Facial reconstruction of a 4,000-year-old EHG woman In 1934, O. N. Bader and M. V. Voevodsky identified the Balakhna culture (now considered a part of the Comb Ceramic culture), a distinct Neolithic cultural region in the lower Oka River basin. This area was a sandy, marshy lowland rich in lakes, rivers, fish, and wildlife, making it ideal for dense populations of hunter-fisher groups. Settlements were not random but formed localized clusters near water sources. Most sites were temporary seasona