SCYTHIAN AGE SETTLEMENT NEAR VOLYNTSEVE VILLAGE IN THE SEIM FLOODPLAIN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37445/adiu.2026.02.09Keywords:
Dnipro forest-steppe Left Bank, Seim River, seasonal settlement, ceramics, resource zone, 6th—3rd centuries BC.Abstract
A significant number of settlements from various periods have been recorded in the floodplain of the Sieve River. Some of these have undergone archaeological research, while others are known only from survey results. In particular, an area to the east of the village of Volyntseve stands out, where stationary excavations have been conducted at four sites, and several elevations have been thoroughly surveyed. As a result, a collection of materials, including Scythian Age artifacts, has been accumulated and needs to be systematized and introduced into scholarly discourse. Near the village of Volyntseve, pottery decorated with punctures have been found at six sites. Its concentration is observed on three hills situated close to each other on the banks of Horn River: the Stan, Stan II, and Sencha areas. Few fragments of pottery have been discovered up to three kilometers away from this central location. An analysis of the material complex allows us to suggest that all these sites were part of a single seasonal settlement or site. Five features that define such settlements have been identified: 1. The uncertainty of the overall area of the site, due to the mobility of the population related to economic activities, particularly livestock grazing. 2. A few ceramic finds. 3. Absence of permanent dwellings. 4. Absence or minimal number of economic pits. 5. A few household items and ornaments. The chronological framework of the seasonal settlement can be preliminarily set between the 6th and 3rd centuries BCE. The difficulty in determining specific dates is caused by objective factors such as the few quantities of material. For constructing a chronological scale the ceramic complex from the Stan area is crucial. The ceramic admixtures and decoration shows that these pots occupy an intermediate position between Scythian and Zarubintsy Age pottery. This conclusion is supported by the single early Iron Age object that was studied at the site. The closest parallel to the settlement near the village of Volyntseve is the Marianivka site located to the north, near the Bunyakine hillfort. Probably similar seasonal settlements are widespread in the Seim floodplain. Each of them had its own center — a fortified settlement located nearby.
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