Comprehensive Site Chronology and Ancient Mitochondrial DNAAnalysis from Verteba Cave – a Trypillian Culture Site of Eneolithic Ukraine

this manuscript presents a study of a ritual site of the trypillian culture complex (tc) in western Ukraine where material artefacts are found side-by-side with human and animal remains. The organic content in pottery sherds made it possible to carbon date the ceramics found with bone remains, thus allowing a reference point for carbon dating bone collagen. this allowed us to develop a comprehensive chronology of the usage of the cave. Mitochondrial dna (mtdna) extracted from human remains shed additional light on the history of the site’s occupation by early agrarians on the territory of ukraine. A R t I C l E I N f o Article history: received 23 november 2010 accepted 20 January 2011