EARRINGS OF THE «DANUBE-PASTYRSKE» СIRCLE IN THE SOUTH OF EASTERN EUROPE: AREA AND CHRONOLOGY

Abstract

The paper presents consider of earrings of the «Da­nu­be-Pastyrske» circle in the south of Eastern Europe. The catalog of this jewelry including 39 items from hill-forts, settlements, burial grounds, hoards and chance finds was compiled. This catalog includes seven hoards of Pastyrske circle and roughly synchronous with them — Zalissia and Second Tsyrkuny hoards, although they could be dated to the second half of the 7th century as well. It also includes four hill-forts and 15 settlements, one metallurgical center and one hoard of the Saltiv culture. The materials of the archaeological assemblage from Haradzishcha (territory of Belarus) require clarification. Two cemeteries from the Crimea — Luchyste and the Khersones necropolis, one burial — Yasynuvata. For nine locations, the type of archaeological resource is unknown.
 Several regions of concentration can be distinguished: Dniester-Prut region, Pripyat basin, Southern Pobuzhjia, Middle Dnieper, Southern Crimea, Nizhne Poseymya, Bryansk Podesenia, Verkhivya Psla and the Siversky Donets basin. Other finds are scattered across Eastern Europe.
 It is impossible to determine the total number of this jewelry that come from these locations. First of all, this concerns the materials of the Pastyrske hill-fort. It is difficult to determine how many such earrings from «pre-revolutionary» collections were found on the site. Seven items come from archaeological explorations of the site already after the Second World War.
 The number of finds from Bytytsia hill-fort is still unknown until the complete publication of the materials. Semi-completed items were found in Oleshky. A casting mold for making earrings of this circle at the settlement of Tsyrkuny 13 was found. Instruments for stamping was discovered in Second Tsyrkuny hoard. 19 earrings of the «Danube-Pastyrske» circle were found in seven hoards of Pastyrske circle. Finds from Zalissia hoard are fragmented. 48 jewelry come from other locations.
 Traces of the manufacture of such jewelry are recorded on four sites — Pastyrske, Bytytsia, Oleshky, Tsyrkuny 13, and in one hoard — Second Tsyrkuny.
 In general, such earrings were found in the south of Eastern Europe in the early Middle Ages until the 10th century although the main stage of their chrono­logy falls on the 8th century. However, the small number of assemblages does not allow us to draw unequivocal conclusions.