THE POPULATION OF THE CHERNYAKHIV CULTURE. A CASE STUDY OF THE MALE CRANIOLOGICAL SERIES FROM VIYTENKI

Abstract

Anthropological material comes from excavations of a burial ground near the village of Viytenki (Valkiv district, Kharkiv region) in the Dnieper-Donetsk watershed. The site was studied by the German-Slavic Archaeological Expedition of the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (headed by Dr. Liubychev) and the Eurasian Department of the German Archaeological Institute. The male series is characterized by a long, medium-wide skull on average. In terms of skull shape, the series is on average on the border between mesocrania and dolichocrania. The height of the skull belongs to the category of tall, but with a tendency to medium sizes. The face is medium wide at the upper level, at the level of the diameter of the cheekbones and the zygomaxillary levels. The height of the face is average. According to the upper facial index, the face belongs to the mezen category. It is worth noting that in the male series, skulls with a narrow and wide face are recorded. The horizontal profiling of the face is sharp both at the upper and middle levels.The orbits have a small width, but on the border with the average. Their height is small. The orbits are mesoconchic according to the orbital index. The nose is medium high, narrow, according to the index, the nose is mesorhinal. The nasal bones protrude well. The bridge of the nose is high. The male series from Viytenki fits into the range of variations of the groups of the Chernyakhiv culture. When comparing the male series from Viytenki with the craniological material of Chernyakhiv culture of the Left Bank of Dnieper, the male sample of skulls from the Boromlia burial ground is found to be the most morphologically and statistically similar to it, the group from Uspenka gravitates to a lesser extent, although the latter is more gracile. The series from Viytenki is included in the group of groups characterized by large skull sizes and sharp horizontal profiling. These series have anthropological analogies mainly in the Baltic region. Among the series of Eastern Europe Viytenki is morphologically and statistically close to the series of the 2nd—5th centuries from the territory of Lithuania. Viytenki and Havrylivka being included into comparative analysis of the groups of Central, Northern and Southern Europe demonstrate the proximity to the Welbark culture burial ground Grudek and the collective series of the Przeworsk culture of Poland. The series from Viytenki and Havrylivka, being included to the analysis of chronologically later material, demonstrate statistical similarity with the burial grounds of Sweden of the 1st millennium AD, the Visigothic burial grounds of Castile of the 6th—8th centuries, and the collective series of the Przeworsk culture of Poland.