Settlement and economy in Neolithic Ukraine: a new chronology

Abstract

The authors use their revised chronology for the Mariupol-type cemeteries (presented in Antiquity 76: 356-63 (2002)) to offer a new sequence for Neolithic settlement and economy in Ukraine. They find that the transition to the Neolithic began about 6500 cal BC, but co-existed with Mesolithic communities for a further millennium. In about 4500 cal BC early copper age cultures appeared, which in turn coexisted with the Neolithic in neighbouring areas. Co-existent cultures are defined in terms of their artefacts, subsistence strategies, burial practice and physical types. The Mariupol-type cemeteries seem to have had their origins in the late Mesolithic and endured into the Copper Age, a period of more than two thousand years (c. 6500–4000 cal BC).

Separating the post-Glacial coancestry of European and Asian Y chromosomes within haplogroup R1a

“…The highest regional date of 10.7±4.1 KYA among Polish R1a1a7 carriers falls into the period of recolonization of this region by Mesolithic (Swiderian and subsequent cultures) settlers. 42,43 The time window of 10À5 KYA BP is a culturally complex juncture period between the Mesolithic and early Neolithic in Europe, thus, not allowing us to relate founder effect with any particular culture specifically. Most broadly, the autochthonous European origin of haplogroup R1a1a7, its narrow spatial distribution and the inversely related decreasing expansion times with increased distance from its core frequency and diversity area are suggestive of a notably successful demic expansion starting from a small subset of radiating founder lineages during the early Holocene period.…”

Neolithic Ukraine: A Review of Theoretical and Chronological Interpretations

“…Therefore, in post-Soviet countries, the 'hallmark' of the Neolithic period is considered to be the beginning of pottery-making techniques (cf. Gronenborn 2003;Jacobs 1993;Lillie 1998b;Telegin et al 2003). This means that even a few shards of pottery discovered in a Mesolithic fisherman-huntergatherer camp identifies the site as one of Neolithic pottery-using fishermen-hunter-gatherers, regardless of the changes in society (cf.…”

“…According to Davison et al (2009), the Neolithic in Europe spread in two waves: first, from pottery-making societies in the east via the steppe corridor; and second, from farming societies in the Fertile Crescent. Therefore, for example, at Bug-Dniester culture sites in Moldova, the Neolithic starts with a ceramic phase, with the first evidence of food production seen in the appearance of domesticated animals (Dolukhanov, Khotinskiy 1984;Dolukhanov 1979;Markevich 1974;Telegin et al 2003;Zvelebil, Dolukhanov 1991), which were adopted by autochthonous Mesolithic societies (Markevich 1974;Tringham 1969;Zvelebil, Dolukhanov 1991); whereas in Ukraine, the Neolithic period is usually marked by the appearance of pottery-making techniques. Sometimes at these early pottery-making sites, A n o u t l i n e o f t h e p r o b l e m s o f c h r o n o l o g y i n U k r a i n e…”

“…One group defines a chronology based on all dates available from the KRL (eg. Dolukhanov, Shukurov 2004;Dolukhanov et al 2005;Kotova 2003;Telegin et al 2003); whereas the other group of scholars, such as Gaskevich (2007) and Tovkailo (2005), find the accuracy of some dates received from the KRL questionable, especially the ones received after 1998.…”

“…Due to differences in the associated material culture, environmental conditions in the occupied areas, and subsistence strategies, eight distinct cultural entities have been identified from the Neolithic period in Ukraine: Bug-Dniester, Surska, Linear Pottery, Dnieper-Donets, Neolithic Crimea, and Pit-Comb Ware (Passek, Chernysh 1970;Telegin 1985a;Telegin et al 2003). These cultures were usually named after the first or the most extensively studied settlement of the particular culture, the geographical region where the characteristic features unifying the archaeological sites are distributed, or specific characteristics in pottery-making techniques (see below).…”