Pages: 350-387

The article is devoted to the characterization of main Early and Middle Bronze cultural units of the northwest Pontic region: the Yamnaya (Pit-grave), Catacomb and Mnogovalikovaya cultures. All of them are known in the region only after burial sites. The author gives a detailed classification of various traits of the funeral rite including construction of tumuli and burial structures, disposal of the deceased, arrangement of grave goods, etc. for each of the culture. Additionally, different categories of the grave inventory (pottery as well as flint, stone, bone and metal objects) are characterized. On the basis of the analysis carried out the inference is drawn that cultural groups of the northwest Pontic region are closely related to more extensive cultural entities stretched all over the east European steppe zone. At the same time a special attention is given to specific cultural attributes, which distinguish local communities from those of eastern territories. In terms of the relative chronology all of them represent the latest stages of corresponding cultural unions. According to the absolute chronology the local variant of the Yamnaya (Pit-grave) culture (so-called the Budzhak culture) is dated from the 2d quarter of the III mill. to the XVII century b.c., the Catacomb culture – from the middle of the XVIII to the beginning of the XVI centuries b.c., the Mnogovalikovaya culture – from the XVII to the beginning of the XIV centuries b.c. (uncalibrated).