Burial Constructions of the Population of Abrau Penninsula in the Early Iron Age

Cultural and ethnic belonging and ethnogenesis of inhabitants of the Black Sea foothills of Northern-Western Caucasus is an object of long-time discussions. Patterns of funeral constructions of Anapa-Novorossiisk neighbourhood in the Iron Age could provide diametric different conclusions. Study of data of the Early Iron Age funeral constructions helps to discover traditions of the population of the Abrau peninsula of the Bronze Age, who used stone for burial places. Remarkable change of ancient tradition connected with replacement and assimilation of aborigines appeared after the middle of the 4th century BC with the distribution of the Bospor Kingdom influence in the region. Archaeological material demonstrates appearance of the local “ellinistic” elite and the cultivation of the steppe space of the Anapa valley by the settlers from theKuban region. They brought burial rite in ground pits and in tombs. At the beginning of new millennium burial culture became standard for all Abrau peninsula. Only in the necropolises of the south-west of the region it intricately intertwined with the traditions of the aboriginal population of the foothills.