New AMS Dates for Verteba Cave and Stable Isotope Evidence of Human Diet in The Holocene Forest-Steppe, Ukraine

Abstract

Excavations at several locations in Verteba Cave have uncovered a large amount of human skeletal remains in association with faunal bones and Tripolye material culture. We aim to establish radiocarbon (14C) dates for eight sites and to evaluate whether these deposits are singular events, or slow accumulations over time.14C measurements, along with stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from human and faunal remains, were collected from 18 specimens. Stable isotope values were used to evaluate human and animal diet, and whether freshwater reservoir effects offset measured dates. We found diets of the sampled species had limited to no influence from freshwater resources. Human diet appears to be dominated by terrestrial plants and herbivores. Four new sites were identified as Eneolithic. Comparisons of dates from top and bottom strata for two sites (7 and 20) reveal coeval dates, and we suggest that these deposits represent discrete events rather than slow continuous use. Lastly, we identified dates from the Mesolithic (8490±45 BP, 8765±30 BP), Iron Age (2505±20 BP), Slavic state era (1315±25 BP), and Medieval Period (585±15 BP), demonstrating periodic use of the cave by humans prior to and after the Eneolithic.

Analysis of ancient human mitochondrial DNA from Verteba Cave, Ukraine: insights into the Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic Cucuteni–Tripolye culture

“…However, we are unable to treat our sample population as being deposited at or around the same time period. Although most individuals included in this study come from Site 7, which has been firmly established to date to c. 5500 calBP based on ceramics and radiocarbon dating (Nikitin et al, 2010;Ledogar et al, 2019), other chambers in the cave are not as confidently dated. For example, Chamber G3 had very few artifacts from the Tripolye culture.…”

“…Most samples date to the Tripolye CII period (c. 5500 YBP) based exclusively on associated pottery found in the same cultural layer as the human remains. Nikitin et al (2010Nikitin et al ( , 2017 and Ledogar et al (2019) radiocarbon dated human and animal remains, as well as pottery sherds from Verteba, and found that the dates correspond to transitional phases in pottery decoration, with peak activity placed c. 5500 calBP, although some remains date to before or after this date. All skeletal samples excavated within VC are commingled and individual burials are difficult to identify.…”

“…For brevity, we will use the term Tripolye, as it is known in Ukraine. Tripolye culture (7100-5000 cal-BP) is defined as Eneolithic based on the presence of copper artifacts and the onset of metallurgy, and ends at the beginning of the Bronze Age (Ledogar et al, 2019). The Tripolye culture occupied a large area from the Carpathian Mountains in the west to the Dnieper River in the east, and extended as far south as the Black Sea and north to Kiev (Figure 1).…”

Diet Isotope Analysis and Related Studies in Prehistoric Ukraine: Fact, Fiction and Fantasy

“…This is a somewhat trite statement which be lies the fact that the approaches adopted by these researchers at Verteba have failed to adequately demonstrate that the remains being studied are contemporary, and as Ledogar et al (2019) clear ly demonstrate, Mesolithic through to modern cultural material and human remains are in evi dence at this location. In actual fact, and appar ently contra Madden et al (2018, p. 901), Ledogar et al (2019, p. 141) state that understanding the chronology of Verteba cave is integral to further interpretations of the material evidence from Verteba (our emphasis).…”

Textile impressions on Trypillia culture pottery from Ogród and Verteba Cave sites in Bilcze Złote

“…After World War II, archaeological excavation in Bilcze Złote was resumed in 1996-1997 (and continues to the present), by a team led by Mykhailo Sokhatskiy of the Regional Museum in Borschiv, Ukraine. The collection of artefacts from the sites is considered one of the largest assemblages of Cucuteni-Trypillia complex materials documented so far (Rook and Trela 2001;Sokhatskiy 2001a;Kadrow et al 2003;Nikitin et al 2010;Ledogar et al 2018). In addition to a large amount of human skeletal remains in association with faunal bones, it consists of thousands of potsherds, whole vessels, numerous examples of anthropo-and zoomorphic figurines, flint and stone products, and objects made of bone and antler (i.a.…”