Penkovka culture

[1] The core of the culture seems to be in Left-bank Ukraine, especially along the Sula, Seim, Psel, Donets and Oril rivers,[2][3] but its territory extends to Right-bank Ukraine, and Penkovka pottery is also found in eastern and southern Romania, where it co-exists with wheel-made pottery of late Roman derivation; and is referred to as the Ipotesti–Candesti culture by Romanian archaeologists.

[12] Settlements tended to be abandoned after a period of habitation and were often re-occupied years later, reflective of the itinerant form of agriculture practiced by the populace.

Poorly furnished cremation burials, either inside urns or into shallow pits, are concentrated in the forest-steppe zone; whilst more elaborately equipped inhumations are found in the open steppe.

[15] It is considered that the metalwork betrays a variety of influences - especially the world of the steppe nomad which in turn showed Caucasian, Byzantine, and Sassanian inspiration.

[16] Kazanski concluded it has eastern Germanic (Goths, Gepids, Lombards), Byzantine, steppe nomadic and forest zone roots and influences.

Thus, again, rather than simplistic ethnic explanations, Curta's analysis suggests that the pattern of ornament consumption varied with time and was related to social status and gender: i.e. earlier in the 6th century, elites displayed status by burying hoards of silver in the forest-steppe, whilst later there was more aggressive posturing and status display in the form of richly furnished male warrior graves, no doubt related to the competition for supremacy on the north Black Sea region between Pannonian Avars, Bulgars, Khazars and Western Gokturks.

[20] Penkovka culture's fall, and deposition of Martynivka type hoards, is considered to be related to the invasion of the steppe nomads, the Bulgars and Khazars, who probably acted on the behest of the Byzantine Empire.

[21] Over all Penkovka sites emerged nomadic style wheel-made pottery (called Pastyrske or Saltovo ware), most commonly found within the Saltovo-Mayaki culture, associated with Bulgars, Khazars and Alans.