A woman buried in Russia in the Middle Bronze Age era

The Poltavka culture, a Middle Bronze Age culture of the Eurasian Steppe, emerged approximately between 2700 and 2100 BCE. This culture is considered a descendant of the earlier Yamnaya culture and is often discussed in relation to its contemporaries, such as the Catacomb culture, with which it shares some overlapping characteristics and geographical territories.

Geography and Environment:

The Poltavka culture was situated primarily in the steppes of what is now southern Russia and western Kazakhstan. This region is characterized by vast open grasslands, ideal for pastoral nomadism, which was the predominant lifestyle of the Poltavka people. The climate in these regions featured cold winters and warm summers, facilitating a reliance on herd animals that could graze in the expansive plains.

Social Structure and Lifestyle:

The Poltavka culture was primarily pastoral, relying on herds of cattle, sheep, and horses. This pastoralist economy suggests a society that was relatively mobile, with a semi-nomadic lifestyle. The presence of horse burials indicates the importance of horses for transportation and possibly even early forms of mounted warfare or mobility, which would later become a hallmark of steppe cultures.

The social structure of the Poltavka people, inferred from burial practices and settlement patterns, suggests a hierarchical society. The complexity of burial mounds (kurgans) indicates social stratification, with leaders or individuals of higher status receiving more elaborate burials. These kurgans often contained grave goods, such as pottery and weaponry, signifying the deceased’s status and role within the community.

Material Culture and Technology:

Poltavka material culture exhibits a transition from the simpler forms seen in the Yamnaya period to more advanced toolmaking and pottery. Poltavka pottery is generally characterized by its undecorated forms used for everyday purposes, although some later examples show minimal decoration which might signify aesthetic development or cultural influences from neighboring cultures.

The people of the Poltavka culture also utilized metal, with evidence of copper and bronze tools, and weapons found in burial contexts. The skill in metallurgy is evidenced through the production of items such as daggers, axes, and ornamental items, suggesting both a practical and economic use of metal resources.

Burial Practices:

Burial practices in the Poltavka culture are notably significant for understanding their societal and spiritual beliefs. The kurgans, or burial mounds, are a prominent feature of their mortuary practices, often containing individual burials accompanied by grave goods. Horses, found in some high-status burials, further underscore the animal's significance culturally and economically. The orientation and structure of these burials suggest a belief in an afterlife or an understanding of the spiritual significance of death.

Interactions and Influence:

The Poltavka culture was not isolated; it interacted with neighboring cultures, including the Catacomb and Abashevo cultures. These interactions are evident in shared burial practices and similarities in material culture. Trade or conflict likely facilitated cultural exchanges, evident in the integration or adaptation of foreign materials and technologies.

Legacy:

The Poltavka culture plays a crucial role in the ancestry of later steppe cultures, contributing to the spread of Indo-European languages across the region. Their developments in horse domestication and pastoral economy paved the way for the rise of subsequent cultures like the Srubnaya and Andronovo. The cultural memory and practices of the Poltavka people also arguably set a precedent for the nomadic lifestyles that came to dominate the steppe regions in later centuries.

In conclusion, the Middle Bronze Age Poltavka culture represents a significant period in the evolution of Eurasian steppe societies. Their advances in social organization, material culture, and mobility set the foundations for the dynamic historical transformations that followed in the region.