Вариант систематизации городищ скифского времени Днепро-Донского лесостепного междуречья (The Variant of Systematization of the Hill-Forts of Scythian Age of Dnieper-Don Forest-Steppe Interfluve) Археологія і давня історія України, 2019, 2 (31) (original) (raw)
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Revista Arheologică nr. 1-2(13), 2017
Today more than 227 Scythian-time hillforts are known in the Dnieper-Don forest-steppe. Among them 33 enclosures considered as fortified refuge were distinguished in special group. Poor cultural stratum and lack of permanent constructions are typical for these monuments. Analysis of the known fortified refuges shows absence of common opinion about such a meaningful feature as thickness of the cultural layer. But this criterion could be very useful. There are no detected artifacts on some of the fortified refuges whereas on another monuments cultural layer could have thickness not more than 0,25-0,3 m. There are several reasons for origination a fortified refuge. External invasions and internal conflicts are among them. In addition, progress in social and economy field should be noted. One can considered that thickness of the cultural layer was conditioned by short-term habitation. Also it is impossible to agree with symbolic or religious significance of the fortified refuges because of lack of material. And possible hypothesis about their usage as fortified pastures requires more proofs. Due to presented in this article material one can suppose that so-called fortified refuges it is remains of the fortified settlements. But life activity here was interrupted on the initial stage of monuments development. Analysis of the hillforts with poor cultural layer shows that they function was primarily as defensive structures. В настоящее время в Днепро-Донской лесостепи известно не менее 227 городищ скифского времени, 33 из них исследователи выделяют в отдельную группу убежищ. Для этой категории памятников характерен слабонасыщенный культурный слой и отсутствие долговременных сооружений жизнедеятельности человека. Обзор материалов известных убежищ показывает отсутствие среди учёных единого мнения о таком важном для выделения данной группы признаке, как мощность культурного слоя. В одних случаях находки интересующей нас эпохи не обнаружены вовсе, в других мощность слоя, хоть и невыразительного, достигает 0,25–0,3 м. К причинам появления убежищ относят как факторы внешней агрессии и внутренних междоусобиц, так и изменения в социальной и экономической сферах. По нашему мнению, именно кратковременное использование городищ обусловило слабую насыщенность их культурного слоя. На вопрос «Выполняли ли городища-убежища культовые функции?» в свете имеющегося материала ответить невозможно. А гипотеза об их использовании в качестве загонов для скота требует дополнительной аргументации. На основе изложенного в статье материала мы можем предположить, что городища-убежища являются свидетельствами первых фаз развития (становления) укреплённых поселений, то есть теми памятниками, развитие которых по неизвестным причинам прервалось на начальном этапе. Рассматривая функциональное назначение всех укреплений со слабонасыщенным культурным слоем, мы не видим убедительных доказательств какой-либо иной их функции, кроме оборонительной.
Археологія і давня історія України, 2020
The intensive constructing of fortified settlements has turned the Dnieper-Don forest-steppe into a huge building site since the second half of the 6th century BCE. Mass development of fortifications has begun. Despite the local features related with topography and the availability of building materials, it is possible to distinguish some common vectors. The hillforts are traditionally perceived by researchers as static structures that have «frozen» in their original forms. Recent archaeological researches on the Tsyrkuny, Bilsk and Mokhnach hillforts in the Forest-Steppe, confirmed by the series of planographic observations on the other sites, allow us to classify some features of the development of fortified settlements. On the one hand, hillforts are formed on the basis of the unfortified settlements. Another part was initially built as fortification. Simple forms of defensive structures and poorly saturated cultural layer are the characteristic features of the fortifications of so-called «shelter-fortresses». The review of the sources allowed us to say that these sites are hillforts which, for some unknown reasons, were not settled down, capturing the first stage of the existence of fortifications, and their specific cultural layer cannot be the evidence of their belonging to certain cultural and economic type. The series of cross-sections of fortifications indicated the traces of restructuring and repairing of individual defensive lines throughout the entire period of their use. There are examples of expanding the area of the hillfort due to constructing of the new defensive structure as an extension of the main line or the creation of the fortification on the next cape that could be united by the common rampart. Also are known the examples of the special reduction of the area of hillfort. Similar situation is observed at the last stage of the Bilsk archaeological complex. In the Late Scythian period, a new type of monuments appeared on the territory of the Dnieper-Don Forest-Steppe, fortifications consisting of the acropolis (central fortified part) and large household yard. The current research allows to critically evaluate the popular models of classifications and the validity of their application for historical reconstructions.
The article represents general characteristics of the scythian time hillforts in the Dnieper left-bank forest-steppe. The reasons of building the hillforts, history of their investigations and existing typologies are described. Based on the investigation of constructive solutions which were used by scythian time population the typology of hillforts is offered. Analysys of natural conditions of the sites helped to construct typology of geomorphological position of the hillforts and analysys of the square of the sites gave the posibility to make classification by the square. Consequently any hillfort can be described by three main characteristics: construction, geomorphology, square. It helps to avoid subjective assessment of hillfort functions and to separate characteristics which form the type. Settlement system of the hillforts was analysed separately by main left Dneiper feeders. This approach allows to define a difference in settlement system and find out a special construction solutions which were used by scythian time population. In addition, the catalogue of the hillforts in left-bank Dnieper region is included in the article. Keywords: hillfort, scythian time, catalogue, typology.
АННОТАЦИЯ. В статье изложены результаты раскопок 2004 г. на городище у д.Дубики на юге Тульской обл. В ходе этих работ изучены остатки со-оружения, имевшего фортификационное и жилое назначение, получены керамические и вещевые материалы городецкой культуры. Проведены споро-пыльцевой и палеоботанический анализы, давшие информацию о ландшафтном окружении и земледельческом хозяйстве городища скифской эпохи. КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЛОВА: лесостепное Подонье, скифская эпоха, городецкая культура, городище, фортификации, жилище Razuvaev Yu.D. FORTIFICATION HOUSING ESTATE OF SCYTHIAN TIME FOR THE HILL-FORT AT DUBIKI'S VILLAGE ABSTRACT. In article results of excavation of 2004 on the hillfort at of Dubiki's vil-lage in the south of the Tula Region are stated. During these works the remains of the construction which had fortification and inhabited appointment are studied, ceramic and ware materials of Gorodetsky culture are received. The sporo-pollen and pa-leobotanichesky analyses which gave information on a landscape environment and agricultural economy of the ancient settlement of a Scythian era are carried out. KEYWORDS: Forest-steppe region of the Don basin, Scythian era, Gorodetsky cul-ture, hillfort, fortifications, dwelling
Монография представляет собой свод археологических материалов трех культурных групп скифского вре- мени, сосуществовавших в Киевском Поднепровье, местных предшественников зарубинецкой культуры — хотовской локальной группы лесостепных скифских древностей, подгорцевской и милоградской культур. Предлагается анализ материальной культуры различных племен скифского круга, обитавших на севере лесостепи и на юге лесной зоны. Для археологов, историков, музейных работников, краеведов, преподавателей и студентов историчес- ких факультетов. Монографія являє собою зведення археологічних матеріалів трьох культурних груп скифського часу, співіснувавших у Київському Подніпров’ї, місцевих попердників зару-бинецької культури — хотівської локальної групи лісостепових скіфських старожитностей, підгірцевської та милоградської культур. Пропо- нується аналіз матеріальної культури різних племен скіфського кола, мешкавших на півночі лісостепу та на півдні лісової зони. Для археологів, істориків, прицівників музеїв, краєзнавців, викладачів і студентів історичних факуль- тетів.
2019
Studying materials of the protective structures is important in the field of military art. The fortifications of Eastern Europe are represented by defensive structures of ancient hillforts (shafts, moats and escarpments) and «long shafts» of Scythian time. These objects were important spatial and chronological markers of the Dnieper-Donetsk Forest-steppe cultures. The evidences of written sources are limited only by Herodotus’s remarks about the existence of a town in this region with wooden walls and the city of Gelon. The main source of research is archaeological materials. Most of the settlements in the region (123 of 148) are examined through exploration. The visual and instrumental plans were fixed, field materials were collected, and the trenches were carried out. At 36 fortifications, partial or full sections of protective structures were made. Despite the numerous preliminary studies, the genesis, chronology and functional load of ancient settlements still remain topical issues. Investigation of protective structures is connected with the study of ancient construction building techniques, definition of the relationship type of nomadic and settled population of Eastern Europe and the role of ancient settlements in this complex system of contacts. The natural and geographical conditions of the environment were directly influenced by the place and the configuration of protective structures. The contours of the settlement directly depended on the shape of the cape, plateau or terrace. A large array of information on the planigraphic and topographical features of the fortifications was worked out by A.O. Moruzhenko and led to the creation of a working classification. Today, this particular systematization is widely used in scientific literature. One of the major drawbacks of this work is the perception of fortified settlements as static structures that were created simultaneously, with the same plan and didn’t evolve over time. We tend to perceive hillforts as settlements that had changed in space and had been rebuilt over the course of their existence. However, the lack of information leaves the concept of a new typology only a perspective. Thus, the moat could serve as an element of passive and active defense, as well as a source for soil while constructing the shaft. The diversity of moat types, even in a single hillfort, indicates that when forming this element of defense, a special and conscious choice of ancient builders was made. The entrance to the fortress was the most vulnerable place in the entire fortification system. The complex of entrances to the settlement was intended to provide a settlement with normal functioning of people and goods movement, both in peaceful and wartime. Therefore, the structure and its defense required great skills and high knowledge of military affairs. Most of the settlements are located on high, steep slopes, therefore the entrances most often were arranged on the lower side. Sometimes settlements had several entrances. The builders wanted to protect them as much as possible, creating an additional system of shafts and moats, or using the fortified suburb that surrounded the main courtyard, in order to achieve tactical flanking fire. The protective structures of many ancient settlements contain signs of rebuilding, namely separate elements (shafts and moats) and protective lines. That is, they could radically change their contour, as to increase (Tsyrkunivske hillfort), and to the side of the decline (Southern Shaft of Bilsk hillfort). Despite the fact that the creation of tree-earthen structures of domestic and sacred nature was an integral part of life of the forest-steppe during Scythian time, the construction of protective structures was very laborious measure. The desire for rounded forms and attempts to make maximum use of natural barriers testifies to the efforts of ancient population to avoid large volumes of work, without prejudice to the defense capability. Despite the large volumes of labor, defensive structures shouldn’t be considered as long-term construction. Probably, in most cases, they were reduced to a short time in the conditions of mobilization of a large amount of labor. Fastening of the Dnieper-Donetsk Forest-steppe corresponds to the level of development of Europe fortification in VІ-V centuries BC, in general. The population of the Dnieper-Donetsk Forest-steppe took over the building traditions from the Right- Bank Ukraine. From the middle-second half of VI century BC on the basis of specific natural-geographical conditions the process of forming own tradition took place. The common origin and ecological niche, contributed to the creation of such fortifications within this ethnocultural massif of tribes in VI-V centuries BC. Some features of fortifications construction, presumably, could be taken by the northern forest tribes (protective fortified suburb, multi-row protection system, baked core of the shaft).
ANTIQUE CERAMIC IMPORT ON SETTLEMENTS OF SCYTHIAN TIME IN THE DON FOREST-STEPPE: CARTOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH In the article on the basis of the data obtained during excavation the author analyzes spatial distribution of ceramic import on household monuments of the 6th–3rd centuries BC in forest-steppe Podonye. This region is included into an area of Gorodetz and Scythian-like archaeological cultures. It is established that on settlements of Gorodetz culture import is practically absent. Fragments of products of the Greek potters (about 800 findings are considered) are present only on some settlements of Scythian-like culture. Mainly these are fragments of amphoras of various production centers (Bospor, Gerakley, Kos, Sinope, Fasos, etc.) and parts of table vessels (constitute less than 2 % of findings). On settlements a little antique ceramics is found, as a rule: some fragments, and usually even less than the share of 100 square meters of the dug-out area. The saturated layer allocates only three big hillforts (Storozhevoe, Voloshino, Kirovskoe) which were obviously large shopping centers. Mapping of the available data doesn't confirm the hypothesis of delivery of import which is earlier stated by researchers on the Don River. Existence of overland ways on which trade with the South was performed is more probable. An important communication role was played in the ancient time by water separate roads, known on medieval sources under the name of the Muravsky way. Its branch – the Kalmiussky sakma – passed just in the district of two hillforts (Voloshino, Kirovskoe) which are sharply allocated with quantity of the found fragments of amphoras.
Yuri D. Razuvayev SEDENTARY ETHNOSES OF THE SCYTHIAN EPOCH IN THE DON FOREST-STEPPE: AN ATTEMPT AT COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LIVELIHOODS The article reveals the degree of ethnic affinity of two sedentary groups neighboring in the 5th–3rd centuries BC in the forest-steppe part of the Don basin. The research is based on materials from the settlements of the Scythoid and Gorodets rchaeological cultures belonging to antiquities of the forest-steppe and the forest respectively. The complex of findings related to the daily life of the inhabitants of ancient settlements is analyzed. These are pottery, tools, weapons and items of worship, jewelry and parts of clothing. The settlement structure, economic activities and house building are also considered. Slash-and-burn farming practiced by people from the forest zone apparently led to the fact that their settlements (mostly short-term) were mainly concentrated in the wooded Don region. The Scythoid population familiar with plowed agriculture developed the southern territories. There are similar elements in material culture of these communities (above all, kitchen pots with the same form and ornamentation), however, in general, the assortment of the things they used is different. This suggests that the way of life of the compared groups of the population also varied greatly. The carriers of the Scythoid and Gorodets cultural traditions themselves remained separate ethnic entities throughout their history. Contrary to the opinion of some researchers who believe that the Upper Don population lost the ethnic specificity as a result of the conjugal relations with their southern neighbors, the ethno-cultural contacts between societies were not intensive. This is confirmed by the fact that innovations in the ceramic and ware complex had limited circulation in the upper Don region and imported ancient Greek crockery and decorations were completely absent there.