Burnished ceramics from the Rzhevskiy cemetery of the Saltovo-Mayatskoye culture

The author of the paper studies the chronology of burnished vessels from the Saltovo-Mayatskoye culture based on the historical and cultural approach. The main objective of this paper is to verify periodization offered on the basis of the ceramics originating from the Dmitrievskiy cemetery. The Rzhevskiy cemetery has been selected as a reference site to carry out this kind of verification. The Rzhevskiy cemetery is located approximately five kilometers from the Dmitrievskiy cemetery and is dated by coins and metal funerary offerings. The criterion used to clarify the chronological position of the Rzhevskiy cemetery against that of the Dmitrievskiy cemetery is the non-intermingling versus intermingling traditions related to the shape of burnished vessels. The author comes to the conclusion that the Rzhevskiy cemetery can be regarded contemporary with the intermediary Dmitrievka group. This conclusion is confirmed by independent data. Judging by coin finds and belt sets, the Rzhevskiy cemetery started functioning not before the end of the 8th century and was abandoned around the mid 9th century.