ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN 2023 ON THE TERRITORY OF THE DOMINICAN MONASTERY IN VINNYTSIA

Abstract

Archaeological researches of 2023 on the territory of the site of architecture and urban planning «Dominican Monastery» in Vinnytsia was carried out by the Archaeological Expedition of the Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore as part of the «Program of Archaeological Research on the Territory of Sites which are part of the Vinnytsia City Territorial Community for 2022—2024» approved by the Vinnytsia City Council. The main task for 2023 was to open a preserved excavation area (excavation area 1) and to complete it. This excavation area was established and explored in 2013—2018 by the Archaeological Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, headed by Dr. Larysa Vynogrodska. In the Excavation area 1 several objects in 2023 were discovered: building 1 — the remains of the foundations of a cult (?) building from the late 17th — the first half of the 18th century and constructive ditches of the building (the name and number according to the numbering of Dr. L. Vynogrodskaya); building 2 — the remains of the foundations of the building, constructed in the late 19th — the first half of the 20th century; building 3 is a deepened structure, explored in 2013—2014 (the name and number according to the numbering made by Dr. L. Vynogrodska); building 4 — a brick crypt (?) of the late 17th — early 18th centuries; object 1 — deepened with a step (partially explored) — late 16th — 17th centuries; object 2 is a burial contained the remains of five persons (burials 3—7), burials 5 and 6 are dated ca. late 17th — early 18th century; pits 1, 3 — objects of the 20th century (pit 2 is the object explored in 2013—2014); burial 1 — an animal skeleton in anatomical order which was discovered in the 17th—19th century layer (sector B6—B7 in the excavation area); burial 2 — a human burial approximately dated to the 18th century. Photofixation, processing and drawing of the material have been done, orthophoto plans and 3D modeling of objects in excavation area 1 were made based on the results of the archaeological expedition of the Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore in 2023. In addition to archaeological research, all known written sources of the 17th century about the territory of the Dominican monastery, its founders and clergy were widely involved. These sources were processed by researcher of Vinnytsia Museum Victoria Kolesnyk. Due to her sophisticated research in 2023 it was possible to attribute the architectural remains in excavation area-1 as the stone foundations of the Dominican monastery during its first phase of its existence. Probably, the discovered remains are traces of the renovation of the monastery building from the late 17th — the first half of the 18th century and existed until the time of the second phase of construction, which began in the second half of the 18th century. The result of the second phase of construction is the raising of a complex of buildings which are in use for now and as a complex with a status of National Importance, named the «Dominican Monastery».