DOI Artikel:
Šramko, Boris Andreevič: Tilling implements of south eastern Europe in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49004#0056
TILLING IMPLEMENTS OF SOUTH
EASTERN EUROPE IN THE BRONZE
AGE AND EARLY IRON AGE
By
Boris A. Shramko
The natural conditions of the steppe-forest
zone in South Eastern Europe were favour-
able for the beginnings of agriculture. Paleo-
botanical studies show that the climate in the
Neolithic period, 6-4 millennium B.C., was
mild, warm, temporate and damp. Here black
top soil and grey wood soil prevail. The latter
is considered the most favourable for agricul-
ture. Finds from the Neolithic tribes living in
the basins of the South Bug and Dniestr rivers
indicate that already in the sixth to early
fourth millenium B.C. agriculture began to
occupy the people simultaneously with hunt-
ing and fishing. Imprints of grain on ceramics
testify that different kinds of wheat: einkorn
(Triticum monococcum L.) emmer (Tr. dicoc-
cum Schrank), spelt fir. spelta L.) were
grown (Janushevich 1976). Neolithic tribes
living in the territory from the Dniepr to Se-
versky Donetz in the third millennium B.C.
were occupied mainly with hunting and fish-
ing (Telegin 1968). Of cultivated plants only
imprints of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
were discovered. Neolithic people of South
Eastern Europe used digging sticks and hand
hoes for tillage.
In the Eneolithic the Tripolye culture ex-
isted on the territory of modern Romania,
Moldavia and Ukraine up to the river Dniepr.
The agriculture in the economy of these
tribes played an important part during the 4-3
millennium B.C. Many different remains of
cultivated plants were found on Tripolye
settlements (Janushevich 1976). Besides dif-
ferent kinds of wheat and barley which were
known from the Neolithic, they grew some
millet (Panicum miltaceum L) and legumes
(Pisum sativum L., Vicia ervilla Willd and
others). On the technique of tillage horn and
stone hand hoes, and digging sticks are the
only kind of implements found.
The question about the first appearance of
the tilling implements pulled by cattle is still
discussed. Although the hoe is assumed to
have been the predominant tool of tillage
some archaeologists assume the ard was
probably already in function. The problem
can only be solved by finds of old ard remains
or their traces; but V. I. Markevitsh consid-
ered that the horn of an elk found in a settle-
ment dated to the middle of the 4th millen-
nium B.C. near the village of Novy Ruseshty
(Fig. 1) in Moldavia was the surviving part of
an ard (Bibikov 1965, 52). Some archaeolo-
gists support this opinion. G. F. Korobkova
went further by saying that the ard from Ru-
seshty was used for furrow-making after the
soil had been made friable with a handhoe
(Karobkova 1987, 156).
However, the opinion that this horn object
(Fig. 2) is a working part of an ard must be
seriously doubted. The object shows no
traces of any means of attachments for pull-
ing or handling. To use it as the working part
EASTERN EUROPE IN THE BRONZE
AGE AND EARLY IRON AGE
By
Boris A. Shramko
The natural conditions of the steppe-forest
zone in South Eastern Europe were favour-
able for the beginnings of agriculture. Paleo-
botanical studies show that the climate in the
Neolithic period, 6-4 millennium B.C., was
mild, warm, temporate and damp. Here black
top soil and grey wood soil prevail. The latter
is considered the most favourable for agricul-
ture. Finds from the Neolithic tribes living in
the basins of the South Bug and Dniestr rivers
indicate that already in the sixth to early
fourth millenium B.C. agriculture began to
occupy the people simultaneously with hunt-
ing and fishing. Imprints of grain on ceramics
testify that different kinds of wheat: einkorn
(Triticum monococcum L.) emmer (Tr. dicoc-
cum Schrank), spelt fir. spelta L.) were
grown (Janushevich 1976). Neolithic tribes
living in the territory from the Dniepr to Se-
versky Donetz in the third millennium B.C.
were occupied mainly with hunting and fish-
ing (Telegin 1968). Of cultivated plants only
imprints of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
were discovered. Neolithic people of South
Eastern Europe used digging sticks and hand
hoes for tillage.
In the Eneolithic the Tripolye culture ex-
isted on the territory of modern Romania,
Moldavia and Ukraine up to the river Dniepr.
The agriculture in the economy of these
tribes played an important part during the 4-3
millennium B.C. Many different remains of
cultivated plants were found on Tripolye
settlements (Janushevich 1976). Besides dif-
ferent kinds of wheat and barley which were
known from the Neolithic, they grew some
millet (Panicum miltaceum L) and legumes
(Pisum sativum L., Vicia ervilla Willd and
others). On the technique of tillage horn and
stone hand hoes, and digging sticks are the
only kind of implements found.
The question about the first appearance of
the tilling implements pulled by cattle is still
discussed. Although the hoe is assumed to
have been the predominant tool of tillage
some archaeologists assume the ard was
probably already in function. The problem
can only be solved by finds of old ard remains
or their traces; but V. I. Markevitsh consid-
ered that the horn of an elk found in a settle-
ment dated to the middle of the 4th millen-
nium B.C. near the village of Novy Ruseshty
(Fig. 1) in Moldavia was the surviving part of
an ard (Bibikov 1965, 52). Some archaeolo-
gists support this opinion. G. F. Korobkova
went further by saying that the ard from Ru-
seshty was used for furrow-making after the
soil had been made friable with a handhoe
(Karobkova 1987, 156).
However, the opinion that this horn object
(Fig. 2) is a working part of an ard must be
seriously doubted. The object shows no
traces of any means of attachments for pull-
ing or handling. To use it as the working part