The single burial mound near Serteya village (Smolensk region) - the complex of Neolithic and medieval objects

The single burial mound is located near Serteya village, on a right shore of the Serteyka River (NW Russia). It was found by E.A. Schmidt in 1951 and was attributed to Old Russian period. Burials of this type are usually attributed to the era of the Long tumulus culture. New researches of the burial mound conducted in 2013-2014 allowed to uncover several diachronous constructive objects. The first stage was connected with the place of flint knapping, that was located on a natural elevation. It can be attributed to the 6th mill BC basing on early Neolithic pottery fragments found nearby. The next period, when a ritual platform with a ditch was organized on this place, is dated to the second part of the 3rd mill BC. Later, another mound with a small ditch was created over the platform; due to a ceramic fragment found here, it can be attributed to the culture of Long tumulus. Dating made on burnt bones and charcoal showed that the 1st and 2nd stages of this construction can be dated to the second part of the 3rd mill BC, the time of the late stage of Zhizhitskaya culture of pile-dwellers and initial stage of Uzmenskaya culture. The animal (elk) bones were cremated along with bronze objects, that can be evidenced due to patina traces left on bones; such rite has been recorded for the first time. Later, a bonfire site was made on the flat platform, and the separate fire-places were made on the slopes of the burial mound. This complex can be interpreted as a ritual place of the late Neolithic - the beginning of the Bronze Age; based on radiocarbon dates, we can say that it existed for a long period of time. Nowadays it is difficult to find analogies to such ritual complex of the 3rd mill BC. Only kurgan burial mounds of Corded ware culture dated to the 3rd mill BC are known on the territory of Poland and Upper Dniepr area. We might also suppose that some of the sites with such a burial rite, which are usually attributed to the culture of Long tumulus, could be also attributed to the remains of such ritual sites; this can be established by further researches. The last reconstruction of the complex was made in the late 19th century.