Artifacts from Organic Materials Found in the Graves and “Shrines” of Sakhtysh-IIa Burial Ground (Central Russia)

Sarhtysh-IIa burial ground was explored by the Upper Volga expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1980–1990. 72 Neolithic-Aeneolithic graves attributed to the Lialovo and Volosovo cultures of 4th and 3rd millennia BC were found in its territory. The composition of the burial inventory reveals distinct cultural differences. A small number of bone tools were found in the graves attributed to the Lialovo culture. Various ornaments made of animal teeth and bone were found in the graves attributed to the Volosovo culture. Domi-nating among them were pendants made from the teeth of the bear the cult of which had broad rep-resentation in Volosovo culture.

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