Eurasian steppe, archaeology, paleoclimatology, Roman period, Migration period, Middle Ages

The archaeology of the East European steppes and forest-steppe from the 3rd to the 9th centuries comprises historical, social and economic processes, migrations and interactions, involving numerous and diverse population groups in this vast area, recorded in a permanently transforming mosaic of patterns of material culture. Throughout the 700 years, the appearance of the region changed dramatically, gradually acquiring the character that survived in the forthcoming Middle Ages. The steppes entered the 3rd century populated by almost exclusively Iranian speakers, and found themselves dominated by a Turkic-speaking majority in the end. The forest-steppe evidenced several waves of migration, accompanied by agricultural development, and in the end, they were populated by the Slavs, who emerged and formed during this period, and by Turkic and Finnish groups, in the east. Several attempts at creating stable formations were made during this period. The Chernyakhiv under Gothic dominance during the Late Roman period, the Hun confederation of the 5th century, Pen’kivka-Kolochin, and Imen’kovo, set up by mostly Slavic populations in the 5th–7th centuries are to be mentioned as the most impressive ones. None of them was successful enough, collapsing under the stress of political and environmental challenges. Only at the end of the period, instability was finally overcome with the establishment of the Medieval states of the Khazars, Rus, and the Volga Bulgarians.

The archaeology of the East European steppes and forest-steppe from the 3rd to the 9th centuries comprises historical, social and economic processes, migrations and interactions, involving numerous and diverse population groups in this vast area, recorded in a permanently transforming mosaic of patterns of material culture. Throughout the 700 years, the appearance of the region changed dramatically, gradually acquiring the character that survived in the forthcoming Middle Ages. The steppes entered the 3rd century populated by almost exclusively Iranian speakers, and found themselves dominated by a Turkic-speaking majority in the end. The forest-steppe evidenced several waves of migration, accompanied by agricultural development, and in the end, they were populated by the Slavs, who emerged and formed during this period, and by Turkic and Finnish groups, in the east. Several attempts at creating stable formations were made during this period. The Chernyakhiv under Gothic dominance during the Late Roman period, the Hun confederation of the 5th century, Pen’kivka-Kolochin, and Imen’kovo, set up by mostly Slavic populations in the 5th–7th centuries are to be mentioned as the most impressive ones. None of them was successful enough, collapsing under the stress of political and environmental challenges. Only at the end of the period, instability was finally overcome with the establishment of the Medieval states of the Khazars, Rus, and the Volga Bulgarians.