Prehistoric Belorussia is a period in the history of Belorussia before the appearance of the first state formations on the territory of the modern Republic of Belarus , that is, until the 9th century AD. The study of this period deals primarily with archeology .
Content
Stone Age
The time of appearance of representatives of the genus Homo in the territory of Belarus is not established. The most common dating from 100 to 35 millennium BC. er [1] It is believed that the first people on the territory of Belarus in the interval between the glaciations were representatives of the Neanderthal species, which was not the ancestor of modern humans.
Paleolithic
- Late Paleolithic parking
Two Late Palaeolithic sites — Yurovichi ( Kalinkovichi district of the Gomel region with Orinyak antiquities [2] , discovered by Y. Popel in 1928 ) and Berdyzh ( Chechersk district of the Gomel region ( eastern Gravette ), discovered by K. Polikarpovich ) were investigated . The age of the Yurovichi site is approximately 26 thousand years, and the Berdyzh site is 24 thousand years old. Also known are some finds of flint tools of a Paleolithic type not far from Berdyzh, as well as near the villages of Obidovichi, Bykhov district of the Mogilyov region and Svetilovichi of the Vetka district of the Gomel region .
Due to the adverse climatic conditions caused by glaciation , only the south of the territory of the modern Republic of Belarus was inhabited. It is believed that hunting was of key importance to the inhabitants of the camps (in Berdyzh, in particular, the bones of 50 mammoths were found, although the duration of the permanent stay of people in the camp was not known for sure). Gathering was not common due to the proximity of the glacier and the harsh climatic conditions. During the excavation of the Yurovichi site, a plate made of mammoth tusk with an ornament in the form of fish scales was found.
The onset of the glacial maximum forced the inhabitants of the sites to move south, beyond the borders of the territory of modern Belarus.
Around the XIII millennium BC. er The retreat of the glacier began, and the period of the Upper Paleolithic began . Began a new settlement of the territory of the modern Republic of Belarus.
Archaeological cultures of the Upper Paleolithic
In the era of the final Paleolithic in the Middle Dnieper settlement appeared Grensky culture . From the west began settling the tribes sviderskoy culture . There are also settlements of other archaeological cultures, including the arenburg , tardenois .
Settlement occurred mainly along the banks of the rivers; remained largely uninhabited river watersheds.
Mesolithic
Around X millennium BC. er the ice age ended, and the Mesolithic era began. At this time, the territory of modern Belarus was settled permanently. More than 120 Mesolithic settlements are known, among which there are both seasonal stops and small permanent settlements [3] .
Mesolithic was characterized by an increase in the number of species of flora and fauna. In this connection, besides hunting, fishing and gathering also spread. A bow (with bone and stone arrowheads) appears in the Mesolithic, which greatly increases the effectiveness of hunting. The most common type of dwellings of the Mesolithic on the territory of Belarus were light buildings with a diameter of about five meters based on designs of poles, round or rectangular in plan. Settlements were located on elevations near rivers and lakes [3] .
Many of the Mesolithic monuments are very reminiscent of the Svidersky culture monuments, but they also have a number of features that bring them closer to the indigenous population who came after the retreat of the glacier a little earlier. There is a lot of evidence that people from other regions also migrated to the territory of Belarus: from the south, from the east and from Central Europe.
At the site of Butovo culture in the village of Dednya, in the Chaussky district of the Mogilev region, the Mesolithic settlement existed 9300 - 9400 years ago [4] .
Mesolithic Archaeological Cultures
- Grensky culture (beginning - in the era of the final Paleolithic; more than 10 sites are known)
- Komarnica culture
- Yanislavitskaya culture (more than 10 sites are known)
- Dnipro-Desna culture (more than 30 sites are known)
- Sviderskaya culture
- Kundsky culture (three sites are known, Verkhnedvinsky and Polotsk districts )
- Neman culture (studied more than 10 sites)
- Kudlaevskaya culture
- Untyped settlements with mixed material culture (Lake Naroch region and other settlements) [3]
- perhaps Tardenois culture [5]
Neolithic
During the Neolithic period , the transition from the appropriating to the producing economy took place , however, on the territory of Belarus, fishing and hunting continued to play the main role, and in the Dvina basin the wide distribution of the producing economy belongs to the late Neolithic period [6] .
The beginning of the Neolithic on the territory of Belarus dates back to the appearance of ceramics (the end of the 5th millennium BC in Polesie and the first half of the 4th millennium BC in the central and northern regions) [6] . In the Neolithic era, people learned how to produce high-quality tools and tools from flint [6] . On the sites of the Neolithic era there are bones of a boar, elk, bison, bear, roe deer, beaver and badger. Fishing gear and remains of primitive boats have also been found; It is assumed that the main object of fishing was pike . At least 700 Neolithic settlements are known in the territory of modern Belarus, 80% of which belong to the late Neolithic period. Mostly Neolithic settlements (open unfortified type) are located along the banks of rivers and lakes, which is associated with the great importance of fisheries in economic life.
Neolithic Archaeological Cultures
- Narva and Verkhnedneprovskaya culture
Upper Dnieper culture (upper Dnieper region) left up to 500 known sites, of which only about 40 were investigated. At an early stage, culture carriers made thick-walled pots, ornamentation was carried out by dimpled impressions and combs. At a later stage, more thick-necked pots began to appear with more complex compositions in the ornament.
There were round and oval dwellings, later deepened into the ground. The influence on culture from the outside is observed only at the end of the Neolithic. It is assumed that the Upper Dnieper culture was associated with the Finno-Ugric peoples.
- Neman culture
Neman culture is common in the Neman basin (as well as in north-eastern Poland and south-western Lithuania). The area of culture spread to the south to the headwaters of the Pripyat. There are the Dubchay, Lysogorsk and Dobrobor periods (the reason for the classification is the difference in the methods of making ceramics). It is believed that the culture began to form in the late Mesolithic.
For culture were characterized by ground dwellings. Cookware Neman culture ostrodonnaya, early burnt not enough. There are traces of vegetation in the clay. The surface of the walls is leveled by combing with a comb.
At the end of III millennium BC. er representatives of the Neman culture moved to the north under the influence of the culture of spherical amphoras .
- Dnipro-Donetsk culture
The Dnieper-Donetsk culture (the end of the V - the beginning of the II millennium BC.) Is localized in the eastern Polesye (lower Pripyat basin) and the Right Bank of the Dnieper to the Berezina. Monuments of culture in Belarus are identical to the monuments in northern Ukraine. There are about 150 sites of culture in the territory of Belarus. It is assumed that the speakers of this culture spoke Proto-Indo-European language [7] [8] .
- Spherical Amphora Culture
The culture of spherical amphoras, whose representatives settled originally in Western Belarus in the late Neolithic period - the early Bronze Age - is considered the first Indo-European population in the territory of modern Belarus . The most famous cultural monument of spherical amphorae is the flint mining mine near the Krasnoselsky settlement in the Volkovysk district of the Grodno region .
Bronze Age
Since there are no copper and tin deposits necessary for obtaining bronze in the territory of Belarus and neighboring regions, the bronze age stands out quite arbitrarily. Therefore, stone tools continued to prevail, and decorations were made of metal mainly. Copper implements are very rare. There is evidence of the existence of the exchange - amber jewelery was found, as well as individual beads of Middle Eastern origin.
Middle Dnieper culture
Middle Dnieper culture existed from the middle of the third millennium to the middle of the second millennium .
The resettlement of culture carriers came from the south - approximately from the territory of the Kiev and Cherkassy regions of Ukraine. Localization of culture - Dnieper and part of Polesie.
For the culture is characterized by burial and soil burial. The various wealth of burials indicates the beginning of property stratification among culture bearers.
The basis of the economy of the population of the Middle Dnieper culture was livestock and agriculture. Ornamentation of pots (in some of them prints of grains were found) was made in the form of rows of triangles.
Tshinetsky and Sosnitsky culture
The Sosnitskaya culture is the eastern version of the Tshinets culture , the Sosnitsa culture occupied the area of the Middle Dnieper culture in the 2nd millennium BC. er . Received its name from the settlement Sosnitsa Chernihiv region. Settlement Soshnitsky culture unfortified and located on the sand dunes in the floodplains of rivers. Dwellings are represented by rectangular dugouts with a depth of over 1 m and an area of 40–45 sq. M. Forced Mariana culture to the east.
Corded Ware Culture
In the first half of the second millennium BC. er Indo-European tribes of cord ceramics culture penetrate the territory of modern Belarus. There are two local groups of corded stoneware culture: the Polissya group and the Baltic group.
The Baltic group (about 1900-1700 BC , Ponemanye ) did not linger on the territory of Belarus, and its carriers often moved from place to place, as evidenced by a thin cultural layer in the settlements of a given culture.
The Polesia group (about 1800–1400 BC. E. , Western Polesye ) was engaged in sedentary animal husbandry and agriculture, and to a lesser extent, in hunting and fishing. The inventory of this culture is represented almost exclusively by stone tools of labor, known even in the Neolithic .
The oldest skull from the territory of Belorussia, whose face was restored, belonged to a representative of the culture of corded ceramics for a man of 30–40 years old who lived in the second millennium BC. er and found in a bronze flint mine in the village of Krasnoselsky, Volkovysk District, Grodno Region [9] .
Iron Age
In contrast to the Bronze Age, there are sources of iron ( swamp ores ) on the territory of Belarus, which allowed the local population to use iron for household needs. The first culture acquainted with the production of iron in the territory of Belarus was Milograd culture .
Iron Age Archaeological Cultures
- Underground culture burials
- Milograd culture
Milogradskaya culture (about 700 - 150 BC. E. ) In the period of the greatest expansion occupied the territory from the Berezina in the north to the Ros in the south and the Western Bug in the west.
The settlements of culture were both open, unfortified settlements, and cape and “swamp settlements”. The main dwelling was the dugout depth of 1.5 meters.
Culture is distinguished by a kind of round-bottomed ceramics, which mostly disappeared in the Bronze Age. Milograds had cultural ties with Scythians .
The main occupations of Milogradians were farming and animal husbandry. Metallurgy has become widespread: in some settlements bronze was smelted, in many products made of iron. In particular, weapons were made of iron: arrowheads and swords having a pronounced Scythian form.
Milograd culture is often identified with the neuros of Herodotus . Subsequently, the Milograd culture is replaced by a Zarubinets culture .
- Culture of hatched ceramics
- Dnipro-Dvinsk culture
- Pomeranian culture
- Zarubintsy culture
The appearance of monuments Zabrubinsk culture dates back to the end of I millennium BC. er (about II century BC. e. ), the last of them date from around the end of the II century AD. er
On the territory of Belarus there are two varieties of this culture - the Polissya and Verkhne-Dvina groups.
- Kiev culture
Monuments of Kiev culture date back to the end of II - mid- V century AD. e. ( Yaskovichi ).
Apparently, it comes from zarubintsy culture. Thanks to the bearers of Kiev culture, stone millstones appeared for the first time on the territory of Belarus.
- Velbar culture
At the end of the II century , monuments of culture known as Velbar (or Velbar-Tsetsel) appear in the Western Polesie (west of the Brest region ) west of the Goryn . At least 4 burial grounds are known (Brest-Trishin, Skorbychi, Velichkovichi, Ivanchitsy), and all of them belong to a short time period (until the 3rd - 4th centuries ). The most important finds are bronze fibulae (barrettes for clothing) of the northern European type. There are few finds of tools.
- Culture of long mounds
The culture of long barrows is localized in the middle course of the Western Dvina. Long mounds themselves have been studied more, settlements are much worse known. The presence of temporal rings is characteristic for burials.
- Banzer culture
The Banzer culture, which is sometimes included in the Banzer- Tushemlin culture due to its proximity to the Tushemlin culture, dates back to about the 5th — 8th centuries. The extended chronological framework for the existence of a culture includes the V-IX-X centuries.
Banzer culture originated on the basis of the Dnieper-Dvinsk culture . At the same time, the archaeologist A. G. Mitrofanov connects the origin of Banzer’s culture with the culture of hatched ceramics .
Culture settlements are predominantly open settlements, but fortified settlements also appear in small numbers. Settlements are usually located along the banks of rivers and lakes. The burials are represented by soil burials with cremation. The results of the cremation of the dead were formed in small rounded pits, sometimes placed in urns (some of the urns were placed on top of other, larger vessels). In the graves is very rare inventory.
As a rule, ceramics of the Banzer culture is unoriented.
- Kolochin culture
Monuments of the Kolochin culture date back to the middle of the 5th - 7th centuries AD. e.
Monuments of the Kolochin culture are close to Banzer, but a special type of dwelling stands out - quite numerous well-fortified settlements, near which there are settlements with semi-dwelling houses with high walls and a central pillar.
- Prague culture
Monuments of the Pripyat Prague culture spread south of Pripyat in the 6th - 7th centuries.
The settlements of the Prague culture are not strengthened, on the territory of Belarus there are very few fortified settlements of Prague culture. The settlements are poor in finds - in the main, the finds are represented only by ceramics.
- Stone Mound Culture
- Culture of Eastern Lithuanian mounds
- Culture of Smolensk long kurgans
The cultural monuments of the East-Lithuanian burial mounds, dating back to the 4th - 13th centuries , are located in the north-west of Belarus. Early burials of the 4th - 5th centuries contain agricultural implements, later burial mounds contain a large number of weapons in men's graves, as well as cervical hryvnias in women's ones. Starting from the 8th century, burials with horses appear.
Ethnicity of Iron Age Cultures
The question of which cultures were Slavic remains debatable. Different cultures by researchers belong to the Slavic because of their similarity to the Prague culture , the belonging of which to the Slavs is beyond doubt. Thus, of all the archaeological cultures of Belarus, only Prague is definitely Slavic.
A special place is occupied by Velbar culture , which is identified with the Goths of the times of their resettlement in the south-east direction. For this reason, the monuments of Velbarian culture belong to a narrow period of time, and in the monuments themselves there are few signs that the culture carriers were engaged in settled long-term farming.
The Banzer culture , the area of which is partly similar to the chronicle localization of the Krivichy [10] , appeared to be Baltian: in the cultural monuments there is no direct connection with the later, undoubtedly Slavic strata. In addition, the links of inventory (primarily, ceramics) at all stages of the existence of a culture with parallel Slavic cultures are not traced. On this basis, A. G. Mitrofanov and V. V. Sedov talk about the belonging of culture carriers to the Balts. The largest centers of the Banzer-Tushemli culture: Polotsk, Smolensk. In the western part of the cultural area (Dnieper region) there are such Slavic elements, such as, for example, stone ovens in the corner of dugouts and buildings. G. V. Shtykhov on this basis calls the Banzer culture Slavic and even Prabelarus. A. G. Mitrofanov and V. V. Sedov speak only about individual cultural influences of the Slavs at a late stage of the existence of culture.
Kolochin culture has a very close relationship with Banzer culture . This allows some researchers ( E. M. Zagorulsky , A. G. Mitrofanov, V. V. Sedov and others) to say that the carriers of this culture belonged to the Balts. However, the fact that the area of culture is superimposed on the localization of the Radimichs , as well as a number of features characteristic of Slavic cultures, allows some researchers (P. N. Tretyakov, L. D. Pobol and others) to determine the ethnicity of the Kolochin culture as Slavic .
Nearby archaeologists culture of long mounds correlates with the Slavs , primarily because of the presence of the temporal rings and the partial similarity of the area of culture with the chronicle territory occupied by the Krivichy . At the same time, in some long kurgans they find ceramics of the Banzer culture and decorations typical of the Balts, as well as evidence of the presence of a large number of Scandinavians there.
Slavic settlement
The three main chronicle tribes on the territory of the modern Republic of Belarus were Krivichi- Polochans, Dregovichi and Radimichi . Over time, on the territory of the first two unions, specific princedoms were formed: Polotsk and Turov .
See also
- Prehistoric Lithuania
- Prehistoric Poland
Notes
- ↑ Lyako V. M. , Shtykhaў G. V. Uvodzіny // Archaeologicals of Belarus. T. 1. - Mn. : Belarusian Entsyklapedyya іmya Petrus Brokі, 2009. - p. 9. Citation: “ It was established that the initial attempts of a Neanderthal man to penetrate the territory of Belarus belong to the early (Mousterian) period of the Stone Age (100-40 / 35 thousand years ago) ”; the original: “It is established that the first attempt of the Neandertalskag of Chalavek is praniccluded in the Belarus Belarus market at an early (Muszier) peryad of the Stone Age (100—40 / 35 thousand years ago) ”.
- ↑ Polikarpovich KM , Enchanted by antiquity. Archived copy of April 7, 2011 on Wayback Machine
- ↑ 1 2 3 Särednі kamenna century (mezalіt). Zasyalennu edge plyamyonami palyanichyh, fisherman and zbіralnіkaў // History of Belarus: 6 tons. - T. 1: Starabytynaya Belarus. - Minsk: Ekaperspetyva, 2007. - p. 30-34
- ↑ Mogilev archeologists managed to find out the first radiocarbon dates for Mogilev Posozhie.
- ↑ Yu. V. Kukharenko, POLESIE AND ITS PLACE IN THE PROCESS OF ETHNOGENESIS OF SLAVS (inaccessible link)
- ↑ 1 2 3 Plajmeny on terytoryі Belarus ў new stone age (nonalice) // History of Belarus: 6 tons. - Vol. 1: Old Belarus. - Minsk: Eccperspecting, 2007. - p. 34-52
- ↑ Kuzmin A. G. , From the prehistory of the peoples of Europe
- ↑ JPMallory - In Search of the Indo-Europeans, 1989, p.197
- ↑ Ancient Belarusian was a tall, strong European
- ↑ Tale of Bygone Years Part I.
Literature
- History Belarus ў 6 tamah. T. 1. Staradytynaya Belarus. Hell of pershapachatkovaga zasylennya yes syredzіny XIII Art. / Redkal .: M. Kastsyuk (Gal. Red.) І іnsh. - Mn .: Modern School; Eco-Perspective, 2007. - 351 p.
Links
- Lectures on archeology of Belarus
- M.M. Charnyakski П - Persistent Hitting on Territories of Belarus (Belor.)
- S.V. Tarasak - Belarus in IX - Syardzіne XIII century (Belor.)
- Ya. U. Novikaў - Vaenna of the Mystery of the Slavs and Baltacans of Kanza V - patacha of the 9th st / Vaennaya gistoryya Belarusian land (and Kanza of the XII century). T. 1 - Minsk: Logvina, 2007. - 208 p. (white)
- A. Kotlyarchuk - Belarus in Belarus: Kanets IX - Pachatak XIII Art. / Shvedy ў gistory of the culture of Belarus. - Minsk: Entsyklapedyks, 2002 (Belor.)