SPЕCIAL CHILDREN. PERSONAL ORNAMENTS IN CHILDREN’S BURIALS OF MARIUPOL TYPE

Abstract

The region of the Lower Dnieper was an outstanding landscape phenomenon in prehistoric times. During the Stone Age, this area had great economic and sacral significance. There are more than 20 Mesolithic and Neolithic cemeteries of the so called Mariupol type, located along the Lower Dnieper Rapids. The anthropological analysis demonstrated that the population of Middle Dnieper region belongs to the Proto-European large Europoid race. Periodisation of the Mariupol type cemeteries have two periods: Early Mariupol: 7000—5500 cal BC and Late Mariupol: 5500—4000 cal BC. The burials of the Mariupol type have outstanding grave goods. Raw materials used for used for manufacturing adornments were deer canines, carp fish teeth, stone, pearls and shells. Some burials yielded notched decorated canines. The most outstanding feature of the Mariupol type funerary adornments is the large number of items made from modified boar tusks. Most of them were found in the Mariupol cemetery. These artifacts, which may have marked the membership to a certain group, occurred equally both in adult and children burials. Child burials of the Mariupol type yielded specific funerary adornments. Sometimes they were as rich as those of the adults, but in some cases they were the richest. Personal ornaments, semantically identifying the important parts of a child’s body, were the marker of clan or lineage affiliation, age differentiation or biological stage. Burials with indicating features of a special sacral character are very significant also. The availability of children burials, which have more abundant funerary adornments then the adults, or were the only burials with grave goods in the cemetery need a more thorough study.