Landscape historical study of the Tract of St. Mary’s Mountain, a historical and cultural monument of Central Russia

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive landscape and historical study of the historical and cultural monument "The tract of St. Mary’s Mountain". The territory of this monument, located at the crossroads of the main medieval overland roads, is ridden with numerous archaeological sites: ancient settlements, mounds and burial mounds, dating back to the 1st millennium AD, as well as natural monuments. Complex field expeditionary and office landscape-historical studies were carried out, as a result of which the modern landscape structure of the monument was analyzed, and the natural properties of the natural and cultural-historic landscapes of this territory were determined. A large-scale map of conditionally restored landscapes was compiled, and an assessment of the resource base, landscape and environmental conditions of the settlers’ life was completed. A comprehensive spatial and terrain analysis of the archaeological and historical monuments was completed, and retro-reconstructions of the landscape-economic systems of the ancient Russian period were created. As a result of the research conducted, it was established that the settlement systems and environmental management systems were clearly determined by the local landscape structure. The comprehensive studies conducted have made it possible to conclude that the historical and cultural landscape of "The tract of St. Mary’s Mountain" possesses a unique combination of natural and historical objects and is considered a model archeological monument of Ancient Russia, which historians compare with the synchronous monuments of Western and Central Europe of the "take off to the hills" era (11th–12th centuries).