From 17 to 30 June, a team of students and volunteers under the leadership of Associate Professor Yuri Matveev studied a burial complex in the Repyevsky District. Some Bronze Age, Catacomb culture, and early Iron Age objects were found. The work is carried out by Viktor Kovalevsky, PhD in History, Associate Professor Yuri Matveev (now retired), and a team of volunteers who are passionate about history. Any volunteer can take part in the expedition.
Scientists provisionally dated the mound to the Bronze Age. On 17 June, the team began to remove the embankment, and on 20 and 21 June, first discoveries were made. The first find is the remains of a Bronze Age pot.
“Most likely, it has been moved by a mole from a deeper layer to a younger one,” said Viktor Kovalevsky in his video on Sergei Spassky’s VKontakte page. “Today, we have started to clean a pot of the Catacomb culture dated about 20–22 centuries BC. All the discoveries are dated by Yuri Matveev, one of the most experienced archaeologists in the Voronezh Region.”
A small children's burial site was discovered next to the pot. Three beads were found in the area of the legs and there was a spinner in the area of the pelvis, which probably indicates that the buried person was a female. Also, Evgeny Shmatov, a pupil from Voronezh school No. 28, found a small pot located near the skull.
“We have provisionally dated it to the era of the early Iron Age, the Sarmatian time,” said Viktor Kovalevsky.
During the opening of the mound embankment, the archaeologists established that the mound was raised several times. It has multiple “inlet” burials of various periods. The team found out that the mound at the Krasny Pakhar hamlet is a multi-level structure belonging to several periods and more discoveries were expected during the expedition.
“This is a “layer cake”, said Yuri Matveev, the Head of the expedition. “We have already excavated the burials of the supposedly Timber-grave and Catacomb cultures and a Sarmatian burial of a girl”.
The excavation team and Sergey Spassky personally invited people interested in history to take part in the expedition. The archaeologists promised to teach those who did not have experience in such work.
“We provide volunteers with a transfer from Voronezh, meals, accommodation in camping, a starry sky, and dreams! Hard physical labour is guaranteed, as well as unforgettable impressions and memories!” wrote Sergei on his VKontakte page.
Sergey Spassky can be contacted by phone. +7 (919) 186–81–89.
Text: Irina Golik
Photo: from Sergey Spassky's VKontakte page
