Wooden Wagons in the Kurgans of the Northwestern Pontic Region (Catalogue)

Abstract

Wooden wagons held a special place in the funerary rites of the ancient populations of Eurasia. The tradition of placing wooden wagons in burials began in the 4th–3rd millennia BC. The most well-known examples from this period are the wagons of the Âmna [Yamna] culture. Their distribution is uneven across its territory, with the highest concentration observed in the North-western Black Sea region, within the Budžak/Âmna [Budzhak/Yamna] cultural area. Burials contain various wooden wagons components and differing numbers of wheels. The individuals buried with wooden wagons or with their parts held a high status in the society of the Budžak/Âmna culture. This article presents a catalogue of burials with wooden wagons discovered in the North-western Black Sea region.