Pages: 404-418

This paper has given evidence for cultivation of plants on the forest-steppe and steppe zone of the Southern part of the East European plain in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. Agriculture having spread on the territory of the present-day forest-steppe and steppe of South-East Europe (Moldova, Ukraine) earlier than in any other region of the Russian Plain. The first agricultural tribes passed here from South-West Asia through Balkan peninsula. Palaeobotanical investigations show that the first evidence of ancient agriculture here appeared in the Neolithic between 7000 and 6000 and connected with culture of the Bugo-Dniester culture.. In the Neolithic and during followed periods the plant records indicate that the great majority was cereals such as hulled wheat Triticum dicoccon and naked burley Hordeum vulgare var. coeleste. The less important cereals Triticum monococcum, Triticum spelta, Panicum miliaceum occur more or less regularly. Plant remains indicate that cereals were exploited together with pulses. Seeds of Pisum sativum and Vicia ervilia were very friequent. Radical changes in plant compositions began in the last centuries âń and connected with appearance greek colonists in the North of Black Sea. Bread wheat Triticum aestivum s.l. was the most distributed. Hulled wheats declined. Palaeoethnobotanical records show, that the structure of the cultivated plants which have appeared in the Neolithic on the forest-steppe and steppe of South-East Europe , was similar to what was generated in the primary center of occurrence of cultivated plants on Near East. The assortment of cultivared plants of the other centres of agriculture as Central Asia and Caucasus was absolutely another. Bread wheat and special population of naked barley with rounded kernels were main. The bread wheat have appeared in mass quantity in Northern Black Sea only in last centuries of first millenium bc, . with arrival there of Greek colonists and then in early Middle Ages, in materials Ancient Rus already on all territory of Ukraine. The assortment of cultivated plants of nomadic and semi — nomadic tribes of Eneolithic and Bronze Age was limited to three cereals: Triticum dicoccon, Hordeum vulgare, Panicum miliaceum. This restricted assortment was convenient for primitive agrarian practice these tribes. These plants well corresponded of increase of dryness to climatic conditions and image of life of well adapted steppe societies. It especially is traced on the increased role of millet. The question on a place of the origin of this plant or Central Asia or Near East, remains debatable. It is possible, that the millet has arisen in Near East together with other cultivated plants, however its role then was insignificant. And only at economy of nomadic and semi — nomadic tribes which distribution coincides with increase of dryness of a climate, importance of millet grows due to number of valuable properties, such as drought resistance, short life-cycle and a small sowing bulk.