Yamnaya culture

Archaeological culture in the Pontic steppe circa 3300 BCE

The Yamnaya (YAM-ny-ə), or Yamna (YAM-nə), culture, also known as the Pit Grave culture or Ochre Grave culture, was a late Copper Age to early Bronze Age archaeological culture of the region between the Southern Bug, Dniester, and Ural rivers (the Pontic–Caspian steppe), dating to 3300–2600 BC. It was discovered by Vasily Gorodtsov following his archaeological excavations near the Donets River in 1901–1903. Its name derives from its characteristic burial tradition: yamnaya (ямная) is a Russian adjective that means 'related to pits' (яма, yama), as these people buried their dead in tumuli (kurgans) containing simple pit chambers. Archaeological and genetic data indicate that the core Yamnaya culture (3750–3350 BC) originated in the lower Dnieper–Don steppe region.

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