Serednii Stih culture

Serednii Stih culture. A Copper Age culture of the mid-4th to mid-3rd millennium BC that existed mainly along the Dnipro River and in the upper Donets River and northern Sea of Azov coastal regions. It was first studied in the early 20th century and named after a site on the outskirts of Zaporizhia. Closely related to the Corded-Ware Pottery cultures of western Europe, the people of this culture made pottery with characteristic rope imprint decorations. They are also notable for being among the first people in Europe to ride on horses. Burials were in flat graves with the deceased placed in a supine position with flexed legs. Excavations at sites revealed copper adornments, earthenware figures of humans and animals, and battle axes made from antlers.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]