Two New Burial Grounds with Cremations of Saltiv-Mayaky Culture around Sukha Homolsha Village in Kharkiv Region

Abstract

 Presented to scientific circles is information on two new Saltiv-Mayaky burial grounds with cremations (Sukha Homolsha Gully and Plaskyi Ravine) discovered in Verkhniy Donets River upper region in Zmiyiv Region of Kharkiv Oblast.

Archaeological prospecting in 2013 and 2016 showed that both burial grounds are almost completely destroyed by modern diggers. Plaskyi Ravine burial ground is comparable with its size with the known Sukha Homolsha burial ground with cremations. Archaeological prospecting also showed that the latter site has its extension and can’t be perceived as fully studied. Sukha Homolsha Gully burial ground is at least ten times larger than the one at Plaskyi Ravine.

A cache and a cremation in pit were discovered in trenches 1 and 2 correspondingly at Sukha Homolsha burial ground. The burial was traced on an area 0,75 by 0,35 m and was recorded at a depth 0,3 m from the ground surface. The edges of the burial pit were not traced with the archaeological methods. This fact probably testifies that the burial was made on the original surface: bones and funeral goods were just poured out on the ground. Funeral goods included iron piece for starting fire, iron ring, buckle frame, and pincers, as well as six bronze plates from a belt set and an Abbasid dinar (753—754) probably plated with gold in antiquity.

In a trench at Plaskyi Ravine burial ground, a classic Saltiv culture cache and a silver Khawarijian dirham of 179 AH (795—796) found in cultural layer at the site.

The materials from caches find broad analogies in assemblages with cremations in the region. Numismatic finds discovered at burial grounds with cremations for the first time present chronologic datum points for dating the elements of belt sets.