Kapustin K. Kiev land in the middle of the XIII-XV ct. (according to archaeological data)

The thesis is devoted to the research of material culture monuments of Kiev Land in the middle of XІІІ-XV centuries. Having studied various sources, the author analyzed topography, planigraphy, chronology of archaeological monuments of the region and separately characterized the material culture of the population. A significant amount of the materials is introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. On the basis of the conducted research it was established that Kiev Land, despite social and economic shocks, demographic regress, caused by the Mongolian invasion, didn't become unpopulated. The features of the geographical position, economic and political development of the concrete regions defined specifics of their restoration (the southern territories suffered more heavily that is why their development was slowed a little down in the comparison with the northern territories). 16 The settlements, as well as the hillforts, existed in the same topographical conditions, as in XII-XIII ct. The majority of monuments are located on the river banks, the others - on the capes, eminences in the floodplains or natural outliers. The small settlements up to 1 hectare area prevailed; this indicates the small amount of populated homesteads. The hillforts aren't numerous. The comparison of written data and archaeological sources testifies to existence of strengthenings on 17 monuments. As the researches showed, the fortifications of the XIV-XV centuries have many common features with defensive architecture of Kiev Russ time. The distinctive feature of strengthenings of this time is the increase of towers in quantity and their removal out of limits of the walls, the value of towers gradually increases. Considerably less information is given about burial grounds of that time; this is connected with complexity of their fixing and the subsequent dating. The analysis that was carried out allowed to record the existence of two funeral traditions: the first - Christian, according to which the deceased was buried the head to the west, without accompanying stock; the second - is peculiar to late nomadic burials (the deceased was buried in rectangular, sometimes oval graves, the head to the east or northeast).