor, Rohachyk, Serezliivka, Yanmaya, Lukashivka, Sofiivka, Horodsk-Volhynia, Gordinești, Kasperivtsi and Usatovo. The main method of the paper is typological. Also, when it is possible, we use the methods of descriptive statistics. Conclusions. As a result of the conducted analysis, researchers concluded that classical corded decoration appears within the environment of the Trypillia and so-called ‘steppe’ cultures almost simultaneously – at the beginning of the 4th Millennia BC. Further, the corded decoration became widespread within the Trypillia culture, where it is documented on the pottery of every late Trypillian local variant, while for the ‘steppe’ cultures, the corded decoration remains marginal. Based on this, the researchers claim that the appearance of cord decoration in the steppe is a sign of Trypillian influences and not the other way around – an influence on Trypillia from the side of the steppe. In addition, the authors believe that the few finds of dishes decorated with cord impressions in the environment of the Serezliivka culture are an additional argument in favour of the formation of the latter based on the Trypillia culture.