Cultural and Chronological Aspects of the Material Culture Development of the Early Iron Age Hillfort of "Roisky Shikhan"

Abstract

The paper presents new data on the topography of “Roisky Shikhan” hillfort, received by instrumental survey using modern geopositioning devices (GNSS receiver South S660), in particular, the size of defensive structures, the height of the headland from the foot of the hillfort. Using statistical processing methods, based on A.G. Fedorov-Davydov’s methodology, analyzing of ceramic assemblage peculiarities of the settlement (2898 fragments) was carried out. For the above-mentioned collection of ceramics the main (qualitative) features that are common for all vessels are identified, as well as alternative qualitative indicators that are present or absent on a particular vessel. A number of alternative qualitative features (ornamental motifs) in the decoration of Ananyino ceramics are identified, indicating the emergence of the Roisky hillfort in the I period of the Ananyino cultural and historical area (ACHA) (IX – first quarter / first half of the VII century BC), probably from the VIII century BC, thereby defining it as the earliest site among the settlements of the Vyatka-Vetluga culture ACHA in the Vyatka River basin.

Keywords

• archaeology
• vyatka-vetluga culture
• early iron age
• ananyino cultural-historical area
• hillf