REVISITING THE LATE BRONZE AGE STAROSILLIA DEPOSIT FROM THE CHERCASSY REGION

Abstract

Thirty eight years ago the set of bronze tools found near the Starosillia village in Gorodyshche district of Cherkasy region has been published. This Late Bronze Age deposit remains one of the most known in the region. Three «celts», sleeve chisel and cast bracelet were preserved till the present time (fig. 1). These finds are kept in the Cherkasy Museum of local history.
 Starosillia deposit is important in terms of identification of main intercultural connections and contacts in the late 2nd mil. BC. The evidence, obtained over the last several dozen years, makes possible the new attribution of finds, their typology, area of spread and dating. Besides this, new publication of Starosillia deposit with drawing and photos of a high quality (it should be noted that the article of D. Telegin is lacking the drawing of one «celt») is required. This is why we need to turn back to the deposit.
 Two «celts» belong (fig. 3, 4) to the Dichevo type (Oinacu variant) according to V. Dergachev. Their origin is linked to Lower Danube center, from where these tools were spread in the North Pontic region, the area of Noua and Sabatynivka (later — early Bilozerka) cultures. Double-eyelet «celt» (fig. 2) belongs to Kardashynka type according to V. Dergachev. Such tools were used in late Sabatynivka and early Bilozerka time. In case of the analyzed region, such tools are referred to populations of Bilozerka culture, while the related molds were mainly found in the Lower Dnieper region. This is also the case of sleeve chisels (fig. 5) which are being similar to the find from Starosillia. Cast bracelet (fig. 6) from the deposit is typical for Sabatynivka and Bilozerka cultures, from which such bracelets could spread to the area of Bilogrudivka culture. Thus, the deposition of Starosillia deposit may be dated to the early Bilozerka time (HaA1), 12th century BC, when the Middle Dnieper region was inhabited by populations of Bilogrudivka culture.