DYACHENKO A.N., PERERVA E.V. Pre-Sauromatian Burials in the Lower Volga Region According to Archaeological and Paleopathological Data
- Details
- Hits: 31
- item->id; ?>
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2025.5.2
Alexander N. Dyachenko,
Researcher, Laboratory of Archaeological Research named after A.S. Skripkin, Volgograd State University, Prosp. Universitetsky, 100, 400062 Volgograd, Russian Federation, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4802-1922
Evgeniy V. Pererva,
Candidate of Sciences (History), Associate Professor, Department of History and International Relations, Volgograd State University, Prosp. Universitetsky, 100, 400062 Volgograd, Russian Federation, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8285-4461
Abstract. Introduction. The time period between the 9th and the 7th centuries BC in the Volga-Ural and the Lower Volga regions is commonly referred to in scholarly literature as the “Pre-Sauromatian period.” This article analyzes previously unpublished archaeological and paleoanthropological materials from five pre-Sauromatian burial mounds: Solodovka I (2 burials), Lenin II, Tingutinsky (Volgograd region), and the single kurgan Evdyk (Republic of Kalmykia). Four of the five burial complexes presented here have not been published before. Methods and materials. Due to the poor preservation of the paleoanthropological material, the study employed a standard protocol for assessing the occurrence of pathological conditions in the bones of the postcranial skeleton and skull. Analysis and discussion. The burials examined in this publication, originating from the Lower Volga region, date back to the 8th – early 7th century BC. The most characteristic feature of the archaeological complexes of this period in the Lower Volga region is the “impoverishment” of the material artifacts. Conclusions. Pre-Sauromatian burials are most often secondary insertions. The grave pits are predominantly rectangular in shape. The deceased individuals are typically placed in a flexed or semi-flexed position on their side with their heads oriented eastward or westward. The burials are usually accompanied by animal remains and characteristic ceramic vessels, while metal objects are relatively rare. The study of pathological features in individuals from the pre-Sauromatian burials in the Lower Volga region suggests that the diet of this population was dominated by tough and hard foods rich in animal protein. Traumas and markers of intense physical activity indicate some degree of social tension within the community, likely related to competition for resources under changing conditions. Signs of episodic and specific stress suggest that the population experienced stress during childhood. Indicators of negative environmental (vascular reactions) and social influences (traumas, arthrosis, and spinal diseases) allow us to hypothesize that nomadic communities of the 9th – 7th centuries BC were highly mobile. Authors’ contribution. A.N. Dyachenko analyzed the archaeological material examined in this study. E.V. Pererva analyzed the anthropological material from pre-Sauromatian burials. Funding. The study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 25-68-00011 “Tempora incognita in the history of the Volga-Ural region: culturalhistorical, anthropological paleoecological prerequisites and consequences of the change of eras and cultures at the turn of the Late Bronze Age – at the beginning of the Early Iron Age”, https://rscf.ru/project/25-68-00011/.
Key words: archaeology, Pre-Sauromatian period, nomadic communities, Early Iron Age, paleopathology, traumas.
Citation. Dyachenko A.N., Pererva E.V. Pre-Sauromatian Burials in the Lower Volga Region According to Archaeological and Paleopathological Data. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 4. Istoriya. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya [Science Journal of Volgograd State University. History. Area Studies. International Relations], 2025, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 15-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2025.5.2.
Pre-Sauromatian Burials in the Lower Volga Region According to Archaeological and Paleopathological Data by Dyachenko A.N., Pererva E.V. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
 2_Dyachenko, Pererva.pdfURL: https://hfrir.jvolsu.com/index.php/en/component/attachments/download/3761 | 62 Downloads |