COLLECTIONS OF FINDS FROM THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE ST. MICHAEL GOLDEN-DOMED MONASTERY YARD IN 1940s—1960s

Abstract

The Scientific Repository of the Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine has three collections of archaeological finds coming from excavations on the St. Michael Golden-domed Monastery yard. These are the materials from the excavation of 1940 led by Mikhail Karger, the survey of 1944 led by David Blifeld and observations over the earthworks of Volodymyr Diadenko in 1967. The excavations of 1940 revealed two Old Rus dwellings and several pits on the site between St. Michael Cathedral and the Refectory, as well as the previously unknown Old Rus temple of the 11th century, associated with the St. Dmitro Cathedral. The field inventory books stored in the Scientific Archive of the Institute of Archaeology allow to clarify the locations of excavated sections where the works were carried out, as well as to compile a list of finds with a preserved collection that is about much smaller than the total amount found during excavations. A significant part of it is building remains such as fragments of frescos (some with graffiti), bricks, floor tiles, tiles, acoustic jars, molten lead roof sheets. The collection contains also household items such as fragmented ceramic dishes, amphora containers, grinding stones, and remains of manufacture: a fragment of an iron bloom and the glassware production refuse. In addition, there are some artefacts from graves: fabric, leather shoe details. The finds dated to a wide chronological range from the 10th—11th to the 18th—19th centuries and display the life in the monastery during all this time, without chronological lacunae.
 The survey of David Blifeld in 1944 was caused by construction of a vegetable store on the courtyard of the former monastery, and the works of Volodymyr Diadenko in 1967 were apparently related to the supervision over earthworks in the Upper city of Kyiv. There are neither publication, no archive data about the last two stages of research, so collections of archaeological finds are the only source of information about these studies. Both collections are small. The collection of the year 1944 contains the 18th century pottery, as well as three fragments of vessels of the 12th—13th centuries from cultural layer. The collection is incomplete because of significant gaps of inventory numbers.
 Observations of Volodymyr Diadenko in 1967 revealed the dwelling of Old-Rus time, which can be dated to the 12th — early 13th century by the available materials (fragments of pots and a big pottery container). The collection also included a half of brick of the 17th—18th centuries and a sherd of acoustic jar that may indicate the location of the site close to any architectural object.