THE RESEARCH OF THE BURIAL GROUND OF 11th—12th CENTURIES IN CHERNIHIV

Abstract

The materials of archaeological research in 2020 on the territory of the mound and moundless necropolises belonged to the Old Rus Chernihiv are examined and analyzed in the paper.

This is the area on the border of suburb and the territory beyond it, where the remains of a barrow necropolis (11^th century) and the moundless burial ground (city cemetery of the 11^th — mid-13^th centuries) were discovered.

The barrows which were visible as early as the 18^th century, belonged to the first stage of the burial ground functioning.

A total of 65 moundless burials were discovered. Judging by individual cases of cutting some graves by later ones we can confidently talk about the duration of the existence of the moundless burial ground in this area. The discovery of the rim of a pot of the 12^th century and fabric from the collar may indicate the burials in the 12^th century as well. Thus, the site was used for at least 200 years. During this time, the barrow mounds were significantly leveled, the external signs of moundless burials of the 11^th century disappeared from the surface but the site continued to be used.

It is noteworthy that burials in the moundless necropolis are mainly without grave goods which is characteristic of the Christian tradition. The find of the pendant with the image of a trident is of great interest. It belongs to the official two-sided pendants of the end of the 10^th — the first half of the 11^th century and were used as the badges of officials of the princely apparatus. Judging by the features of the images of tridents on the obverse and reverse, the period of use of the pendant covers the reigns of Mstislav and Yaroslav Volodymyrovyches.