Materials of the Second Half of the 13th–15th Centuries From Desna River Chernihiv Region

Abstract

The article presents findings of the second half of the 13th to the early 15th centuries, which have been uncovered in recent decades in the Desna River Chernihiv region. This period remains one of the least explored in the area, and the vast majority of the discovered artefacts haven’t been published.
In recent years, over 50 post-Mongol period sites have been identified. Additionally, four residential complexes dating of the abovementioned period have been examined during the excavation of multi-layered sites: two in Baturyn, and another two in Sedniv and Petrushyn.
The complexes consist of deepened foundation pits with various structural features. Two construction phases have been identified at the site investigated in Baturyn Fortress. The first phase dates to the first half of the 13th century. It is likely that during the Mongol invasion, the dwelling was destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt later. Notably, during the rebuilding process, a new kiln was constructed on the place of the old destroyed one, incorporating elements of the preserved original structure. The foundation pit walls of the pillar construction, were lined with boards or slabs, as evidenced by the burnt remains. Based on ceramic artefacts, the second phase of the building’s use is dated to the second half of the 13th century.
Another post-Mongol dwelling in Baturyn was excavated within the Palace settlement, located to the east of the Citadel and Fortress. It is also a deepened sub-rectangular pit with a sloping entrance and walls supported by pillars. There weren’t any remains of a hearth. However, the presence of a significant number of bricks in the pit’s filling (which was destroyed by fire) suggests that there may have been a stove in the upper, ground-level part of the dwelling. The ceramic finds are dated to the 14th century.
A structure from the same period was also investigated in Sedniv, at the multi-layered settlement Oreshnia 2. It was also a deepened, sub-rectangular shelter. However, unlike the previous complexes, this one had walls that sloped inward toward the centre of the pit, with no pillar-supported structure. A narrow, elongated entrance was discovered on the eastern side, sloping down toward the pit. It is likely that it was a log construction building, with a stove in the upper (ground) part, as fragments of the latter were found in the filling. Based on the ceramic finds, it is dated to the second half of the 13th century.
The materials of Oleksandr Shekun’s research near Petrushyn village (15 km north from Chernihiv) are also being introduced into scientific discourse. In 1989, a rectangular pit of a dwelling was excavated, featuring a post-supported wall structure and a stove in the corner. Based on the ceramic materials, this structure is dated to the late 13th — mid-14th centuries.
A notable difference was observed between the earliest complexes mentioned above (Sedniv Oreshnia 2 and Baturyn Fortress), where traces of Ancient Rus profile formation traditions were still evident, and the later ones (Baturyn Palace and Petrushyn), where the development of local pottery showed clear external influences.