Mysterious beads from Brylivka. Bilozerka culture. Ukraine

The Bilozerka archaeological culture was widespread in the Northern Black Sea coast during the Final Bronze Age (XII-X centuries BC) in the steppe zone of Ukraine and Moldavia, as well as in the Crimea. The largest among the investigated burials of the Bilozerka culture, Brylivka, was excavated back in 1986-1994. The inventory accompanying the buried people consisted of ceramic vessels, metal knives and axes. They had jewellery made of glass, gagate, amber and mother-of-pearl beads, halmose and bronze pipes and bronze temple rings. In contrast to other components of the Belozero culture, comparatively little attention is paid to jewellery. This is especially true of beads. Nevertheless, it is an important aspect of material culture. The study of jewellery is interdisciplinary and includes archaeology, anthropology, art history, materials and production technologies. The main focus of this article is the analysis of a part of a necklace made of metal and copper minerals from the burials of the Brylivka burial ground.