Afanasevo culture
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The Afanassjewo culture (Russian Афанасьевская культура, scientific. Transcription Afanas'ev (o)) is an archaeological culture of the Chalcolithic period. She was 3500-2500 BC widespread in southern Siberia.
Regional distribution
Excavations, which can be associated with that culture, are found mainly in the area of Minusinsk in the Krasnoyarsk region in southern Siberia, in the more southerly regions of Tuva and Altai Mountains, but in addition also widespread from western Mongolia, northern Xinjiang, as well as in eastern and central Kazakhstan. Compounds appear to be present also to Tajikistan and the Aral Sea region.
Culture
It is characterized by various types of ceramics. Very often high, egg-shaped vessels with conical bottom and offset rim, besides there are also spherical pots and small " Räuscherschalen ". The ceramic is decorated with marks, notches and grooves, which are arranged on the entire surface of the vessel in horizontal rows. In addition to bone and flint copper has already been processed. There are several settlement sites known to have been used for an extended time; to them, however, were found in most cases only hearths, but no remains of buildings; the carriers of the culture Afanassjewo settled so well in light, tent-like dwellings. In addition, also in the Altai caves were visited. Sheep dung remains from caves shows that the carriers of the culture Afanassjewo already operated livestock, the large amount of found bones of wild animals is, however, at the same time that hunting was still of great importance. The necropolis of Afanassjewo culture were quite small and were usually created on terraces. The dead were buried in kurgans with stone circle back in a crouched position in a rectangular grave pit and covered with stone slabs. Near the necropolis often were small burnt offerings, which consisted of stone circles, inside which pottery, animal bones, small finds and ashes were found.
Connection with the Indo-Europeans?
The burials have found a great similarity located in Eastern cultures, such as the Yamnaya culture, the Sredny - Stog culture, the Catacomb culture and the Poltavka culture, the culture Yamnaya by most researchers in the tradition of Marija Gimbutas is considered as the origin of the Indo-Europeans. New genetic results prove family ties to Eastern European groups about the haplogroup R1a1 - M17 This result strongly suggests that the bearers of this culture could have been the first speaker of the Tocharian language.