Кістяні гребені у слов’ян раннього середньовіччя Півдня Східної Європи

The article deals with findings of bone combs, originating from Slavic sites and complexes in the south of Eastern Europe dated to the second half of the 1st millennium AD. Information was collected on 14 Slavic sites, where 17 combs were found. It is interesting that sometimes we have several finds from one point. Most of the cases of finding of the early medieval combs were related to the forest-steppe zone. The vast majority of finds were concentrated in the Dniester and Prut basins.

By cultural affiliation, finds are divided as follows: Kolochyn culture – 1 (Kartamyshevo ІІ), Kyiv/Kolochyn culture – 1 (Taimanove), Prague culture – 2 (Zymne, Luka-Kavetchyna), Penkivka culture – 3 (Khyttsi, Odaia, Khucha), Penkivka/Prague culture – 2 (Khanska ІІ, Kysliak І), Raiky culture – 5 (Monastyrok, Plisnesk, Skok, Terebovlia, Khanska). The circumstances of finding of these items, their chronology and the cultural affiliation of the sites were analyzed. This made it possible to examine critically the source base and set a number of tasks for further research. Several assumptions about the functional use of bone combs have been made: 1) in everyday life; 2) for applying ornaments on Slavic dishes; 3) for ritual purposes. The origin of these items is unclear. However, it is possible that they are the result of Western cultural impulses and belong to imported things. Only further research can solve this question.