Neolithic archaeological cultures (late fourth to mid-second millennia B.C.) that were widespread in the forest belt of Eastern Europe, from the Volga-Oka interfluve (the Balakhna, Volosovo, and L’ialovo cultures) as far north as Finland and the White Sea (Karelian and Kargopol’ cultures) and as far south as the forest-steppe (upper Voronezh and Don rivers). It was named after the pit-comb pottery.
Temporary settlements, such as L’ialovo, Balakhna, and Ust’-Rybezhna I, with traces of small round dwellings, were situated on small rivers and lakes. A number of burial grounds (Karavaik-ha, Tamula) were unearthed, containing burials with the dead placed in a supine position. Stone and bone implements and ornaments were discovered; the remains of later periods include objects made of bronze. The population engaged in hunting and fishing. (SeeBALAKHNA CULTURE; VOLOSOVO CULTURE; KARELIAN CULTURE; and KARGOPOL CULTURE.)