Investigations at Gorodische, Ladoga, Northwestern Russia

Gorodische

In the light of complex situation at Staraja Ladoga, characterized no doubt by internal and regional rivalry, it is important to establish the broader picture of development of the region. Therefore, the present project concentrates on a site which fell outside the direct influence of Staraja Ladoga. In addition, it is testimony to a complex archaeological landscape, a long history of research, and an ongoing destruction of the sites, as of lately mostly by local plunderers.

Central in Gorodische is a hill-top settlement situated at the confluence of the River Sjas and a stream-like tributary, close to rapids. The hill-top settlement expanded so that the lower-lying areas around it were also occupied. Since the very hill-top settlement was destroyed by road constructors, it was only possible to excavate the open air settlement adjacent to it. This settlement stopped to exist in the 930s. Several Medieval pits indicate that after a certain period the site was reoccupied, but due to agricultural activities and other destruction it is impossible to trace the core area of the Medieval settlement.

Fig. 7. Excavation trench of 1997, laid across the open air settlement adjacent to the hill-top settlement in Gorodische, view from NW.

In a stretch of two kilometres along the River Sjas, with the hill-top settlement at the centre, there are several groups of burial mounds. These are "sopkas" and "kurgans", in effect meaning barrows but with a different duration of use. The kurgans are usually containing just one burial, while the sopkas contain numerous graves. Consequently, they differ in size. The sopkas can be between 2 and 12 m high. Usually, these are built in three phases, each separated by a layer of charcoal and ashes. The kurgans are mainly between only 0.5 and 1.2 m tall.

Fig. 8. One of the barrows (a so-called kurgan) excavated in 1996 and containing cremated remains of a female and a male, dated to the 920-950s. It also contained a secondary inhumation burial of a female, which was dated to the 950-980s.

Traditionally it is believed that the sopkas are earlier than the kurgans and should be dated to VIII-IXAD (possibly the start of their construction lies at the end of VIIAD), while the kurgans belong to X-XIIAD. But now evidence is growing that the two forms of burial construction are overlapping in time, an observation confirmed at Gorodische.

The barrows are usually constructed along the rivers. Earlier explanations were stressing that such monumental graves were used as landmarks for travellers. Today there is a shift towards a more ecological explanation. Since the region was poorly populated and the most fertile soils were at the rivers, the inhabitants were carrying out extensive agriculture, moving away as soon as the land was exhausted. And the burials were just following the people, so to say. It was assumed that the old economy was of a semi-nomadic character - a cycle of shifts between a mobile and a settled way of life. Such assumption is supported by the fact that sopkas are seldom found in groups.

The fact that there are several groups of sopkas and kurgans around Gorodische indicates that the Gorodische settlement was an important centre of regional significance. For comparison, it should be mentioned that at Staraja Ladoga there are 37 sopkas - the biggest concentration in NW Russia. Gorodsiche, with 23 sopkas, therefore carries a considerable weight. No doubt this is also an indication of the adequate agricultural soil at the site.

Fig. 9. Excavated barrow. The darker layer at the base indicates a burial platform, made of turf. Sand from the ditch around the platform was used to construct the barrow, after the dead was arranged on the platform.

The earliest traces of human occupation at Gorodische stem from the Neolithic (c5500-1000BC). Bronze is very rare in the area, but the production of iron started quiet early - at c1000 BC. Quite exceptional is the discovery of finds from VIIAD. Traces of human activities predating VIIIAD are generally extremely rare in the whole region. Unfortunately, the layers of this very early settlement were destroyed by ploughing and are only preserved under the barrows (2.2 below).

Fig. 10. Overview of sites at the village of Gorodische .

1 - destroyed & plundered barrows, 2 - barrow, 3 - bushes, 4 - edge of sand quarry, 5 - road, 6 - houses, 7 - fence, 8 - coniferous forest, 9 - deciduous forest, 10 - trenches and barrow excavated in 1987-1998, 11 - trenches excavated in 1999, 12 - meadow, 13 - swamps, bogs, 14 - bridge, 15 - lines of electricity, 16 - datum point used for excavations in 1999, 17 - remains of Medieval settlements.

The surroundings of Gorodische are rich in sites:

10.1. - A group of 29 barrows, 28 of those excavated by Raudonikas in 1930s. These burials are younger than the abovementioned settlement and therefore indicate the existence of a later, in fact Medieval phase of the today destroyed hill-top settlement. (Some Late Medieval pits, containing ceramics with wave ornamentation were, as already mentioned, recorded in the open air settlement.) The named barrows were constructed in the middle of XAD and used until XIVAD. Some of the burials are in the Christian tradition, orientated E-W and without grave gifts.

10.2. - Settlement destroyed by ploughing and during construction of barrows, known from surface finds and from cultural layers preserved under one of the barrows

10.3. - A group of 15 sopkas. In 1909 N.I. Repnikov recorded 23 sopkas here. One of the sopkas was excavated in 1987-88. In connection with this excavation the archaeologists stood upon the above mentioned remains of a settlement dated to VIIAD (see 10.2). The tallest sopka is 6.3 m high.

10.4. - Settlement remains, know as Sjas hill-fort, excavated in 1909, 1930 & 1987.

10.5. - Settlement remains, situated at the southern part of the hill-fort and excavated in 1988-89 &1996-98

10.6. - Remains of a Medieval settlement, recorded at the foot of a single kurgan, excavated in 1988. The kurgan probably indicates a destroyed medieval burial site.

10.7. - A group of 8 kurgans (10 at the time of N.E. Brandenburg) situated at the present day village of Gorodische . One of these was excavated in 1990.

10.8. - Remains of a Medieval settlement known from surface finds.

10.9. - Remains of a Medieval settlement known from surface finds and excavations undertaken in 1999.

10.10. - A group of 26 kurgans dated to IX-XIIAD. Several of these kurgans were investigated by the archaeologists, but apparently even the smallest ones had been subject to plundering before excavation. The kurgans are 0.5-2.0 m high and 10-20 m in diameter. 17 of the kurgans were investigated before the WWII. Artefacts of Nordic origin were discovered in 60% of the investigated kurgans.

Fig. 11. All the soil from the excavation of an open air settlement was dry- and wet-sieved. This enabled the discovery of even the tiny finds, such as glass beads.