Some words about Tatiana Dmitrievna Belanovskaya

Abstract

September 10, 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tatyana Dmitrievna Belanovskaya (19182010) who was one of the first graduates of Archaeology Department of Leningrad State University. She graduated from the University in 1941 and completed postgraduate studies at Archaeology Department in 1948. From 1948 until 1988 T.D. Belanovskaya taught at the same Department. The most important courses made by her were Prehistory and the basics of ethnography, The Basics of Archeology, as well as special courses on Neolithic, Eneolithic and numerous regional courses in archeology of Western, Central and Eastern Europe. 52 master theses were written under the guidance of T.D. Belanovskaya; many of the graduates defended doctoral dissertations. Thanks to her educational activity, recent studying of Neolithic was formed in Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Tatiana Dmitrievna conducted long-term field studies of the settlement of Rakushechny Yar the unique multilayer site which includes Neolithic and Eneolithic materials. The stratigraphy of the site is a kind of reference standard for the territory of the South of Eastern Europe while the studying of the oldest pottery from the lower layers allows ones to solve the problem of neolithization of the region. The paper includes excerpts from the interview with Tatyana Dmitrievna Belanovskaya and memoirs of her students graduated from Archaeology Department of Leningrad State University in the 1960s and now working at the Department.