Studies of Arpachinsky III burial ground in the Lower Don region

This is the publication of materials from rescue excavations of a Bronze Agekurgan located on the left bank of the Lower Don region conducted during construction ofthe South Stream pipeline. The primary mound of the kurgan was erected over the burialof the Don variant of the ancient Pit-Grave cultural and historic community. Subsequentlythree Early Catacomb secondary burials were made in this kurgan; these burials haveinteresting burial rite features such as dismemberment of the skeletons accompanied bythe filling up of the mound. Three latest burials are dated to the Middle Bronze Age aswell; the most impressive is the burial, typical for the West Manych Catacomb culture.Of interest are radiocarbon dating results, which fully confirm the stratigraphic sequenceof the assemblages recorded and demonstrate a rather early age (the last third of 4000 BC)of the primary burial, stylistically similar to the group that is usually attributed to the latestage of the Pit-Grave culture