Archaeological Geography of the Ananyino Cultural and Historical Area (AKIO)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2026.2.244.255Keywords:
archaeology, cultural and historical area, Akozino-Akhmylovo culture, Post-Maklashevka culture, Vyatka-Vetluga culture, Ananyino cultureAbstract
The study of the archaeological geography of the Ananyino cultural and historical area (AKIO) reveals that, despite the abundance of sites plotted on published sketch-maps (over 500), the degree of archaeological investigation across its area (more than 1 million km²) remains very low. In practice, comprehensive and analytical studies rely on material from only 33 ancient settlements and 15 burial grounds. Collectively, these investigated sites occupy only a minor fraction of the entire ACHA region. The areas of excavated cultural deposits are highly uneven, and their combined informational potential accounts for merely 15% of the total cultural layer available for reconstructing the history of AKIO. This limitation hinders the formulation of well-substantiated conclusions regarding the internal developmental dynamics of the region. More importantly, it underscores the eclectic character of the pottery assemblages associated with the cultures comprising the AKIO: Akozino-Akhmylovo, Post-Maklashevka and Vyatka-Vetluga. The only culture exhibiting morphological uniformity is the "classical" Ananyino culture characterized by dotted-and-corded ceramics.
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