Zarubyntsi culture

Zarubyntsi culture [Зарубинецька культура; Zarubynetska kultura]. An archeological culture of the mid-3rd century BC to early 2nd century AD which existed along the middle reaches of the Dnipro River and in areas along the Boh River, the Seim River, and the Tiasmyn River. It was named after a site excavated by Vikentii Khvoika in 1899. The people of this culture lived in (usually) fortified settlements in surface and semi-pit dwellings with hearths. They engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, fishing, and handicrafts and traded with Black Sea centers. Cremation was the usual form of burial, with remains placed in urns and buried in shallow graves along with bronze adornments, glass jewelry, pottery, implements, and weapons. The culture maintained a patriarchal social order. Scholars regard these people as proto-Slavs. Major sites of the culture found in Ukraine include the Korchuvate burial site, Pylypenko’s Hill, and the Sakhnivka settlements.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]