The early development phases of catacomb cultures revisited

As time passes, accumulation of archaeological material and the increased number of studies necessitate some general conclusions. The emergence and the early spread of the Catacomb cultural phenomenon of the Middle Bronze Age call for such analysis. The identified forms of Catacomb burial constructions, their stratigraphic sequence and correlation with peaks of climatic changes provide grounds for singling out phases that constitute the early development stages of the Catacomb culture and its spread across vast areas of the Azov-Kuban Plain and the southwestern part of the Lower Don region.