VYPOVZIV — THE MILITARY, TRADE AND CRAFT CENTER IN LOW DESNA REGION

Abstract

The materials of the excavations of Vypovziv Archaeological Complex of the late 9th—10th centuries which existed as one of the military, trade and handicraft points of the Low Desna region are analyzed in the paper. Also the chronology and functions in the region are determinated here.
 Vypovziv is located on a narrow long cape that «creeps out» for 700 m into the flood plains of the Desna river near the village of Vypovziv, Kozelets district, Chernihiv region. It is placed between Chernihiv and Vyshgorod — on the route of the so-called «Monomakh Road» which connected the capital of Rus — Kyiv with the center of the largest principality on Desna river — Chernihiv. The site consists of a settlement, suburb and hem. The remains of wood and earth fortifications, twice burned during the 10th century, were explored on the site. Foundation pit of pithouse and remains of donjon of the 10th century have been discovered on the site.
 Open settlement was located to the west of the site. The building of the same period was situated there. The peculiarity of building of Vypovziv settlement is the high concentration of constructions. Dwellings were built one above the other, sometimes in the same foundation pits. The end of the mass building of the site was reasoned by local fire synchronous with the destruction of the fortifications of the settlement which dates back to the middle of the 10th century. It is well traced by remains of burned-out buildings and allows to highlight the simultaneous constructions.
 Vypovziv archaeological complex was formed in accordance with all Rus tendencies of development of the cities and settlements in the early phase of state formation. They arose at the end of the 9th — beginning of the 10th centuries as a result of active military, political and trade activity of the Rus people. Frequent finds of dishes, decorations, objects of everyday life in the cultural layer of the site and in the objects of the 10th century indicate the probability of the movement of small populations from the right bank of the Dnieper to the Low Desna region. It is possible that part of the population (representatives of the Luka-Raykovetsky culture) was used to settle in such points, possibly as slaves for sale in the markets of the East at the end of 9th — the beginning of 10th century.