ИСТИНА

Absolute dating of Bronze Age complexes from the Caucasus is still a subject including many gaps. Despite improvements in radiocarbon dating of the Early Bronze Age Majkop culture, large parts of North Caucasian Bronze Age cultures remain largely undated by modern standards. Recent studies in radiocarbon dating of human skeletal material moreover have revealed considerable reservoir effects due to marine nutrition of at least some groups. Dendrochronology by means of well preserved wooden grave constructions and objects such as chart wheels opened here an entirely new perspective. Basing on constructions in a burial mound excavated near Mar’inskaja (Stavropol’ region, Russia, excavation by A.R. Kantorovich and V.Ye. Maslov) in 2009 a program to build-up a dendrochronological sequence for the North Caucasus was started. The sequences are still floating and dated by wiggle-matched radiocarbon dates. Yet, a modern sequence was started likewise. Three Late Majkop burials of neighbouring sites can so far be interlinked with sequences of 2-3 respective 27 years gaps in a period between 3195 and 3170 BC. Two sequences cover burials of the MBA North Caucasian Culture ending in the 2670’s respective 2640’s BC with some remaining uncertainties due to missing sapwood rings. Both groups can be likewise correlated with dendrodates from Jamnaja complexes in the North Pontic region. The successful link between North Pontic and North Caucasian curves will in future allow linking these sequences to more western European ones and to correlate the Eastern European Bronze Age cultures to each other.