Catacomb culture: description, history, characteristics and interesting facts

In the vast expanses of the Volga to the North Caucasus, archeologists have discovered hundreds of burials, whose age is estimated at four thousand years. The peoples who once lived in this territory are united by a common culture, called catacombs. It is unique in its own way and still has many mysteries to this day. About what is a catacomb culture, there will be a conversation in this article.

Man-Made and Natural Dungeons

Before we start the conversation, let's clarify the meaning of the word "catacombs". In Russian, it is derived from the Italian catacomba, as well as the Latin catacumba, which in both cases means "underground tomb." And it's no coincidence that catacombs are nothing else than vast dungeons sometimes of natural origin or, as is often the case, artificial.

They can be abandoned quarries, having long tangled passages, or natural caves, connected by a complex system of corridors and galleries. Here they were chosen for the burial of their departed tribesmen by the inhabitants of the epoch, called the Middle Bronze Age, covering the period of the XXV-XX century BC. E.

It should immediately be noted that in archeology, in addition to the concept of "catacomb culture," there is the term "pit culture", also associated with the nature of ancient burials. It is not difficult to guess that the peoples whose culture falls under this definition preferred to use as underground not underground labyrinths, but pits where the deceased was placed, and above them erected a burial mound - a mound, which reliably protected the grave from plunder.

Proceedings of the Russian archaeologist

In archeology, the concept of "catacomb cultural and historical community" is also known. It is based on the similarity of cultures of nationalities inhabiting the steppe and forest-steppe belt stretching from the lower reaches of the Don to the North Caucasus and the Urals in that long historical period. For the first time this term was put into circulation by the Russian scientist VA Gorodtsov, who studied ancient burials in the first years of the 20th century.

While excavating mounds in the area of the Northern Donets, the scientist discovered graves made in the catacombs. These very specific funerary structures consisted of a vertical shaft leading to a horizontal corridor and a tomb chamber. It was the design features of this method of burial that allowed us to name the culture of catacombs allocated to them.

Multifaceted catacomb culture

Later studies showed that this community in its structure is very heterogeneous and consists of individual archaeological cultures, which are local, that is, local variations. For example, the catacomb culture in the Kuban, determined by local natural and climatic features, differs significantly from what can be found in the Caucasus.

It should be noted that historians do not have a common opinion about the origin of the catacomb culture. A number of researchers believe that her homeland is the Caucasus, according to others, she appeared along with the tribes that came at the beginning of the Bronze Age from Cyprus. However, there are no serious arguments in favor of any of these theories. The hypothesis of her kinship with ancient culture is hardly upheld.

Characteristics of catacomb culture

As studies show, settlements of peoples belonging to the catacomb community were located mainly on high river promontories, fortified by cliffs. The banks of the rivers were convenient pastures, which made it possible to engage in cattle breeding, which was the basis of their farming. Another important component of the well-being of the ancient inhabitants was fishing. This is evidenced by excavations, which resulted in the discovery of many bones in the places of ancient settlements, both fish and domestic animals - cows, sheep and horses.

Catacomb culture of the Bronze Age is characterized by a sufficiently high level of manufacturing tools and weapons. As the results of the analysis of the products found at the site of the excavations testify, they were made of bronze, smelted in the Caucasus. They were axes, daggers and sheet knives. However, along with them, stone tools, such as maces, axes and arrowheads, were also discovered in large numbers.

Despite the fact that the catacomb culture was based on cattle breeding and fishing, agriculture also played a certain, albeit secondary role in livelihoods of the villagers. This is evidenced by the rather primitive agricultural tools found in insignificant quantity - horny hoes, sickles, grain-scrapers and sickle-shaped flint knives. Repeatedly, grains of millet were found in the burials.

Travel to the Rhine and to Italy

Among other finds, special attention is drawn to axes made of bronze, and having a drilled hole for attaching them to wooden handles. At that time, this could already be attributed to high technology. Something similar could be seen then among the peoples of Central and Northern Europe.

A number of researchers believe that steppe inhabitants could bring them, making long trips, reaching Italy and the banks of the Rhine. By the way, they had vehicles - in one of the catacomb burials of the Rostov region, during the excavations, a four-wheeled cart was found, and next to it - horse bones, which, in general, found a lot.

The social stratification of ancient society

Catacomb culture is also characteristic of the obvious property inequality of the people of that era. This is indicated by the difference that is observed in the number of all kinds of things put together with the deceased in a funerary chamber and intended for his stay in the afterlife. Along with very rich graves, apparently belonged to the leaders or elders, there are graves practically devoid of any funeral implements.

In addition, a significant level of social stratification of peoples belonging to the catacomb community is evidenced by the impressive size of the funerary structures and barrows mounds above the graves of persons occupying a high social position. In them, as a rule, they found the greatest number of objects that accompanied the burial. Often in such burials there were up to several dozen horse skeletons. Obviously, the horses were intended for the solemn entry of the deceased into the afterlife. All this speaks about the complex structure of society and the high level of its social organization.

Graves of tribal chiefs

The characterization of the catacomb culture will be incomplete if one does not dwell more on how high the position in society was occupied by the leaders. As a rule, their power extended to several tribes and clans. About the extent to which their social status was great, one can judge by the height of the burial mounds laid over graves, as well as the huge dimensions of the graves themselves and the abundance of things accompanying them.

The entrance shafts, as a rule, were laid to a considerable depth, and in them it was often possible to meet skeletons of servants, forcibly killed and obliged to serve the master in the other world. There are known burial places in which the walls of the funerary chambers were richly decorated with carpets and mats, and next to the remains of the deceased leader lay the attributes of his power - ceremonial wands and precious weapons.

The social groups nearest to the leaders

Following the leaders of the stage of the social ladder occupied the soldiers. Their burials, though less lavish, but also abound with all sorts of things that they need in the country of the dead. This is a different weapon - bronze and stone axes, knives and flint arrowheads.

Strange as it may seem, but in those ancient times, separated from us by more than four thousand years, the number of privileged people included artisans who made chariots. When such a master died, he was also buried with all sorts of honors - valued in those centuries working man.

Graves of clergy

A special place among the graves is occupied by the graves of the priests, who constituted a numerous but extremely closed caste. The fact that the remains belong to a member of this particular social group is eloquently evidenced by the shape of his skull. The fact is that the future priests were prepared to fulfill their high mission from the first days of life. Even in infancy, they were pulled together by tight bandages, which led to an abnormal development of the cranial bones. As a result, in due course the heads of the priests acquired the form of a melon, which was considered a sign of elitism.

In their graves are found mostly objects of cult design - braziers with charcoal for sacrifices, as well as various incense burners, made in the form of bowls on legs, and covered with rich ornamentation. Such burials were abundant in the first place catacomb cultures of the Northern Black Sea region.

Similarity and difference in funeral rites

Today, many monuments are known, which the catacomb culture left behind. Most of them were found in the territory stretching from the Lower Danube to the Volga. All of them are characterized by a common burial method, in which the deceased was placed in a chamber that was in a branch from the entrance shaft. But on this similarity in most cases, and ended, since each nationality, who lived in a particular region, were inherent in their funeral rites and rituals.

In a number of cases, trepanized skulls were found in the graves filled with a mixture of clay with ocher, and also the bones of the deceased, wound around the plant stems. In other graves, the empty eye sockets of skulls were filled with tinted clay. It was necessary to find and paired graves, where on one bed were placed the skeletons of a man and a woman, as if they wanted to remain inseparable after death.

Details of the funeral ritual

Since the catacomb culture is, first of all, the similarity of different nationalities in the way of burial of the deceased, then, concluding the article, we will dwell on this in some detail. The essence of this ritual was as follows: the relatives of the deceased, before pouring a mound, dug a rectangular deep mine in the ground, to facilitate descent into which the ledges or steps were made at the edges. Then, at the bottom of the mine, a horizontal passage was digging, at the end of which a funerary catacomb was arranged.

The deceased was placed in it on a special bed, giving it a crooked pose, reminiscent of the position of the fetus in the womb of the mother. If the family of the deceased had the material opportunity to furnish it with the things necessary for the stay of the dead in the country, they were also brought into the burial chamber. After that, the entrance to it was covered with a stone slab or logs. After that, the deceased became the property of eternity.