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Excavations in Gnezdovo Near Smolensk

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Excavations in Gnezdovo Near Smolensk Excavations in Gnezdovo near Smolensk Veronica Murasheva, Tamara Pushkina Ancient Rus '; proto-urban centre; 1Oth century; ancient field; flood-land area Gnezdovo archaeological complex is situated areas of the settlement comprised a significant at the Western Russian border, about 1 3 km part of findings. Gnezdovo jewellers manufac­ from one of most ancient Russian towns, Smo­ tured different ornaments of Baltic and Scan­ lensk. It is known as one of the largest archae­ dinavian type; the peculiarities of Scandina­ ological sites of the period of state formation in vian and Slavonic blacksmith handicraft are Eastern Europe. As early as at the beginning of distinctly traced in the products of iron the 20th century two hill-forts bordered by ex­ processing (Eniosova 1999; Pushkina/ Rozano­ tensive non-fortified settlements were fixed in va 1992). The pottery produced by Gnezdovo association with about 4000 mounds, the lat­ craftsmen is characterised by typical Slavonic ter forming some strictly outlined cemeteries. forms. The history of Gnezdovo studies commenced The polyethnic and socially heterogeneous more than 125 years ago, but only in the late composition of the permanent Gnezdovo forties of the 20th century it had become population is strictly documented by the mate­ rather regular and purposeful. The nucleus of rials of mound excavations. The cremation the comple,. is comprised of the central hill­ burials are predominant but a significant part fort surrounded by a settlement and cemetery of the mounds contain inhumations, with a with more than 3000 mounds, divided into good deal of chamber-graves (Zharnov 1992). two mound groups; a small mound group situ­ The topographic separation of different ethnic ated on the opposite Dnieper bank is also a burials was not observed. Ethnically peculiar part of the named nucleus. A few more mound decorations are also almost uniformly distri­ groups concentrated around small settlement buted within the settlement area. The role and in the mouth of one of the Dnieper tributaries significance of the polyethnic settlement con­ were revealed to the west of the central settle­ trolling the route "from Varangians to the ment. Greeks" is also demonstrated by the abun­ As a result of many years of studies it was es­ dance of numismatic materials and the con­ tablished, that mounds and settlements were centration of coin hoards dated predominant­ synchronous and nearly all were dated as be­ ly to the middle of the 1Oth century and jewel­ longing to the period from the 9-1 Oth century lery (Pushkina 2000, 215-224). The largest up to the beginning of the 11th century. The settlement area covering about 16 ha is also primary non-fortified settlement in the central corresponding to the period of its prosperity. part of the site gradually transformed into a The size and general character of Gnezdovo fortified centre of the crafts and long-distance archaeological site stands against a number of trade with the peak of its prosperity at the mid­ small rural settlements over the area of 2-3 ha dle to second half of the 1Oth century. The ex­ associated with a few dozens of mounds. The cavations resulted in the finding of inhabited monument scale and materials obtained after buildings and workshops, the latter related to its study allow us to compare it in terms of se­ bone, non-ferrous and ferrous metal process­ veral criteria with such northern European ing. Defective and half-finished articles, cruci­ proto-urban centre as, for example, Birka bles, casting moulds being clustered in certain (Bulkin/Lebedev 1974). A new period in Gnezdovo studies began the area of a future burial was prepared by 1995 and was characterised with a combined "cleaning by fire", then the burial pit or the method of investigations. In 1996-2001 the chamber-grave was excavated, in other cases project was supported by the Russian State the cremated remains were transferred to the Science Foundation, so a number of investiga­ ash layer behind the burial area; finally the tions on soil science, dendrochronology, pale­ mound was erected. All our studies show that obotany etc. were conducted. The studies the mound base contained the burial turf or were performed at the same time within the the ash. We should point out, that a small area of the central settlement and certain adja­ patch of the ancient terrain with remnants of cent mounds. The aim of the project included similar buried turf was found within the frag· the reconstruction of the paleolandscape, the ments of repeatedly rebuilt buildings dated to settlement border contouring as well as the the second half of the 1Oth century. evolution of their changes, the improvement One of the main events in the history of Gnez· of settlement intensive period dating, the col­ dovo studies is evidently the discovery of the lection of materials characteristic of the eco­ occupation deposits within the Dnieper flood· nomical activity of its population. land. Firstly it changed the knowledge of the Two main discoveries were made during the settlement area and topography. Secondly, the Project: ancient arable land was detected and layers situated below the first terrace is gravely areas with central settlement cultural layers spoilt by the repeated ploughing. Finally, the were newly found. moist soil contains some wooden fragments, Traces of ancient arable land are situated be­ this fact allowed us to apply the dendrochrono· low the Dnieper mound group to the west of logic method, and for the first time in the Gnez· the settlement at the margin of the first terrace dovo studies the wooden objects were identi· above the flood-land. The traces of some ara­ fied (Pushkina/Murasheva/Nefedov 2001). ble instrument were observed along nearly 30% During three years of excavations (1999- of the excavated mounds. According to the pal­ 2001) an area of flood-land directly adjacent inologic data the plough furrows contained the to the first terrace and part of the terrace slope pollen of wheat, some species of weeds as well were studiedr its area being 96 square metres. as plants peculiar of pasture land. At the same The cultural layers at the flood-land part were time, a number of wheat, barley and rye grains overlaid by loamy deposits of 50-60 em thick· were detected within the cultural layers of the ness of natural alluvial origin. The undisturbed settlement: the palinologic analyses showed occupation deposit on the terrace slope is the remarkable admixture of hemp, the latter overlaid by the redeposited ploughed material being reported in several archaeological sites from the terrace. At the surface of the cultural of the same period in Northern-Western Rus' layers under the ballast a number of green fur· (Zazovskaya/Bronnikova 2001,199). It is worth nace tile fragments were disclosed. It was es· while to point out, that the traces of arable tablished, that tiles of such type began to be land are exclusively rare findings in the syn­ used in Smolensk at the end of the 16th to the chronous sites. Such traces were described beginning of the 17th century. The appearance only twice; below the cultural layers of ancient of tiles in Gnezdovo could be explained as the Novgorod and ancient Moscow and never result of Catholic bishop Pyotr Parchevsky' re· within the areas occupied by mounds. sidence within the central hill-fort in the 17th According to the preliminary conclusions the century. Discoveries of tile fragments at the ancient field was situated approximately 1.5 km cultural layers buried surface allow us to claim from the central settlement and presumably that the Dnieper flood-land was not subjected was abandoned because of the cemetery growth to regular and intensive flooding till up to the in the middle of the 1Oth century. middle of the 17th century. Evidently the Special studies of the soil structure and the abrupt changing of the Dnieper hydrologic re· composition of several excavated mounds, be­ gime commenced not earlier than the afore· longing to different mound groups, allowed us mentioned period, and only after the 17th to improve the standard burial rite scheme in century the originally inhabited area had be· Gnezdovo and many similar mounds of the gun to be liable to flooding. Recent Dnieper same period of ancient Rus' history. According spring floods still completely cover the flood· to a generally accepted point of view, firstly land and partly a slope of the first terrace 330 above the flood-land. These floods affected of such a thick layer could be either natural or the ballast layer formation which overlaid the antropogenic. Evidently the terrain under con­ occupation deposit and preserved the latter sideration was temporally overwetted and from the successive mechanical disturbance. served as an area for depositing building debris The investigation of the layers overlaid by the because the peat layer contains a significant ballast allowed us to make a reconstruction of fractions shiver, wood chips and thin branches. the development of the area. The lower part of First light buildings were erected at the surface the deposit is presented with the thick (up to of the peat layer (horizon 3) marked by the trac­ 60 em) sand layer (horizon 5), clean sand lay­ es of dense clay patches with thin twig imprints ers being alternated with sand enriched by hu­ forming a lattice. Supposedly, those were rem­ mus. Presumably, a certain old channel or a nants of walls presented in a form of wicker swampy mould stretching along the Dnieper skeletons covered by clay. Despite the absence terrace slope was located on this place up to of clearly identified buildings, the abundance of its filling up as a result of the improvement of artefacts, especially a large number of glass the area.
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