Mariupol culture

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The Mariupol culture known as The Mariupol-type cemeteries was a transitional culture from Neolithic to Eneolithic (Copper Age) of the second half of 5th millennium BCE at the Sea of Azov and neighbouring regions along rivers Dnieper, Don, Orel', Chir; Crimean peninsula, reaching as far as North Caucasus and Kuban Region as well as river Volga. In older works is referred to as a part of wider Dnieper-Donetsk culture or called Mariupol type. As noted expert on Neolithic and Eneolithic Eastern Europe D.Ya. Telegin: The Mariupol-type cemeteries seem to have had their origins in the late Mesolithic and endured into the Copper Age, a period of more than two thousand years (c. 6500–4000 cal BC). They were primarily fisher-hunter-gatheres familiar with livestock through exchange or pastoralism. Anthropologically they belonged to massive hypermorphic type of large Europeoid race. Final stages of this culture are described as Post-Mariupol. It was superseded by Sredny Stog culture.

Mariupol site

In 1930, on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR, near the town of Mariupol, on the shores of the Kalmius river, archaeologist M. Makarenko unearthed a burial site. Distinctive ochre painting was visible on surface of naturally raised area over surrounding marshlands. Makarenko uncovered 122 burials in what seemed to be one trench used as community grave, where younger bodies were added to the older one with respect, what created theory of possible accessibility of grave construction over the time (roof?). The position of the bodies was extended supine with a southeast or northwest orientation.

Grave gifts

Numerous stone tools including microliths, flint axes, bone beads, necklaces of animal teeth, boar-tusks, bone tutuli and other objects of bone. Ceramics is usually lacking.