Cossack antiquities of Dnipropetrovsk region according to the research of the DNU expedition

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the materials of the monument of the period of the Ukrainian Cossacks – the Novosergievskaya fortress, which was recently investigated by the DNU expedition. Research methods: comparative-historical, typological, chronological, descriptive. Main results. Visual reconnaissance work was carried out on the territory of the inner square of the fortress and the territories adjacent to it. Novosergievskaya fortress is located on the outskirts of the Volnoye village, Novomoskovsk district, Dnipropetrovsk region. In our time, it has survived partly due to active anthropogenic activity in previous historical periods. During the visual survey, a collection of artifacts was collected in the amount of 100 units. They are represented by fragments of clay pottery (pots, bowls, plates, cups), box-shaped kahels, and small iron items. Two sites have been selected for excavation. The first included eight pits measuring 2 x 2 m. It was located not far from the bank of the Samara river. The stratigraphic situation is of the same type, artifacts are absent. The second section of three pits measuring 2 x 2 m occupied the edge of the northern bastion. On its square, the remains of a part of the dwelling – a dugout – were recorded. Near the entrance there are traces of a furnace in the form of a layer of ash. The inventory includes items that are similar to those found during a visual inspection of the fortress. According to the leading typological features, the complex dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Conclusions. The reconnaissance and excavations of the Novosergievskaya fortress proved its significance as a monument of the period of the Ukrainian Cossacks in the Dnipro region and the expediency of further field research. Practical significance: the published materials can be used in writing summarizing works on the problems of archeology of the 17th – 18th centuries. Ukraine. Scientific novelty: the cultural and chronological features of the archaeological site are determined. Type of article: analytical.