The second half of the Xth century was a time when the “trading cities” moved under the royal pow... more The second half of the Xth century was a time when the “trading cities” moved under the royal power. Profits from trade that went along the Dnieper gradually became a source of power for the rulers of Kyiv. As in the North of Europe in the East, uncontrollable trade factors here become the mainstay of royal power
Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) was first domesticated in China and dispersed westward vi... more Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) was first domesticated in China and dispersed westward via Central Asia in the 3rd millennium BC, reaching Europe in the 2nd millennium BC. North of the Black Sea, the North Pontic steppe and forest-steppe areas are key regions for understanding the westward dispersal of millet, as evidenced by the earliest direct radiocarbon dates on European millet grains, which we present here. Examining various lines of evidence relevant to crop cultivation, animal husbandry, contacts and lifestyles, we explore the regional dynamics of the adoption of millet, broadening knowledge about past subsistence strategies related to the ‘millet farmers/consumers’ who inhabited the northern Black Sea region during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Our re-evaluation of crop evidence contributes to ongoing discussions on the mobility of prehistoric communities in the Eurasian steppe and forest-steppe—for instance, on whether millet was linked to full-time mobile pastoralists,...
Changes, that have occurred in the area of distribution of the cultural complex Cucuteni-Trypilli... more Changes, that have occurred in the area of distribution of the cultural complex Cucuteni-Trypillia can be considered using traditional methods for studying of pottery assemblages, of course, taking into account data from the natural sciences, including paleogenetics. For the period of the spreading of the painted pottery and formation of Cucuteni-Trypillia, reconstructions were carried out before only taking into account the interpretation of the results of ceramic studies, which showed both the progress and the formation of some new cultural groups of various levels. In the second case, the events of the last quarter of 5th mil. BC were examined and then verified using both the study of pottery assemblages, including pottery of the «Cucuteni C» type, paleogenetics and anthropology. A comparison of the results showed the possibilities of mutual verification, as well as the unique source-study capabilities of various methods that give the greatest effect with an interdisciplinary app...
There are near 20 Trypillia Culture BI-II sites at the Kyiv Region. This period is relatively lit... more There are near 20 Trypillia Culture BI-II sites at the Kyiv Region. This period is relatively little studied here, compared with other phases, such as BII, CI or CII. The site of Kolomyitsiv Yar near the village of Kopachov (Kyiv Region, Obukhiv District) is not far from Trypillia. The archaeological expedition organized by the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine) in cooperation with the Human Development in Landscapes Graduate School of the Christian-Albrechts-Universität (Kiel, Germany) started investigations at this site in 2016. For the first time for this kind of sites the magnetic prospection was done, which discovered on 3 ha area anomalies of 19 houses and 5 pits. Houses were located in three rows along the stream on slopes of the valley. At the area close to a field remains of two pits were explored. They probably related to houses destroyed some time before. Among the finds from this pits numerous fragments of pottery, bones, stones, and a small amount of burnt daub ...
In 2013, the Ukrainian-British expedition under the scientific research project "The Tripill... more In 2013, the Ukrainian-British expedition under the scientific research project "The Tripillian Mega-Sites Project (Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Tripillian mega-sites)" continued research on the settlement at Nebelevka. The Project successfully completed a five-week summer season, running from 15th July to 17th August 2013. The principal objectives of the 2013 seasons were defined before the season, as follows: geophysical prospecting of a further 160 ha of the mega-site, the excavation of several Trypillian features: a pit near a Trypillian house and sections across linear features on geophysical plots identified in the 2012. The Ukrainian side excavated a house-and-pit complex near the 2012 mega-structure trench (tr. 3), Bisserka Gaydarska and Toni Stoilka Ignatova began the excavation of a large pit (tr. 4). Excavations confirmed the existence of cultural layer around dwellings. There were investigated several pits, originally served for the ext...
In 2012 the British-Ukrainian expedition continued investigations at the Trypillian culture settl... more In 2012 the British-Ukrainian expedition continued investigations at the Trypillian culture settlement near Nebelivka. The main aim of the field season was exploration of the largest object in the area (about 20×60 m), which was detected in 2012 by magnetic prospection. The investigations were funded by AHRC (Grant No. AH/I025867: 2012-2016) and the National Geographic Society (Grant No. 2012/211). Results of the excavations have confirmed the size of the site and have provided important information on this structure.
The ‘western borderland’ of the Tripolye culture, appearing in the title of this volume of the ‘B... more The ‘western borderland’ of the Tripolye culture, appearing in the title of this volume of the ‘Baltic-Pontic Studies’, refers to the cyrcle of neighbouring cultural systems of the Upper Tisza and Vistula drainages. As neighbours of the Tripolye culture such groups are discussed as Lengyel-Polg´ar, Funnel Beaker and, albeit to a much narrower extent, the Globular Amphora (cf. B-PS vol. 8) and the Corded Ware cultures. The papers discuss the reception of ‘western’ traditions by Tripolye communities as well as the ‘western borderland’ mentioned in the title. Defined in this way, these questions have been only cursorily treated in the literature. The consequences of accumulated omissions in the study of the cultural surroundings of ‘Tripolye’ have been felt by us when we worked on this issue. Thus, we submit a greatly limited work as far as its subject matter is concerned hoping that it will open a sequence of necessary studies. Such studies should, in the first place, focus on the co-ordination of the ‘languages’ of taxonomy and then they should investigate different aspects of the mechanisms of the outlined processes of the ‘cultural contact’
For over a century, excavations on Trypillia sites in Ukraine and Moldova, as well as on Cucuteni... more For over a century, excavations on Trypillia sites in Ukraine and Moldova, as well as on Cucuteni sites in Romania, have revealed few obvious signs of architectural differentiation among the huge numbers of domestic houses. Now, for the first time, a new generation of geophysical prospection methods used to investigate mega-sites has revealed uncommonly large Trypillia structures which merit the name 'mega-structures'. The first three such mega-structures were identified in geophysical prospection in 2009 at the mega-site of Nebelivka, Kirovograd Domain, Ukraine. This article provides a preliminary report on the excavation of the largest mega-structure in the summer 2012 season. This building, covering an area of 600m², must rank as one of the largest structures ever built in prehistoric Europe.
The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aer... more The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aerial photography, magnetic prospection, and archaeological excavations of huge settlements of hundreds of hectares belonging to the Trypillia culture in Ukraine. Since 2009, we have created a second phase of the methodological revolution in studies of Trypillia mega-sites, which has provided more significant advances in our understanding of these large sites than any other single research development in the last three decades, thanks partly to the participation of joint Ukrainian-foreign teams. In this paper, we outline the main aspects of the second phase, using examples from the Anglo-Ukrainian project ‘Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Trypillia mega-sites', working at Nebelivka (also spelled ‘Nebilivka’), and the Ukrainian-German project ‘Economy, demography and social space of Trypillia mega-sites', working at Taljanky (‘Talianki’), Maydanetske (‘Maydanets...
Archaeologists often reporting, that during excavations of the settlements of Trypillia Culture t... more Archaeologists often reporting, that during excavations of the settlements of Trypillia Culture they found "vegetable impurities" or "impurities of the hollow" on/in burnt daub. In this case, paleobotanical definitions of these findings by experts are usually not made. Some samples, time to time, stored at museums but never systematically studied. All this means, that some important information is lost forever. So, during excavations in Maydanetske in 2016, an expedition to the Archeology Research Institute of the Borys Grinchenko University of Kyiv began collecting this unique information in order to preserve it with the next transfer for studying specialists. In previous years, such work was not carried out because the main hope of working in the expedition of paleobotany was to study the remains of plants from flotation of soil from excavations, as well as the study of phytoliths (see Muller et alii, 2016: 64-74). In 2016, excavations of an extraordinary struc...
The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aerial ... more The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aerial photography, magnetic prospection, and archaeological excavations of huge settlements of hundreds of hectares belonging to the Trypillia culture in Ukraine. Since 2009, we have created a second phase of the methodological revolution in studies of Trypillia mega-sites, which has provided more significant advances in our understanding of these large sites than any other single research development in the last three decades, thanks partly to the participation of joint Ukrainian-foreign teams. In this paper, we outline the main aspects of the second phase, using examples from the Anglo-Ukrainian project 'Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Trypillia mega-sites', working at Nebelivka (also spelled 'Nebilivka'), and the Ukrainian-German project 'Economy, demography and social space of Trypillia mega-sites', working at Taljanky ('Talianki'), Maydanetske ('Maydanetskoe'), and Dobrovody, as well as the smaller site at Apolianka.
Comprehensive studies of large Trypillian settlements has been recommencing for the last 5 years.... more Comprehensive studies of large Trypillian settlements has been recommencing for the last 5 years. Objects were discovered with the usage of satellite images, surveyed with help of magnetometers of new generation, mass isotopic dating started to be implemented, and also quite large-scale excavations were conducted. In 2014 at Maydanetske, the authors succeeded not only to examine the ancient objects discovered with modern devices, but also to reveal for the first time and partly explore the remains of an assemblage related with pottery production which included potter’s kilns and pits. A kiln studied with a sophisticated structure was not only repaired several times, but also two times fundamentally reconstructed. Also excavated were the remains of two-storied dwelling and husbandry assemblage in the central part of the settlement.
The second half of the Xth century was a time when the “trading cities” moved under the royal pow... more The second half of the Xth century was a time when the “trading cities” moved under the royal power. Profits from trade that went along the Dnieper gradually became a source of power for the rulers of Kyiv. As in the North of Europe in the East, uncontrollable trade factors here become the mainstay of royal power
Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) was first domesticated in China and dispersed westward vi... more Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) was first domesticated in China and dispersed westward via Central Asia in the 3rd millennium BC, reaching Europe in the 2nd millennium BC. North of the Black Sea, the North Pontic steppe and forest-steppe areas are key regions for understanding the westward dispersal of millet, as evidenced by the earliest direct radiocarbon dates on European millet grains, which we present here. Examining various lines of evidence relevant to crop cultivation, animal husbandry, contacts and lifestyles, we explore the regional dynamics of the adoption of millet, broadening knowledge about past subsistence strategies related to the ‘millet farmers/consumers’ who inhabited the northern Black Sea region during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Our re-evaluation of crop evidence contributes to ongoing discussions on the mobility of prehistoric communities in the Eurasian steppe and forest-steppe—for instance, on whether millet was linked to full-time mobile pastoralists,...
Changes, that have occurred in the area of distribution of the cultural complex Cucuteni-Trypilli... more Changes, that have occurred in the area of distribution of the cultural complex Cucuteni-Trypillia can be considered using traditional methods for studying of pottery assemblages, of course, taking into account data from the natural sciences, including paleogenetics. For the period of the spreading of the painted pottery and formation of Cucuteni-Trypillia, reconstructions were carried out before only taking into account the interpretation of the results of ceramic studies, which showed both the progress and the formation of some new cultural groups of various levels. In the second case, the events of the last quarter of 5th mil. BC were examined and then verified using both the study of pottery assemblages, including pottery of the «Cucuteni C» type, paleogenetics and anthropology. A comparison of the results showed the possibilities of mutual verification, as well as the unique source-study capabilities of various methods that give the greatest effect with an interdisciplinary app...
There are near 20 Trypillia Culture BI-II sites at the Kyiv Region. This period is relatively lit... more There are near 20 Trypillia Culture BI-II sites at the Kyiv Region. This period is relatively little studied here, compared with other phases, such as BII, CI or CII. The site of Kolomyitsiv Yar near the village of Kopachov (Kyiv Region, Obukhiv District) is not far from Trypillia. The archaeological expedition organized by the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine) in cooperation with the Human Development in Landscapes Graduate School of the Christian-Albrechts-Universität (Kiel, Germany) started investigations at this site in 2016. For the first time for this kind of sites the magnetic prospection was done, which discovered on 3 ha area anomalies of 19 houses and 5 pits. Houses were located in three rows along the stream on slopes of the valley. At the area close to a field remains of two pits were explored. They probably related to houses destroyed some time before. Among the finds from this pits numerous fragments of pottery, bones, stones, and a small amount of burnt daub ...
In 2013, the Ukrainian-British expedition under the scientific research project "The Tripill... more In 2013, the Ukrainian-British expedition under the scientific research project "The Tripillian Mega-Sites Project (Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Tripillian mega-sites)" continued research on the settlement at Nebelevka. The Project successfully completed a five-week summer season, running from 15th July to 17th August 2013. The principal objectives of the 2013 seasons were defined before the season, as follows: geophysical prospecting of a further 160 ha of the mega-site, the excavation of several Trypillian features: a pit near a Trypillian house and sections across linear features on geophysical plots identified in the 2012. The Ukrainian side excavated a house-and-pit complex near the 2012 mega-structure trench (tr. 3), Bisserka Gaydarska and Toni Stoilka Ignatova began the excavation of a large pit (tr. 4). Excavations confirmed the existence of cultural layer around dwellings. There were investigated several pits, originally served for the ext...
In 2012 the British-Ukrainian expedition continued investigations at the Trypillian culture settl... more In 2012 the British-Ukrainian expedition continued investigations at the Trypillian culture settlement near Nebelivka. The main aim of the field season was exploration of the largest object in the area (about 20×60 m), which was detected in 2012 by magnetic prospection. The investigations were funded by AHRC (Grant No. AH/I025867: 2012-2016) and the National Geographic Society (Grant No. 2012/211). Results of the excavations have confirmed the size of the site and have provided important information on this structure.
The ‘western borderland’ of the Tripolye culture, appearing in the title of this volume of the ‘B... more The ‘western borderland’ of the Tripolye culture, appearing in the title of this volume of the ‘Baltic-Pontic Studies’, refers to the cyrcle of neighbouring cultural systems of the Upper Tisza and Vistula drainages. As neighbours of the Tripolye culture such groups are discussed as Lengyel-Polg´ar, Funnel Beaker and, albeit to a much narrower extent, the Globular Amphora (cf. B-PS vol. 8) and the Corded Ware cultures. The papers discuss the reception of ‘western’ traditions by Tripolye communities as well as the ‘western borderland’ mentioned in the title. Defined in this way, these questions have been only cursorily treated in the literature. The consequences of accumulated omissions in the study of the cultural surroundings of ‘Tripolye’ have been felt by us when we worked on this issue. Thus, we submit a greatly limited work as far as its subject matter is concerned hoping that it will open a sequence of necessary studies. Such studies should, in the first place, focus on the co-ordination of the ‘languages’ of taxonomy and then they should investigate different aspects of the mechanisms of the outlined processes of the ‘cultural contact’
For over a century, excavations on Trypillia sites in Ukraine and Moldova, as well as on Cucuteni... more For over a century, excavations on Trypillia sites in Ukraine and Moldova, as well as on Cucuteni sites in Romania, have revealed few obvious signs of architectural differentiation among the huge numbers of domestic houses. Now, for the first time, a new generation of geophysical prospection methods used to investigate mega-sites has revealed uncommonly large Trypillia structures which merit the name 'mega-structures'. The first three such mega-structures were identified in geophysical prospection in 2009 at the mega-site of Nebelivka, Kirovograd Domain, Ukraine. This article provides a preliminary report on the excavation of the largest mega-structure in the summer 2012 season. This building, covering an area of 600m², must rank as one of the largest structures ever built in prehistoric Europe.
The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aer... more The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aerial photography, magnetic prospection, and archaeological excavations of huge settlements of hundreds of hectares belonging to the Trypillia culture in Ukraine. Since 2009, we have created a second phase of the methodological revolution in studies of Trypillia mega-sites, which has provided more significant advances in our understanding of these large sites than any other single research development in the last three decades, thanks partly to the participation of joint Ukrainian-foreign teams. In this paper, we outline the main aspects of the second phase, using examples from the Anglo-Ukrainian project ‘Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Trypillia mega-sites', working at Nebelivka (also spelled ‘Nebilivka’), and the Ukrainian-German project ‘Economy, demography and social space of Trypillia mega-sites', working at Taljanky (‘Talianki’), Maydanetske (‘Maydanets...
Archaeologists often reporting, that during excavations of the settlements of Trypillia Culture t... more Archaeologists often reporting, that during excavations of the settlements of Trypillia Culture they found "vegetable impurities" or "impurities of the hollow" on/in burnt daub. In this case, paleobotanical definitions of these findings by experts are usually not made. Some samples, time to time, stored at museums but never systematically studied. All this means, that some important information is lost forever. So, during excavations in Maydanetske in 2016, an expedition to the Archeology Research Institute of the Borys Grinchenko University of Kyiv began collecting this unique information in order to preserve it with the next transfer for studying specialists. In previous years, such work was not carried out because the main hope of working in the expedition of paleobotany was to study the remains of plants from flotation of soil from excavations, as well as the study of phytoliths (see Muller et alii, 2016: 64-74). In 2016, excavations of an extraordinary struc...
The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aerial ... more The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aerial photography, magnetic prospection, and archaeological excavations of huge settlements of hundreds of hectares belonging to the Trypillia culture in Ukraine. Since 2009, we have created a second phase of the methodological revolution in studies of Trypillia mega-sites, which has provided more significant advances in our understanding of these large sites than any other single research development in the last three decades, thanks partly to the participation of joint Ukrainian-foreign teams. In this paper, we outline the main aspects of the second phase, using examples from the Anglo-Ukrainian project 'Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Trypillia mega-sites', working at Nebelivka (also spelled 'Nebilivka'), and the Ukrainian-German project 'Economy, demography and social space of Trypillia mega-sites', working at Taljanky ('Talianki'), Maydanetske ('Maydanetskoe'), and Dobrovody, as well as the smaller site at Apolianka.
Comprehensive studies of large Trypillian settlements has been recommencing for the last 5 years.... more Comprehensive studies of large Trypillian settlements has been recommencing for the last 5 years. Objects were discovered with the usage of satellite images, surveyed with help of magnetometers of new generation, mass isotopic dating started to be implemented, and also quite large-scale excavations were conducted. In 2014 at Maydanetske, the authors succeeded not only to examine the ancient objects discovered with modern devices, but also to reveal for the first time and partly explore the remains of an assemblage related with pottery production which included potter’s kilns and pits. A kiln studied with a sophisticated structure was not only repaired several times, but also two times fundamentally reconstructed. Also excavated were the remains of two-storied dwelling and husbandry assemblage in the central part of the settlement.
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Papers by Mihail Videyko
with the usage of satellite images, surveyed with help of magnetometers of new generation, mass isotopic dating started to be
implemented, and also quite large-scale excavations were conducted. In 2014 at Maydanetske, the authors succeeded not
only to examine the ancient objects discovered with modern devices, but also to reveal for the first time and partly explore
the remains of an assemblage related with pottery production which included potter’s kilns and pits. A kiln studied with a
sophisticated structure was not only repaired several times, but also two times fundamentally reconstructed. Also excavated
were the remains of two-storied dwelling and husbandry assemblage in the central part of the settlement.
with the usage of satellite images, surveyed with help of magnetometers of new generation, mass isotopic dating started to be
implemented, and also quite large-scale excavations were conducted. In 2014 at Maydanetske, the authors succeeded not
only to examine the ancient objects discovered with modern devices, but also to reveal for the first time and partly explore
the remains of an assemblage related with pottery production which included potter’s kilns and pits. A kiln studied with a
sophisticated structure was not only repaired several times, but also two times fundamentally reconstructed. Also excavated
were the remains of two-storied dwelling and husbandry assemblage in the central part of the settlement.