The Bronze Age Srubana Culture and its Unique Tombs

Not much is known about the ancient Slubna (or Srubnaya) people of Eastern Europe because writing and recording either did not develop or the material they wrote did not survive.

Therefore, we rely on the archaeological record to provide us with information about these interesting people who created the timber kurgan tombs and timber-framed dwellings that are said to have stood there generation after generation.

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, the Slubna people (Russian meaning "timber grave") were located in the steppe and forest steppe region north of the Black and Caspian Seas.

This culture existed in 1700 B.C. To the Late Bronze Age around 1200 B.C., Bronze Age cultures took their name from the way their tomb structures were often built using timber frames.

However, the walls of some of these structures were stone slabs rather than wood, which is a reconstruction of the Srubana Cultural Hut.

Russian *** User bé戥戥戥戥戥/Wikimedia Commons These structures are also known as kul A kurgan is a large tomb with unique characteristics in Eastern Europe.

The Kurgans of the Slubna culture often had a religious hearth, as well as animal skulls and forelegs.

In addition, the Slubna tomb also contains cultural relics such as pottery, bone buttons, small bronze objects and stone hammer heads, and more items were discovered during the excavation of the Slubna timber tomb.

*** Public *** Information Network, in a Slubna tomb in Ukraine, archaeologists discovered a stone slab, believed to be the earliest sundial.

This is the first time that a stone has been carved The discovery was made in 2011 when a team of archaeologists led by Yurii Polidovich of the Donetsk Regional Research Museum were excavating a Bronze Age tomb dating to the 12th or 13th century BC.

During the excavation, they discovered stone slabs with lines and circles on both sides, but it was not known at the time what these markings were.

In 2013, photos of the slabs were sent to the Archaeoastronomical Research Center of the Southern Federal University in Russia.

Research showed that the carving showed a sophisticated grasp of geometry and confirmed that it would use a system of parallel lines and an elliptical pattern of circular depressions. To mark time, this system is called a "triangular sundial".

The sundial belongs to the Srubna or Srubnaya culture of the Late Bronze Age.

It is believed that the sundial was placed on top of a tomb in memory of a young man as an offering or as a messenger of other markers to the gods or the final resting place of ancestors.

Southern Federal University Archaeoastronomy Research Center , the skeleton of the deceased is usually found curled up on the left side.

The head is usually facing east, while the legs and arms are bent, with the hands placed in front.

Usually near the head of the deceased A ceramic pot was placed, probably for ritual purposes.

Although the dead are usually buried in Kurgan, many skeletons have been found buried near the homes of the living.

Some people believe that these skeletons belong to the victims of the foundation laying ceremony. It is more that the Kurgan people of the Sluna culture usually live a certain distance from their living homes.

By the way, some people have observed The interior of the Kurgan is a reflection of the architecture of the houses of the living, possibly indicating a belief in the continuity of life after death.

As for the dwellings of the living, they can usually be found near streams and rivers.

Houses of the Srubana culture were designed as half-shelters, with walls probably built of wood and covered with thick layers of clay or thorns and stucco.

Each house Each has an open fireplace and an earthen pulpit along one wall that serves as a bed for the residents.

These large buildings can accommodate up to 20 people, who can

Can belong to several generations, but may be from the same family.

It is also believed that due to the lack of archaeological remains, these houses have been in use for more than 100 years and are definitely Slubna culture.

There are many more questions than answers, and there is much speculation about the clay pots found in timber grave excavations.

For example, Wikimedia Commons has a question regarding The origins of the Srubna, is it an indigenous culture or could it have been brought to the area by eastern immigrants.

Another question is about how the Srubna function as a society.

With Unlike other Bronze Age societies, they do not appear to have developed political hierarchies, yet were able to survive for centuries.

It is these questions and many more about the Srubana culture that will hopefully be answered in the future .

"Featured Image: Artist's Impression of the Srubna Cultural Kurgan on the Steppe" (Wikimedia Commons), Reference Mallory, J.P., 1997.

Srubna Culture. Author: J.P. Mallory & D.Q. Adams, Editor: Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture.

Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, pp. 541-542, Michalin v. 2010 Year.

Spatially determined behavior and religious representation: the Srubana cultural model (Southern Russia).

Review of the History of Religion, 227(4), pp. 497-517, Pappas, S.

, 2014.

Photos: Ancient sundial discovered.

[Online] URL: livescience/48296 photos olving sundial moondial discovered.

html, Woollaston, V., 2013. A Ukrainian Bronze Age stone discovered to be the oldest sundial ever discovered could mark the location of a ritual tomb.

See online World Heritage Encyclopedia, 2014.

Srubna Culture.

[Online] URL: worldwitage.

org/articles/Srubna_culture, author: wty , I am a university student with a BA in Archeology.

My interests range from "traditional" to "radical" interpretations of archaeological/textual/pictorial data sets.

I believe that intellectual input from advocates from both extremes will help. Read Mor.