Joint fieldwork in Krasnogorodsk and Sebezh district

Posted on November 4, 2014

On October 17-19, international joint fieldworks, participated by the University of Tartu (Partner 1), NGO Archaeological Centre (Partner 3) and Pskov Archaeological Centre (Partner 8) took place in Pskov oblast. The aim of the trip was to visit archaeological monuments in Krasnogordosk district, i.e. area that was formerly inhabited by Kraasna maarahvas – a Finnic group of southern Estonian origin. This small ethnic group was visited by Oskar Kallas in 1901 and two years later by him the book Kraasna maarahvas that reflected his fieldwork data was published. Linguistic analyses of the texts collected by Kallas has enabled to identify the language as of Seto origin.

The aim of the trip was to get a survey about the character of archaeological monuments in the area populated by the people originating from Setomaa, as well as to get information about their fate. Already during the trip of Kallas the Finnic population had greatly lost their identity, being melt among the Russians.

1. Visiting Vel’e medieval stronghold

2. Grave stones of Old Believers on Lukino villag cemetery

After crossing the border, monuments of Izborsk were visited first. On the way to the southern part of Pskov oblast we also visited Vel’e medieval stronghold. In Krasnogorodsk area, first, cemetery with possible medieval grave stones was studied in Platishino village. Next we attended the villages of Mehovo and Lukino. New information was gained about the cemeteries and grave stones of the Old Believers of the region. It appears that simple grave stones with engraved cross marks which can be found on local cemeteries are not of medieval origin, as suggested before, but that they represent the local Old Believers’ tradition. Simple gravestones were home-made by the Old Believers up to the 1930s. Close to Lukino a hill fort that was considered to be perished by gravel digging, turned out to be still existing.

3. Boris Harlashov studies a grave stone

4. Rampart of Krasnogorodsk stronghold

5. Old farm at Shutovo (Sülätüvä) village

In Krasnogorodsk area, in addition to the district centre, the villages of Ivantsevo/Ivatsova, Shutovo /Süllätüvä, Gorbunovo, Podsadnitsa and Poddubnaja, once inhabited by the “Chuhny” (or relatives of the Seto) were visited. It appeared that during earlier fieldwork no data about prehistoric or medieval cemeteries had been collected from the area. Also during the field trip no additional information about cemeteries at the villages of the Kraasna maarahvas (or “Seto”) population was gained. This enables to suggest that the south Estonian population of Krasnogorodsk area were rather late immigrants, and not descendants of the native Finno-Ugric substrate population. Most unexpectedly, however, information about a hill where the „Chuhny“, i.e. non-Russians used to gather and pray was gained from a local inhabitant at Rumuli. During the visit no descendants of Kraasna maarahvas were found in the formerly big villages that had become greatly or fully empty now. The household where the last descendants of the “Chuhny” had lived in Ivantsevo village had perished in fire this spring.

6. The sacred hill at Rumuli village

7. Poddubnaya – empty village

8. On Sebesh hill fort

The third day was dedicated to the Sebezh region where the medieval stronghold, two hill forts and three groups of barrows, representing their so-called Smolensk group were visited. The famous barrows of Prihaby were heavily plundered by local grave looters. On the way back we visited the excavation site of this year where grave of a Viking Age woman was still open. The shallow grave of an 11^th-century woman with a Latgallian type headband was cut into the limestone bedrock.

9. Plundered barrow at Prihaby

10.Viking Age grave pit at Izborsk

Thanks to a lucky chance, also the caves of the Pechory Monastery could be visited on the way back to Tartu.

Archaeological inspection in Russia

Posted on October 28, 2013

18th-20th October, partners from Tartu and Pskov visited archaeological sites in Ingria and in the vicinity of the middle part of river Pljussa. During the inspection, participants shared their experience and their understanding of archaeological sites. As the areas were inhabited by people whose successors have lived in the borderlands of both, Estonia and Russia, the inspections turned out to be very informative and profitable for all of the participants.

First, graves and old seaside cliff in Ingria were visited. Later, there was a possibility to visit the archaeologists’ house-camp, familiarise with the fieldwork pictures, mmonument layers and finds. Also, an excavation pit on an interesting stone grave had been left opened for the guests to see, but was backfilled shortly after.

Archaeologists had an educating tea break in the Gdov Museum and had a chance to see some of the rare items that were presented and discussed during the student seminar in Tartu.

The last two days flew by while inspecting archaeological sites in the middle part of river Pljussa with the help of mr S. Popov from St. Petersburg. Several barrow cemeteries were visited as well as some graves with above ground stone constructions, hill-forts and settlement sites. Unfortunately, one of the barrow sites had been disturbed and some of the burial constructions had been vandalised.

Anu Kivirüüt

University of Tartu

Archaeological inspection on medieval road ”Pskov-Izborsk-Aluksne”

Posted on October 15, 2013

From 16th to 19th September 2013 in the framework of the project ”Archaeology, Authority & Community: cooperation to protect archaeological heritage” archaeological inspection took place on the old medieval Pskov-Izborsk-Aluksne road. The trajectory included archaeological monuments both in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Latvia. There were participants from most of the project partners (PP 1,3, 4,5, 7,8).

September 16, places near Pskov, the estuary of river Velikaya and stronghold of Vybuty were visited.

On September 17, the inspection on the historical road begun at the place of old floating bridge at the beginning of the Izborsk street and continued through medieval administration centres and cemeteries – Kamno, Korly, Pechki, Senno. More than 10 sites from the second half of 1st millennium to 16th-17th centuries were seen. In the area of Malaya Listovka, the participants documented the vandalisation of a zhalnik-type grave. From the edge of an old quarry, it could be seen how the round zhalnik was formed by large granite boulders and the interior of the grave was covered with limestone slabs. The route ended in Old Izborsk.

On September 18, the field trip continued on the old historical road from Izborsk to Panikovichi and Schemeritski churchyard. In the area of Andreikovo, the participants found traces on vandalisation on another zhalnik-type grave, probably already about 15 years ago.

On September 19, the inspection continued in Latvia, in Aluksne Region. Altogether, during the four days, the archaeologists visited about 40 sites. The travelled medieval route will be the basis of a future tourist route on the medieval road from Pskov to the Baltics.