ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH OF THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE MURY COMPLEX IN VINNYTSIA IN 2024

Abstract

The paper presents the results of archaeological excavations conducted in 2024 on the territory of the Mury (Walls) historical and architectural complex in Vinnytsia. The object of the study was the eastern line of the enclosure wall, which historically belonged to the complex of the former Jesuit monastery and gave its name to the entire ensemble. Despite numerous archaeological explorations carried out on the territory of the Mury complex over the last decades, the enclosure wall has not yet been the subject of a dedicated archaeological study. The study was based on a comprehensive analysis of written, cartographic, and iconographic sources combined with archaeological fieldwork. Particular attention is paid to reconstructing the historical topography of the eastern boundary of the complex and determining the location of the lost wall. An analysis of historical sources and scholarly literature revealed differing views regarding the date of construction of the enclosure wall. A comprehensive evaluation of the sources allows its construction to be linked to the active expansion of the monastery complexes in the mid- 18th century, most likely in the 1750s. The study of plans, drawings, and photographs from the 18th to the 20th centuries showed that the eastern wall with four towers existed until the late 19th century. Following the destruction of a section of the wall in the 1890s, the old wall was dismantled, and a new retaining wall was constructed in its place. A comparative analysis of historical plans and modern cartographic materials revealed that the new wall was erected along the line of the previous one, preserving its original alignment. Archaeological excavations were conducted on the plot near the former Jesuit church. Although no direct remains of the enclosure wall were discovered, the recovered materials allowed for tracing the sequence of cultural layers on the territory under study. Several chronological horizons were identified, among which the burials of the second half of the 17th century and the construction horizon of the 1630s—1640s, associated with the erection of the first stone buildings of the Jesuit complex, are of particular significance. Of particular interest is the collection of building ceramics, represented by fragments of bricks, floor tiles, roof tiles, and stove tiles originating from the 17th-century construction horizon. A significant number of fragments of 17th-century ceramic and glassware were also discovered, as well as individual finds from the second half of the 15th to the 16th centuries, which testify to the development of the territory even before the appearance of the Jesuit monastery These materials provide valuable information on building technologies employed during the earliest stage of masonry construction within the complex. A comprehensive comparison of archaeological, cartographic, iconographic, and written sources allowed for reconstructing the eastern line of the enclosure wall of the Mury complex, clarifying its construction date, and tracing the main stages of the development of this section of the monastery territory.