Director of the Institute of Archaeology of NASU, Head of the Department

Approved by: Director of the Institute of Archaeology of NASU, Head of the Department of Archaeology of Crimea and North-West Black Sea Region of IA NASU, Associate Member of NASU ______________________V.P. Chabai REPORT on archaeological examination of the area allocated for construction of the Wind Farm on the lands of Chaplynka and Hryhorivka united territorial communities of Kherson Region Introduction The examination has been performed by the staff of the Department of Archaeology of Crimea and North-West Black Sea Region of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (ІА NASU) in April and May of 2018 according to Agreement No. 10/04-1 of 10.04.2018 concluded with Syvashenergoatom LLC. The work was executed under the direction of I.V. Sapozhnikov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, a leading research scientist, according to the “Open Letter” on exploration with probing in Chaplynka District of Kherson Region (Form 2), issued by ІА NASU on 15.05.2018. The research comprised of the study of archives, literature and cartographic documents, as well as archaeological exploration in the field. The results and conclusions are set forth in two chapters and in the concluding part. Chapter І. Characteristics of the area and review of the history of its research From the perpsective of geomorphology, the area of scheduled construction of WEP belongs to North Prysyvashshia territory of Prysyvashshia-Pryazovia steppe region, particularly to its coastal South-Western part. It is characterized by smooth, flat terrain, having absolute elevations at water divides predominantly from +10 to +20 m, and divided from north to south by a number of small and shallow draws and rivers. Listed from west to east they are: Teren Doneloga draw (Ivanivska), Baychur Jaipa draw (less commonly “Chaiba”; Strohanivska), Kayish draw, Ispken Kaishtapken draw (Hlyboka), Tugarek draw (Novovolodymyrivska), Tarama river (Hryhorivka valley), Chokrak draw (more precisely – Malyi Chokrak; Pershokostiantynivska). The latter flows (from the left side) into to the upper reaches of the gulf of Lake Syvash, being at the same time the lower portion of a nameless valley whose both banks (to the west and south-west from Pershokostiantynivka village) also belong to the area of the future WEP1. One of the main features of North Prysyvashshia steppe region is that the greater (western) part of Lake Syvash had been appearing gradually during ХІІ-IV millenia B.C. as a result of several transgressions (global sea level rises) preceeded by an existing common freshwater hydrosystem which had been subsequently flooded or underflooded with salt water of Azov-Black Sea basin. Archaeologically the area of the region is not a blank spot. Moreover, one of the local sites had been studied via permanent excavations and is well-known in scientific literature. This is a two-layered settlement Novovolodymyrivka ІІ (the Upper Paleolithic Age, ca. 16.5 to 16.0 thousand years ago, and the Early Bronze Age, from late ІV to ІІІ millenia B.C.). It was located about 1.5 km south-west from Novovolodymyrivka village at 5–6-meter cape formed by the valley side of Lake Syvash and the right bank of a short draw. M.P. Olenkovskyi discovered it in 1983 and studied it fundamentally during 1984–1987 [Olenkovskyi 2000, p. 33-48, Fig. 16-18 et al.; Olenkovskyi 2006, p. 10-11, Fig. 1, 10]. It should be noted that in the same region, in close vicinity to said settlement, three more archaeological finds of Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic ages had been discovered by the same archaeologist: Novovolodymyrivka VІІ, Novovolodymyrivka Х and 1 Water divide of Tarama river and Chokrak draw has an extension in the form of peninsula protruding far into Lake Syvash and is sometimes called Ad (which means “island” in Turkic languages). In fact, until recently it was the name of only its northern part (south to the existing WEP), while the eastern part was called Skhidnyi Rih. Novovolodymyrivska Balka [Olenkovskyi 2000, Fig. 1; Olenkovskyi 2006, p. 11- 12, Fig. 1, 6; 1, 28]. According to the most complete (though not limiting) compilation «Archaeological Sites of Chaplynka District», 10 to 20 more finds that belonged to different ages have been discovered within the area of WEP construction at different times, both on the ground surface and in cliffed shores of Lake Syvash. However, the most numerous and the most frequently found cultural heritage sites of this area are without doubt the burial mounds, many of which had been recorded in the course of exploration by V.I.Yadvychuk as part of Kherson surveying company of Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian SSR in 1975–1976 and M.P. Olenkovskyi in 2006, as well as by other researchers. Descriptions and characteristics of those sites as of June 1, 2006, have been submitted to those chapters of the above compilation dedicated to land plots of Hryhorivka, Ivanivka, Pavlivka, Pershokostiantynivka and Strohanivka village councils [Olenkovskyi 2006, p. 12-16, 16-19; 23-25; 25-29; 31-32; Fig. 1, 1-27; Fig. 2; Fig. 6; Fig. 8; Fig. 14; Fig. 15; Fig. 18]2. At the same time, it should be emphasized that this edition of the compilation does not contain any geographical values (coordinates) of the described sites, and accuracy of given references and published chartographic materials does not meet up-to-date requirements. As mentioned above, one of important components of our work consisted in studying cartographic documents, which revealed that field investigations carried out by V.I. Yadvychuk and M.P. Olenkovskyi were not definitive and perfect, as they did not rely on topographic maps of a sufficiently large scale. Thus, maps of the General Staff of Red Army, drawn in 1941 and having the scale of 1 : 25000 (sheets: L-36-68-A-г – Pershokostiantynivka; L-36-68-Б-в – Strohanivka and L- 36-68-Б-г – Ivanivka), show the burial mounds within the investigated region 2 Data from this booklet were used in preparing the «Conclusions of the regional inspection on protection of historical and cultural heritage of Department of Culture of Kherson Regional State Administration on approval of the land management plan pertaining to allocation of the leased land plot for «Syvashenergoprom» [Solonitskyi 2010]. better, with greater precision and in greater number compared to the above mentioned archaeological map of Chaplynka district. Moreover, very valuable information, in particular as to original names of populated places, rivers, draws and natural landmarks, was obtained from other maps such as «Military Topographic Map of Russia», scale 1 : 126000 (three-verst scale map; sheet ХХХІ-12; middle ХІХ century survey). An addition to the dedicated archaeological explorations, recent development studies were also carried out in the area. Thus, in May of 2006, during thr construction of foundations for wind power generators (hereinafter referred to as WPGs) for the existing WEP (in operation from 2012), three burial places were discovered in two 5 х 5 m construction pits, 50 m apart from one another, which were determined by M.P. Olenkovskyi to be the Hryhorivka burial grounds and interpreted as the remains of a Nogai cemetery dating back to 16–17 centuries [Olenkovskyi 2006, p. 13, Fig. 1,1]. On the sheet of the above mentioned three-verst scale map (first issue of 1854) a cemetery is marked at this place, located to the south from the long abandoned settlement Velykyi Chokrak. It should be emphasized that a mosque was marked inside it. Moreover, the identical sites existed in the auls Malyi Chokrak (future Pershokostiantynivka village), Tugarek (south part of Novovolodymyrivka village), Kaishtapkan (at Kayish draw), Jaipy (south part of Strohanivka village) and Teren (south-west part of Ivanivka village). Thus, the hypothesis of M.P. Olenkovskyi has found an additional support, though the dating of the graves on the Muslim burial grounds should most likely be extended at least to the middle of ХІХ century. The uniqueness of Tarama peninsula is confirmed by the fact that it, as well as Ad peninsula (and two more places upstream across the gulf of Syvash), at that time were crossed by earth roads, presumably temporary, that lead to Perekop isthmus. As to the ІА NASU archaeological examination of 2018, its field component – proper archaeological explorations – were not aimed at discovering each and all of the archaeological sites within the area of WEP construction in the broadest sense but at determining, measuring and referencing the coordinates of those of them which can are threatened by complete destruction or deterioration in the course of construction of WEP facilities such as foundations for masts of wind power generators, transforming stations, roads, electric transmission lines, constructional bases, residential houses, etc. Those particular sites will be characterized herein in the corresponding section. It should, however, be taken into account that out of those cultural heritage sites, accounted for and described in the compilation «Archaeological Sites of Chaplynka District», almost all known burial mounds were registered as those protected by the state, while among the settlements — only the aforementioned Novovolodymyrivka ІІ and VІІ, as well as Ivanivka Prysyvaska ІІ settlement site and the Bronze Age settlement Novovolodymyrivka have the privilege of such protection [Olenkovskyi 2006, p. 40-41]. In spite of the remoteness from big cities and main traffic arteries, the area of WEP construction has been subject to significant anthropogenic and technogenic impact. North valley side of Syvash is in many places spotted with various field emplacements due to the military operations directed to capture of Crimean peninsula in 1920, 1941 and 1944. In 1987–1990, even more damages were inflicted to archaeological sites located along the edge of the elevated abrasive shoreface due to the construction of Prysyvashshia portion of the drain channel of Kakhovka irrigation system3.

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