The Chronology of Neolithic-Eneolithic in the Steppe Zone of the Volga Basin

Abstract

Introduction. The steppe zone of the Volga basin is interesting in connection with the study of the Orlovskaya, Cis-Caspian, and Khvalinskaya cultures. These cultures have an important significance for the prehistorical archaeology of Eastern Europe. The Orlovskaya culture is characterized by the appearance of the most ancient ceramics in the region, early signs of domestication are connected with the Cis-Caspian culture but the earlier metal items were found in the Khvalinskaya culture. Together with the main features of these cultures, the important question is a determination of reliable boundaries of them. From 2007 more than 60 radiocarbon dates were obtained. The basis consisted of the materials of the Varfolomeevskaya site. The most of dates had been done on the organics from ceramics. That was under dispute. Methods and materials. During the last eight years, more than 30 radiocarbon dates were obtained on the different organic materials (charcoal, animal bones, and food charred crusts) from new open stratified sites – Algay and Oroshaemoe. This set of dates gave the possibility to develop a reliable chronological schema for the Neolithic-Eneolithic in the region under consideration. The comparison of dates on the different organic materials has been done. Results. The chronological framework of the Orlovskaya culture, the Cis-Caspian culture of transition period and the Eneolithic Khvalinskaya culture for the steppe zone of the Volga basin was determined. The place of the Orlovskaya cultural antiquities among of Neolithic cultures of neighboring regions was established. The age of transitional Neolithic-Eneolithic Cis-Caspian culture with the earliest pieces of evidence of domestication in Eastern Europe was definite. The chronological framework of the Khvalinskaya Eneolithic culture in the steppe zone was considered and made the comparison with the Cis-Caspian culture. Authors’ contribution. A.A. Vybornov is prepared the archaeological part of the article and did analysis and their interpretation of the radiocarbon dates on the Neolithic of the steppe zone of the Volga basin. F.F. Giljazov collected all dates of the Orlovskaya culture of the Algay and Oroshaemoe sites. N.S. Doga did an analysis of dates of the Cis-Caspian and Khvalinskaya cultures on these sites. M.A. Kulkova obtained the radiocarbon dates for different layers of the Algay and Oroshaemoe sites and did the correlations on the different organic materials. B. Philippsen obtained the AMS dates on charcoal, bones, charred crusts and did their correlation.