Fe1/llQscandia archaeowgicaX (1993) S. I. Kochkurkina ANCIENT OLONETS Abstract The Olonets Isthmus was colonized by man around 6,000 years ago. Stone Age and Early Metal Period dwelling-sites have survived from the earliest stages of settlement. Between the 10th and 13th centuries A.D. cemeteries with small burial mounds were established in the areas of the Olonka, Tuloksa, and Vidlitsa Rivers by the ancestors of the Livvik Kare­ lians and the Vepsians. The earliest written references to Olonets are in the Ustavnaya Gra­ mota of Svyatoslav Olgovich and in annalistic codes of the 13th century. Cadastre books of the 16th century contain a wealth of material on the history of Olonets. The strategic im­ portance of Olonets grew after the Treaty of Stolbovo (pi. Stolbova) in 1617, which was highly disadvantageous to Russian interests. In 1648-1649 timber and earthen fortifications were built at Olonets, and it evolved into the largest defensive and administrative centre of the Zaonezhye region. Together with documentary sources, archaeological excavations (conducted in 1973-75, 1988, 1990, and 1991) provide material for a study of how the tim­ bered town of Olonets and the courtyard of the fortress were built. They also reveal the fac­ tual contents of documentary sources, and describe material culture, which is not accessible through written sources. S.l. Kochkurkina, Karelian Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Language, Literature and History, Pushkinskaya 11, 185610 Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation. The Olonets Isthmus was colonized by man Between the 10th and 13th centuries AD., cem­ around 6,000 years ago. Stone Age and Early eteries with small burial mounds were established Metal Period dwelling-sites have survived from in the areas of the Olonka, Tuloksa and Vidlitsa the earliest stages of settlement. Excavations of Rivers for the local population. The mounds were dwelling-sites have revealed tools of local lithic 0.5 to 1.5 metres in height and 5 to 10 metres in materials such as quartz, flint, slate and sandstone, diameter. Unfortunately, later economic activity as well as pottery decorated with different pat­ has led to their destruction. Along the Olonka terns. The main economic pursuits of the local River they were located in the villages of Gorka, population - hunting and fishing - determined the Gomala, Terkula, Kapshoila, and Issoila. On the array of tools and implements, the choice of sites, Tuloksa, these were discovered in Rabola, and the overall way of life. The Onega-Ladoga Mergoila, and on the Vidlitsa at the villages of watershed, among other areas, was colonized by Vidlitsa, Pirdoila, Chimayeva Gora, Isakovo,Gav­ people from the east, possibly originating in the rilovo, Simonnavolok, and Bolshiye Gory. The Ural region. Settlers from the south advanced Finnish antiquarian D.E.D. Europaeus investi­ northwards through the Olonets Isthmus. The in­ gated a number of these mounds in the 1870s (Sa­ fluence of the Early Mesolithic European lonen 1929). In 1929 these excavations were Sviderian Culture is strongly evident at this stage resumed by a team of archaeologists from Lenin­ (Huurre 1979, 19). In other words, the region be­ grad under the direction of V.I. Ravdonikas came the site of vigorous contacts between west­ (1934). In the summer of 1943, the Finnish arch­ ern, eastern and southern popUlations. Lake La­ aeologist E. Kivikoski excavated two burial doga, with its advantageous geographic location, mounds at Pirdoila (Kivikoski 1944). S.I. Koch­ furthered the development of these contacts. kurkina (1989, 224-248) has also excavated a 41 number of damaged burial mounds. So far, a total 15th century, referring to the pogost of Rozhdest­ of twenty-eight mounds have been investigated, vensky Olonets. A cadastre book by Andrey Lih­ representing the cremations and inhumations of at achev and Lyapun Dobrynin (1563-1566) con­ least eighty-nine persons. Seventeen mounds re­ tains a description of nineteen pogosts, Rozhdest­ mained unexcavated. Proceeding from the rough vensky Olonets being the first one named. This assumption that they might contain the remains of data, however, is incomplete; the beginning is some forty persons, the mounds along the Olonka, missing, and central parts of the text may also be Tuloksa and Vidlitsa Rivers may account for lacking. Juri Saburov's earliest cadastre book on 120-130 corpses from between the 10th and early the Obonezhskaya pyatina region (1495-1496) 13th centuries. contains no evidence whatsoever on Olonets. Archaeological excavations have provided the The pogost of Rozhdestvensky Olonets, as well following interesting finds: tools, implements, as other pogosts in Eastern Karelia, has a double weapons, pots, pans, cauldrons, ornaments, and name. The fIrst part refers to the site of its main coins. During the war, this material in our museum church, and the second part indicates the main geo­ collections perished. The surviving specimens had graphical area. The pogost was the centre of a been taken to Finland by D.E.D Europaeus and large administrative district, with its western Ella Kivikoski, and they have been well preserved. boundary extending from Obzha to Salmi (Solo­ The mound culture of the Olonets isthmus is a menski pogost) and bordering on Lake Ladoga. branch of the Ladoga mound culture, representing The northern boundary included Lake Sjamozero its northern periphery. The ancestors of the (Sliiimlijarvi) and the eastern boundary en­ Vepsians arrived in their new territory from the compassed Lake Svyatozero (Pyhlijiirvi). By that south-eastern Ladoga area, choosing the river time, the hermitages of Syandeba and Andrusovo banks in accordance with their former traditions. had already come into existence, and the Monas­ The new population was not large, and gradually, tery of Alexander Svirsky had been established on with the influence of local inhabitants, it began to the southern boundary. These had come into being develop features of material culture distinguishing as a result of monastic colonization. There are no it from the population of the main region. It is by descriptions of the actual pogost as an administrat­ no means accidental that the area of mounds on the ive centre, but there is interesting evidence con­ Olonets Isthmus coincides with the territory settled cerning the rural population of the vast pogost of by the contemporary Livvik Karelians. On the Olonets. The local rural population tilled the land, other hand, this type of burial was alien to the sowed rye and other grain, and stored hay. An av­ Ludik Karelians inhabiting the western area of erage homestead had an area of 0.3-0.5 obzha (an Lake Onega. The burial mounds were giving way obzha varied in area from 5.5 hectares for a single to Christian cemeteries. field to 16.5 hectares for three fields) of cultivated Thus far, there have been no discoveries of land, sometimes even less. Hay was stored in large medieval settlements contemporaneous with the quantities. Records mention 1.5-10 haycocks per burial mounds of the 10th-13th centuries. The first man; at times this number could exceptionally rise documentary reference to Olonets is in a supple­ to 20-50, or even 60 haycocks. As a rule, hay was ment to the Ustavnaya Gramota of Prince Svy­ gathered along the banks of the Olonets River, atoslav Olgovich of Novgorod. which was the earliest name of the Olonka. There The Gramota dates back to 1137, whereby 010- are also references to peasant handicrafts. Farmers nets has for a long time been assumed to date from in various villages in the Olonets River area are the 12th century. However, recent studies have mentioned as also being furriers, curriers, shoe­ shown that the supplement referring to Olonets is makers, and blacksmiths. However, it would be in fact from the 13th century (Shchapov 1972, mistaken to assume that the Olonets peasantry lim­ 164-165). By that time, Olonets was already a ited themselves to these pursuits. The compilers of large pogost (parish) paying three grivnas to Nov­ cadastre books were primarily concerned with fIs­ gorod. In comparison, the pogost on the Svir River cal duties rather than an exhaustive account of the paid only one grivna. Olonets is also mentioned in district's economy. The scribes only recorded annalistic codes dated to 1228, when detachments what was required by their duties: accurate regis­ of the yemi (Hiime or Tavastian Finns) arrived by tration of homesteads, plots of land and pastures, boat to Lake Ladoga (Kochkurkina, Spiridonov, i.e. all that was subjected to levy. The cadastre Jackson 1990, 29-30). However, prolonged ar­ books offer scant information on crafts, since han­ chaeological excavations in the area of the Olonets dicraft and paid labour was not levied. stronghold have failed to uncover any ancient lay­ The Russo-Livonian war of 1580-1582 laid ers. The next mention of Olonets is from the late waste to the pogost of Olonets. Andrey Pleshch- 42 eyev's and Semyon Kozmin's cadastre book of times. Essential changes had taken place in the 1582-1583 frequently mentions the phrases kho­ rural area during the 10 years since the previous romy stavyat novo posle voiny (houses are built census, although work on Panin's book began at a anew after the war) and khoromy sozhgli i krestyan time when gangs of looters still pillaged the local pobili i v polon poimali nemetskie lyudi (houses population. Comparisons of several censuses give were burned down and peasants were killed and a clear picture of the situation of the inhabitants. taken prisoner by strangers). Churches were The 1582-83 cadastre book lists 131 abandoned burned down in Olonets, Ilyinskoe, and Vidlitsa, homesteads in the Olonets pogost, the correspond­ and the Syandeba monastery was also razed. The ing figure for 1615-17 in 107, while Nikita stone-built Church of St.