Investigations at the Trypillia settlement near Hlybochok village in Cherkasy Oblast

Abstract

The Trypillia settlement is located at the western edge of Hlybochok village (former Zvenyhorodka district of Cherkasy Oblast), at the plateau of the western bank of the Hirskyi Tikych River. According to the geophysical surveys, the settlement size reached 100 ha. Its dwellings were organized into two ellipses. The remains of two dwellings (ploshchadki) were excavated in 1994—1995. Ploshchadka No. 1 was located in the southern part of the external construction ellipse, while ploshchadka No. 2 was located in the second internal ellipse at the eastern part of the site. The remains of both houses had a rectangular shape and included several layers of burnt clay. Houses had fireplaces on the lower storey. The second house also included an elevation of rectangular shape with grinding stones. Living areas are associated with the upper storey of houses. The majority of materials, mainly kitchen and table pottery, were found between the layers of burnt clay. Kitchen pottery (6—7 %) is represented by conical bowls and pots with S-shaped profiles with poor ornamentation. Table pottery (92—93 %) is represented by ceramics ornamented with black monochromic painting. Nearly 45 % of pottery forms and 25 % of ornamentation schemes were reconstructed. Ceramic shapes are represented by bowls, goblets, biconical, spherical and conical vessels, amphorae, pear-shaped vessels, leads, craters, pots and binocular-shaped vessels. Anthropomorphic figurines were found in fragments. The Hlybochok settlement is referred to the late phase of Nebelivska group (the end of BII period) of the development of the Western Trypillia culture. The settlement is dated to the range of 3925—3825 BC. The Nebelivska group marks the migration of the Western Trypillia culture populations to the north-eastern direction, towards the Middle Dnieper region. Its further development between the Ros and the Dnieper rivers resulted in the formation of Kanivska local group, which pottery is also characterized by the influence of the Eastern Trypillia traditions. In the indigenous area the Nebelivska local group was replaced by the Tomashivska group.