The Fortresses of Ukraine. The Builders of Early Iron Age Strongholds in Podolia

Abstract

The most challenging question regarding the defensive settlements of the Pontic forest -steppe is the reason behind their construction at all and size. The most frequent interpretations centre around two questions: were they to protect from external threats (i.e. the nomads) or were they the result of a carefully planned construction strategy related to the economic and social pressure from the Greek colonies in the Black Sea region? it is also possible that both explanations are true.The emergence of hillforts in the Early iron age in Ukraine is a cultural phenomenon that eludes comprehensive descriptions or interpretations. as a conglomerate of 'microcosms' of variable sizes and perhaps functions, fortified settlements share two planes: space and time.The hillforts were constructed in the borderland between the steppe and the forest, the region is defined in the physical geography of Ukraine as the forest--steppe. much more humid than the steppes, it is taken to be the most optimal * institute of archaeology, adam mickiewicz University,

On the synchronization of the chronology of phenomena and artifacts

“…Examples are the hillforts in Motronin (Bessonova and Skoryi 2001, 125) and Chotiv (Kravchenko 2017, 131). It seems that in terms of chronology, the dating closest to Chotyniec was confirmed for Severynivka -from the end of the 7 th century to the end of the 5 th century (Ignaczak et al 2016). Adopting the narrow dating proposed by Denys Grechko would be consistent with the chronology established for the aforementioned Niemirow (Smirnova et al 2018).…”

Barrows in the forest-steppe between the Dniester and Southern Bug, Ukraine. Initial results of comprehensive research

“…Until recently, the relics of the Bronze and Iron Ages communities in the middle part of the forest-steppe between the Southern Bug and Dnister have been poorly explored by archaeologists. Although Severynivka, a fortified settlement dated to the Early Iron Age, was an important exception that continued to be excavated for several years (Ignaczak et al 2016), the exploration of local barrows that was begun almost 130 years ago (Sitsinskyi 1901) was not continued. This was only to be undertaken in 2018-2023 by a Polish-Ukrainian research team that conducted a comprehensive exploration of barrows located between Zhmerynka and Bar.…”

Western frontier of the Archaic Scythia: typo-chronology vs radiocarbon dating

“…Eastern Podillian group. In the first comprehensive publication of the latest research, the dating of the Severynivka hillfort from the end of the 7 th century to the end of the 5 th century BC (Ignaczak et al 2016) looks like a technical error; the upper chronological limit of this fortification is established in the specialist work as not later than the second quarter of the 6 th century BC (Boltryk, Ignaczak, Lifantii, Shelekhan 2021, 30). Accordingly, the materials of the Severynivka hillfort, as well as Nemyriv (Smirnova et al 2018, 235), do not exceed the first half of the 6 th century BC.…”