The Yamnaya culture, whose history will be described below, is an ancient archaeological culture that existed in the era of the post-copper - early bronze ages. Its representatives were settled over the territory from the Southern Urals in the eastern part to the Dniester in the western, in the south from Ciscaucasia to Sr. Volga region in the north. Consider in the article what is known about the Yamnaya culture.
General information
Representatives of the Pit Pit culture were carriers of the haplogroup (a group of similar haplotypes that have one ancestor whose mutation was inherited by descendants) R1a. They are considered the first Indo-European shepherds.
At the same time, the Yamnaya culture of the early Bronze Age was not the same for all Indo-European communities. It was adapted to the steppe conditions of life. In other climatic and natural conditions, the Indo-Europeans created other civilizations adapted to them.
What is the Yamnaya culture?
Genetically it is connected with the megalithic culture of 4300-2700. BC e. On the territory of Moldovaformed a community of Indo-Iranians. Their early settlements are found on the coastal dunes of the river. Volga and tributaries.
The Yamnaya culture originates from the Khvalyn and Sredny Stog civilizations. The first was formed in the middle reaches of the river. Volga, and the second - in the middle reaches of the river. Dnipro.
Early Stage
The development of the Yamnaya culture took place in 3 stages. The first is considered the period from the 1st half to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. e.
The word "pit", the meaning of which is revealed in the process of studying the characteristics of culture, indicates the way people are buried. They were buried in pits under mounds lying on their backs and with bent knees. The dead were sprinkled with ocher before burial.
At an early stage in the development of the Yamnaya culture, people were buried with their heads to the east. Round-bottomed and sharp-bottomed vessels with stamped, carved, pricked ornaments were placed in the pit.
Settlements were temporary camps of shepherds-cattle breeders.
Separation of tribes
Along with signs of an early stage in the development of culture in the Black Sea steppes, burials with skeletons on their sides, with their heads to the west, are found. In the burial pits, there are egg-shaped dishes with a narrow neck, copper items, and flat-bottomed pots.
In the western part, at the second stage of cultural development, settled permanent settlements begin to appear.
Inside the civilization, 9 local related tribal groups have been identified:
- Volga-Ural.
- Caucasian.
- Donskaya.
- North-Donetsk.
- Priazovskaya.
- Crimean.
- Nizhnedneprovskaya.
- Northwest.
- Southwestern.
Third stage
It belongs to the period from the end of the 3rd - the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. e.
At this stage, the local differences of the groups increase. Only in the Volga-Ural group are the inventory and the old ritual signs preserved.
Extended graves found in western territories. At the same time, not all of them have skeletons covered with ocher. Barrowless burial grounds, pits with ledges are also found. Orientation to the cardinal points is unstable.
At this stage of development, the first large copper products arose. Among them, for example, hammers, axes. Bone ornaments were also found during excavations.
As a result of the spread of local cultures and the emergence of new civilizations, the Yamnaya culture disappeared.
Occupation
Representatives of the culture were engaged in pastoral, mainly pastoral cattle breeding. It prevailed over agriculture.
The herds consisted mainly of cattle. The draft force was oxen, despite the presence of horses. The oxen were harnessed to wagons with solid, massive wheels. Meanwhile, part of the population led a sedentary lifestyle. This is evidenced by the findings of the remains of the bones of pigs.
Anthropological features
Representatives of the Yamnaya culture corresponded to Paleo-Caucasian groups.
As N. Shilkina points out in one of her articles, people of that period had brachrycrane skulls. characteristicthe features were a strongly protruding nose, a low receding face, and low orbits. The average height of men was 173, and women - 160 cm. Outwardly, people looked like representatives of eastern peoples.
Anthropologists characterize the population as follows: tall, massive skull, mostly oblong, low face and protruding nose, sloping forehead and prominent brow ridges. At the same time, representatives of other anthropological types were also present in the culture: tall and narrow-faced, similar in appearance to Caucasians.
Mound architecture
Most of the burial mounds were erected directly by representatives of the Yamnaya culture. However, earlier mounds have also been found. They are usually round or oval.
There are multi-layer mounds and consisting of one mound. The latter are usually small in size - no more than 1.5 m. Rarely, the height reaches 3 meters. The value varies depending on the number of mounds. More than a dozen fillings are often found in multilayer mounds.
Kromlechs, ditches, stone facings are also among the elements of barrow architecture.
The ditch is usually round in shape. As a rule, it is associated with the main burial, but may surround other mounds.
The mound with cromlechs is a circle formed by stones dug vertically. The image of people on steles in the Yamnaya culture was in relief or incised. It is believed that such structures have a connection with the cult of the sun. On the stones there are images of not only people, but also animals.
Archaeologists have found mounds with a combination of cromlech and moat. Often the floor of the barrow was lined with stone.
Patriarchy
According to many researchers, the organization of society was based on the patriarchal type. It is quite possible that there was a slight property stratification. However, there is no clear archaeological evidence for this.
It is assumed that the structure of society was formed by three estates:
- Brahmin-priests.
- Kshatriyas - warriors.
- Vaishyas - ordinary community members.
It is believed that it was the priests who were at the highest hierarchical level. Women priestesses played a special role, although men still played a key role.
Spread culture
Part of the population migrated far to the eastern regions - to the South Urals. Here, after some time, the main group of carriers of the haplogroup arose. Subsequently, she played a crucial role in the development of Iran and India.
As archaeological excavations show, people made trips from the Northern Black Sea region to the western and southwestern regions. According to a number of researchers, they destroyed the Balkan-Carpathian tribes of the Eneolithic. Nevertheless, the first burials with crouched and ocher-covered skeletons are found in Bulgaria, Romania and other southeastern territories of Europe at the turn of the Eneolithic and Bronze Ages.
Presumably, the Yamnaya tribes spread during their campaigns not only Indo-European speech, but also new methods of processing metals, toolslabor, weapons.
A previously unknown technology for working with metal is associated with the formation of the Circumpontian metallurgical province. It existed in the early and middle Bronze Age on a rather vast territory that surrounded the Black Sea. The province was extended to the Urals, covering Mesopotamia, the Caucasus, the Levant, Anatolia, and the southwestern part of Iran. Accordingly, the territories of the Balkan-Carpathian tribes were completely included in the Circumpontian province.
On this territory, cultures were united that differed significantly both in the nature of the economy, and in geographical location, and in the characteristics of the habitat of people. In the northern part of the province, conditions were formed in which shepherding began to develop as the main form of management. This territory was inhabited by representatives of cultures that practiced mobile pastoralism.
Populations
During the heyday of the Yamnaya culture, horsemanship arose, large unions of tribes began to form. They attacked the population of agricultural territories.
In the tribal unions there were "triads" - the people's assembly, councils of elders and military leaders. The form of organization of society resembled a military democracy. It highlighted the most influential, powerful leaders who distinguished themselves in clashes with enemies for pastures and herds.
In pastoral tribes there were people whose activities were exclusively related to caring for animals. They were engaged in treatment, grazing, milking, etc. Presumably,brigades of shepherds with a chief were also created.
At the final stage of the existence of culture, primitive types of crafts began to emerge. In the Late Pit period, the exploitation of the labor of the lower strata of the population was used.
Grave goods
When studying the finds, many researchers conclude that the composition of things present in the burial indicates the social status of the deceased. We are talking, in particular, about maces and scepters. Such finds are rare, but are considered a symbol of religious authority. Maces were considered a ritual decoration. However, some researchers believe that their presence in the burial indicates that a woman was buried.
Another evidence of the social status of the deceased is a polished stone axe. In its form, it differs little from similar products made by representatives of other cultures. The ax could have a boat-shaped, triangular, rhombic shape. The raw material for the manufacture of weapons was sandstone, granite, bas alt, limestone.
During the pit period in the westernmost part of the steppe zone, eye axes were widely used. They were made of hard stone and slate. In the eastern regions, the population used mainly stone and flint flat axes. These products ended up in burials.
The steppe population of that time knew the technology of stone drilling. Findings in the Khvalynsky burial ground testify to this.
