Bird Bone Items in the Eneolithic Burials of the Don-Volga Region: Interpretation of the Earliest Herders’ Attributes

The paper provides an overview of items in the form of tubes made of bird bones from the funerary assemblages in the Don-Volga region; such items are rare for the Eneolithic (V millennium BC). The study included site mapping, description of sources, identification of specific features of planigraphic location of the burials in the cemeteries and spatial patterning of the items placed with the body or its remains and description of bone items. The paper also contains the results of the first experimental tracewear analysis of the discussed finds and presents main interpretation variants regarding items described in literature. According to the conclusions made, such finds are related with male burials with impressive funerary offerings characteristic of herding communities. Typological differences of the items, most likely, reflect differences in their functions.