09.06.2022 22:29

Archaeologists have found evidence of the earliest Slavic culture in the Lviv region

Фото: Спасательная археологическая служба

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Estimated Reading Time: 3 min

Excavations of the multi-layered monument Sokilnyky-1, which is part of the construction of a new quarter, are underway on the territory of Sokilnytsia village council in Lviv region.

Archaeologists have found more than 40 sites during excavations at the site, according to the Rescue Archaeological Service Research Center.

Sokilnyky-1 was first discovered and explored in 1975. In the 1970s, archaeologists managed to identify three different settlements: Early Iron Age (1,000 BC), Zubrytsia culture (3-4 centuries AD) and Raikovets culture (8-9 centuries BC). .is.). In 1991, the monument was officially registered.

«The monument is multi-layered, which means that people have settled in this area for centuries. The most interesting for us are objects and artifacts of 5-7 centuries, which we associate with the Prague culture, and which give us new evidence of the existence and development of Slavic settlements in the vicinity of Lviv, «- says a researcher at the Rescue Archaeological Service Zoya Ilchyshyn.

She adds that in 2022, scientists from the Rescue Archaeological Service began excavations to learn more about the monument, part of which will be built. Thus, archaeologists have excavated about two thousand sites and found more than 40 objects, including ancient Slavic dwellings, farm buildings and ground structures, which left traces of pillar pits.

Among the objects studied are three semi-subterranean dwellings, which were typical of the Prague culture. They usually had an area of 6-20 m2, a gabled roof lined with straw and reeds and stoves made of stone. In one of these houses in Sokilnyky, a salmon scythe of that time was found.

«Prague culture is the earliest of the cultures that are clearly associated with the Slavs. There are quite a few settlements of this culture in the vicinity of Lviv. Archaeologists are particularly interested in the connection between Prague and the earlier cultures of the late Roman period. It is believed that the Slavs were part of the Chernyakhiv culture. And now, for the first time, materials from the Zubrytsia culture (late Roman times), Prague culture and Raikovets culture appear at the Sokilnyky-1 monument at the same time. That is, we have almost continuous residence from 3 to 9 centuries. This is very important for understanding the ethnogenesis of the Slavs, «explains Alexander Silaev, a researcher at the Rescue Archaeological Service.

The Rescue Archaeological Service has been researching the territory of Ukraine for 30 years. Much of the projects are so-called rescue studies that precede construction. In particular, the service deals with road archeology. That is, he conducts excavations in the areas where roads will be built. Such archeology gives a phenomenal chance to explore very large areas and learn a lot of information about ancient history.