New Researches of the Bilsk Hill-Fort Fortifications

Abstract

The investigations of the defensive structures of Bilsk hill-fort are important in discussing issues related to the development of military affairs and solving the problems of chronology and ethnocultural history of the population of the East European Forest-Steppe during Scythian time. The article is devoted to the publication of the protective structures researches materials at Bilsk hill-fort that were carried out during 2014, 2016—2018 by the Bilsk archaeological expedition of the IA NAS of Ukraine. The results are significant in understanding the features of planigraphy and the historical development of the complex. The excavations in 2014 on the northern part of the Bilsk hill-fort gave us the information about the lack of a cultural stratum within the Kuzemin fortification. The full height section of the rampart was conducted in the south-eastern part of the trench, because the rampart was cut by a bulldozer. The ditch was fully explored. The whole complex of defensive structures was created in one stage. However, for some reasons it was abandoned and wasn’t modernized. The new researches of protective structures in Tsaryna Mohyla hole were conducted in 2016-2017. The clean layers of clay from the moat were the basis of the rampart. The available materials, taking into account preliminary chronology of the finds from the premise and the ashy layer that were situated under the wall gave us a date — the second quarter — middle of VI c. BC. The finds in the layer that directly rested on the clay body of the rampart are important to the date of the rampart creation time. The cult complex, which consisted of a clay altar and five sacrifices, was correlated with this layer. The walls of the Big Bilsk hill-fort were created until the middle — beginning of the third quarter of VI c. BC. Also, in 2018 the Southern Rampart was localized. The profiles were discovered. The surrounding material was collected. As a result of excavations, the cultural stratum, moat and shaft were investigated and dated by the Scythian time. In the filling of the moat and in the embankment of the rampart there were found only materials of V—IV c. BC