Razumov S. The flint items of the population of the northern coasts of Black Sea in the Early and Middle Bronze Age (by materials of the burials).

The results of the research have been published in 15 papers. The thesis defines basic aspects of production and utilization of the flint items by the population of the northern coasts of Black Sea during the Early and Middle Bronze Age (by materials of the burial complexes of the Pit graves, Catacomb graves, Babine cultural-historical communities). Current status of the problem of flint items of the Bronze Age has been described, cultural and chronological systematization of the sources (1523 burial complexes) has been conducted. Combined typology of flint items of the Early and Middle Bronze Age is based on technological, functional and typological-morphological methods of analysis of stone artifacts. This typology demonstrated significance of the flint items in various branches of ancient economy (by materials of the burial complexes). Existence of unified steppe tradition of production and utilization of the flint tools in the Early and Middle Bronze Age has been shown. Typological analysis of flint weapons results in these weapons was the basis of arms of that epoch. The process of production of different categories of items has been reconstructed as a result of analysis of the "tool sets" and the test data. The significance of flint objects for the burial rituals of the Bronze Age has been found, and reconstruction of ideology concerned with these artifacts has been proposed. Key words: flint items, Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, Pit graves, Catacomb graves, Babine cultural-historical communities, burial complexes.