Pontic Steppe Caucasus East Asia Eastern Europe Northern Europe Pontic Steppe Northern/Eastern Steppe Europe South Asia Steppe Europe Caucasus Central Asia India Indo-Aryans Iranians Nuristanis East Asia Europe East Asia Europe Indo-Aryan Iranian Indo-Aryan Iranian Others European Poltavka culture (Russian: Полтавкинская культура, romanized: Poltavkinskaya kul'tura) was an early to middle Bronze Age archaeological culture which flourished on the Volga-Ural steppe and the forest steppe in 2800—2100 BCE.

[8] It is contemporary with the Catacomb culture, which was located on the Pontic steppe to its southwest.

It is probable that Poltavka herders explored areas of the Kazakh Steppe.

The arrival of Poltavka people onto the Kazakh Steppe is associated with various technological innovations in the area.

[8][13][14][15] Genetic studies suggest that the end of the Poltavka culture is associated with major population changes.

It is common for new Poltavka settlements to be constructed on top of older ones, and the later Sintashta culture would in turn construct settlements on top of earlier Poltavka ones.

[8][5] Poltavka kurgans were typically surrounded by a circular ditch, with a single grave with ledges.

[30] Both male and female dead were buried on their left side or back on an organic mat, with the head oriented towards the east.

On occasion the body was covered with ocher, however, less common than in the earlier Yamnaya culture.

Poltavka burials are characterized by an increased presence of ornaments and weapons.

[8] A Poltavka burial in the Volga region is notable for containing a large copper club.

[32][33] The physical type of the Poltavka resemble that of the preceding Yamnaya, who were tall and massively built Europoids.

The physical type of the Srubnaya culture appears to have emerged as a result of mixing between Sintashta and Poltavka people.