THE ISSUE OF THE LARGE DWELLINGS OF TRYPILLIA CULTURE

Abstract

This paper aims at the analysis of remains of the Trypillia culture dwelling of a large size. The study includes the comparison of large houses’ inventory. More specifically, the analysis included the data from the cluster of ploshchadka from the settlement of Talianki (the so-called ‘Potter’s family I’ complex), which included five houses. The largest of these dwellings differs from the others not only by its size but also by the number and importance of the material. Besides this, the study included the dwelling remains of a size of 200 m2 and of a useful size of 100 m2 and more. Population estimates indicate the possibility of such structures’ inhabiting by 20―35 people. Therefore, the author proposes to distinguish ploshchadkas group by the parameter of their useful size for the whole Trypillia culture. Such dwellings belong to different periods of the culture. This distinguishing is exemplified by house remains from Ozheve-Ostriv. The analysis of dwellings’ inventory indicates that the Dwelling 3 was not only inhabited by a large group of people but it also served for conducting certain craft processes, i.e. tanning, flint knapping, bone and antler processing. Moreover, the inventory of this structure included a high number of weapons (arrowheads, spearheads). In general the author concludes that the large size dwellings of this group may be interpreted as men’s houses. Such dwellings were inhabited by the young people belonging to a certain sex-age group, and served for training in various fields of crafts and activities. Men’s houses were also used for gathering the male part of the tribe for magic rituals and feasts. Patriarchs taught young people the rules of common living and taboos of their society. This explains the dwelling size used to gather a particular or supposed number of the representatives of sex-age groups of patriarchs and young men.