Ivanov, M.S. The Population of the Second Half of the 4th Millenia BC between Southern Buh and Dnipro Rivers: Serezlievka culture. – Qualifying scientific work on manuscript rights.
The thesis is devoted to the history of the population that lived between Southern Buh and Dnipro rivers in the second half of the 4th millennium BC and justifies the separation of the Serezlievka culture. The source base of the study includes more than 211 graves of the Eneolithic age, of which 47 were accompanied by ceramic implements, 19 by metal ornaments, 12 by statutes of the Serezlievka type, and 2 by metal knives. In addition, 17 random finds of adzes, 21 random finds of axes of the Samara type, 4 knives and daggers of the Usatovo type, and 5 swords of the Usatovo type from Ivanky hoard were included in the study.
The first chapter of the dissertation is devoted to the history of archaeological research of monuments of the Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age in Ukraine, within which the author distinguishes three periods: imperial, Soviet, and of restored Ukrainian independence.
In the second chapter, the author of the dissertation characterizes the general cultural situation in Eastern Europe on the eve of the Bronze Age and describes the Sofievka culture, the late Trypillia monuments of the Kosenivka local variant, the culture of Cernavodă I, the Usatovo culture, and monuments of the Gordinești type.
The third chapter is devoted to the characteristics of the funeral rite of the population of the second half of the 4th thousand BC in the Buh-Dnipro Interfluve. The author identifies out three groups of late Eneolithic burials: with skeletons straightened and laid on their backs, with skeletons laid on their backs, whose legs were bent at the knees, and with skeletons laid on their sides and legs bent at the knees.
In the fourth chapter the author characterizes the ceramic complex of Late Eneolithic burials of the Buh-Dnipro interfluve and divides the ancient dishes into two large groups: ceramics of the Rohachyk type and ceramics of Trypilian origin. Ceramics of the first group were recorded in 18 burials, which is 38% of all burials accompanied by ceramics. The second group's ceramic was recorded in 20 burials, which is 42.5% of the total number of burials with dishes. Separately, the author examines biconical and spherical ware, which, on the one hand, has a distinctly Trypilian origin, and on the other hand, it is made according to Rohachyk ceramic technology.
In the fifth chapter of the dissertation, the author describes the so-called "Serezlievka figurines" and other anthropomorphic plastic found in barrow burials of the second half of the 4th millennium BC and discusses the issue of its origin. According to the author, the Serezlievka statuettes are products of Trypilian origin and are closely related to the Trypilian spiritual world, while their appearance in the Ukrainian steppe is evidence of the significant cultural influence of Trypilians on the local population.
The sixth chapter is devoted to the history of the spread of the cord technique of decorating dishes in the right-bank Ukraine. According to the evidence collected by the author, the oldest "classical" cord decor is recorded on individual samples of Trypiдlia ceramics of the BII stage. In the CІІ stage in the environment of Trypilia culture, corded decor becomes more diverse and acquires the status of the main decorative technique. As for the Eneolithic and the Early Bronze Age steppe monuments, the oldest cord decoration in the form of the so-called "caterpillar" was recorded for the first time during the second period of the Seredniy Stoh culture. During the Dereivka culture time, the common share of cord decor – "classic" and "caterpillar" – increased to 5%.
In the seventh chapter, for the first time in the history of science, the author characterizes the metallurgy of the Serezlievka culture. The Serezlievka complex of metal objects was formed, includes copper ornaments, flat axes, Samara-type shaft-hole axes, knives, daggers and swords of the Sofievka-Usatovo type.
The eighth chapter is devoted to attempts at reconstructing the demographic situation in steppe Ukraine during the Eneolithic – Early Bronze Age. Based on the results of several calculations, the author concluded that the most realistic estimate of the population of the Kryvyi Rih region during the Eneolithic and Yamnaya culture is 451–557 and 2237–3728 people, respectively.
In the conclusions, the author justifies the selection of the Serezlievka culture and indicates its connection with the Yamnaya culture.
Keywords: burial mound, settlement, North Pontic region, steppe, Trypillia culture, Usatove (Usatovo) culture, Eneolithic, trade, metallurgy, metalworking, ceramic ware, painted tableware, history of archaeology, spatial archaeology, excavations.
