New view on the beginning of the history of Annalistic Plisnesk. Monograph Review: RadoslawLiwoch. Zabytki z wykopalisk Teodora Nieczuja-Ziemiçckiego w latopisowymPlesnisku (Podhorcena Ukrainie)

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New view on the beginning of the history of Annalistic Plisnesk

Monograph Review: Radoslaw Liwoch. Zabytki z wykopalisk Teodora Nieczuja-Ziemiзckiego w latopisowymPlesnisku (Podhorcena Ukrainie).

Vira Hupalo, PhD hab.(History), Senior Researcher, Department of Archaeology, I. Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine

Natalia Bulyk, PhD, Head of the Department of Archaeology, I. Krypiakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine

НОВИЙ ПОГЛЯД НА ПОЧАТКИ ІСТОРІЇ ЛІТОПИСНОГО ПЛІСНЕСЬКА

Рецензія на монографію: RadoslawLiwoch. Zabytkiz wykopalisk Teodora Nieczuja-Ziemiзckiego w latopisowym Plesnisku (Podhorce na Ukrainie).

The Polish archaeologist T. Ziemencki, during the excavation of burials on the territory of the Plisnes'k hill-fort and its surroundings in 1881 - 1883 (today it is hamlet near Pidhirtsi, Brody district, Lviv region) acquired a spectacular collection of the artifacts that represented the burial inventory of the Xth - Xlllth centuries. At the same time, these items were transferred to the Archaeological Museum in Krakow for the deposition, where they are still stored. During all this time, the “Plisnes'k” collection was inaccessible for all scientists, including the Ukrainian ones. However, in 2003 the young researcher RadoslawLiwoch began to introduce some categories of finds into the scientific usage periodically. The monograph, written by the scientist and published in 2018, represents the entire collection of the complete study, based on the comparative analysis of the manuscripts of field diaries from the excavations and the preserved artifacts (their technical and technological characteristics, morphology, analogies), R. Liwoch verified the available burial inventory in order to clarify the burials' chronology and periodization, the buried persons' ethnic origin, the religious identity determination and the social status of one of the oldest fortresses in the Rus' inhabitants', located on the edge of Volyn southern borders.

The structure of the monograph consists of the introduction and three chapters, which are combined by a through numbering. The full text that consists of 52 pages is presented in two languages - Polish (pages 1-52) and later in English (pages 53-98). The total list of used literature covers pages 99-100. The monograph is accompanied by the illustrated material at the final pages of the monograph, presented in the form of appendices - graphic drawings and photographs with a through numbering (Figs. 1-56).

General information about the transfer of the collection of Plisnes'k to the Archaeological and Anthropological Museums in Krakow, the artifacts' storage and the initial stage of studying of them are noted at the introduction part. The second chapter is dedicated to the extremely brief biography of the researcher of Plisnes'k collections - T Ziemencki (1845 - 1916). The main positions occupied by the scientist are listed: a museum worker (collections keeper, director); Member of the Archeological Commission of the Polish Academy of Knowledge (Polska Akademia Umiejзtnosci); an archaeologist; a publisher and an editor; a publicist. Even from this list, we can conclude that T. Ziemencki occupied an active public and scientific position. That is why, such extremely little-known biography details of the well-known personality leave a feeling of hunger for information about him. However, the author only remarked that not much is known about the researcher. It is worth using contemporary works in the history of archaeology, from which it is possible to find out that T Ziemencki, in particular, participated in the Archaeological Congresses, organized antiquities' exhibitions actively, etc. It will be also good to know about the evaluation of scientist's achievements, which is extremely important in the context of the formation and development of archaeology as a science during the second half of the XIXth century.

The third chapter includes the analysis of the general state of study of the complex of annalistic Plisnes'k from the beginning of the XIXth century and until 2016 (Mykhailo Fylypchuk's death, who excavated the site during 1990 - 2016). Outlining the last date makes impression on the reader that the Plisnes'k studies were stopped there. In fact, the activity of the research processes has only accelerated, since in 2015 Historical and Cultural Reserve “Ancient Plisnes'k” was created based on the archaeological site and the archaeological excavations are actively carried out by AndriyFylypchuk. At the same time, R. Liwoch only states which objects were excavated and by whom. Sometimes he does not even mention the materials chronology. It is worth giving a general scientific evaluation of these finds, to outline their importance for understanding of spatial organization of the site and its planning structure. The chapter ends with three quotations from the Old Rus' written sources (the chronicles and “The Tale of Ihor's Campaign”), where Plisnes'k was mentioned (1185, 1188, 1233). In the footnotes, the reader is directed to the historiography on the Rurik dynasty genealogy, written by the authoritative Polish researchers (D. Dombrowski, A. Yusupowicz). Instead, the work of a well-known Ukrainian historians-medievalists, first of all, Voitovych, who fruitfully studies this period in the history of Ukraine, is presented in a sketchy way and selectively. It is difficult to assume that R. Liwoch is unfamiliar with this literature (we are deeply convinced in the opposite), but the absence of at least references to monographs, topical in this context, makes the impression that there are gaps in the Ukrainian studies of the Middle Ages that are not true. The passage about the possible falsification of “The Tale of Ihor's Campaign” (which is inappropriate in the context of the problems under consideration) appears even more surprising. However, the author of the monograph can be excused by his own words that “evaluation of this work is beyond his competence”. Though, noted in this chapter is a slight drift in the characterization of Plisnes'k research, deepened in the following text, which, unfortunately, gives the monograph a certain one-sidedness.

The fourth chapter is the most important. The detailed analysis of the obtained material (both the burials and the artifacts) is presented by T Ziemencki. The characteristics of the objects and findings are presented separately according to the field seasons in 1881, 1882, 1883 (subsections). During the research carried out in 1881, a trench was dug up in the central part of the hill-fort along its diameter. Within it, numerous materials were found in the cultural layer: clay products (pots, lamps, whorls and amphorae), iron (knives, keys, fire strikers, notches, bits, arrowheads and tridents), non-ferrous metals (bracelets), glass (bracelets, beads). The ceramic material is presented on five graphic tables and amphorae on the sixth table, which can be found in the museum collection. R. Liwoch's main attention is focused on the analysis of three reconstructed pots. The remaining fragments are presented in the consolidated table. A careful description of the ceramics is indisputable, which makes it informative for professionals, unlike the proposed dating. The fragments of wheel tableware shown on the figures (and partly on the photos) generally have a considerable range of using - the XIth - the first half of the XIIIth century. However, among these fragments, some specimens can be clearly distinguished, forms of which were dominant during the XIth and XIIth centuries. Instead, there are no vessels from the Xth and the first half of the XIIIth century. It is also difficult to agree with the chronology of some other categories of items, including glass bracelets, the time of use of which is dated back to the 20-ies and 30-ies of the XIIIth century. In this case, the references to the analogy from Kholm and other places requires a differentiated approach. Separately, in this sub-section studies of Velykamohyla on the public area are analyzed. There a pair of burials of a man and a woman were discovered in the sub-barrow mound. The deceased persons were placed in a wooden chamber, with the head oriented to the west, the gold plaque was put to the mouth of the man (obol of dead); gifts (two wooden buckets with remains of food) were spread around. The equipment of the dead attracts special attention. The man wearing a chainmail was accompanied by a sword; the woman wore decorations (necklace, the bracelet made of golden plate). In the context of characterization of these items, R. Liwoch presented a chemical analysis of individual finds (belt buckle and bronze ring, lead-tin hoops from a wooden bucket). The author of the monograph, sharing the opinion of the previous researchers, rightly identifies the burial with the representatives of the social elite, the funeral of whom was carried out in accordance with the pagan ritual. The time of the burial (up to or shortly after 988) is a matter of debate. In addition to Velykamohyla, a several smaller barrows were examined, where separate finds were found (cross-shaped suspension, temporal ring, necklace that consists of three slate whorls, circle from a pot).

The materials from the excavations carried out in 1882 - Velykimohyly № 1 and № 2, in which the dead were buried in the wooden chambers with their heads turned to the west are considered at the second sub-section. Burial № 1 where a man and a woman laid, stands out of the inventory wealth. The man was accompanied by the sword in a wooden sheath with bronze edging and ax; wore jewelry (silver bracelet, gold and two silver rings); the woman has silver temporal rings, necklace which consists of colorful beads, three silver rings. The wooden buckets with knives inside were placed to the grave. Both had a gold plaque in the mouth, and a silver cross on the chest. In the grave № 2, among remains of the wooden chamber only the burial of a man armed with an ax was found. He was decorated only by two gold rings. Instead, a sickle and a knife were placed on his stomach, and on the right were two wooden buckets with food and a knife inside it and a bowl. The notable items included a bronze encolpion on the shoulder and a silver cross on the chest. Based on the detailed analysis of the material R. Liwoch rightly dates the burial by the first half of the XIth century and associate them with the military elite who have already professed Christianity in a distinctly pagan environment.

In the third chapter there is the burials and burial inventory characteristics discovered in 1883 in almost destroyed graves, as well as the separate artifacts are presents.

In conclusions, R. Liwoch underlines the importance of interpretation of the burials for understanding of the origins of statehood and the Christianity in Western Ukrainian lands. It is precisely these ancient processes on the territory of Halychyna land that are the least described in the written sources and poorly reflected in the archaeological sources. The materials from Plisnes'k work, demonstrate the state of the society on the turning point of the traditions, since the burials clearly record the the combination of such features as the pagan and the Christian burial ritual (with the clear dominance of the first one), wealth of the burial inventory (gold and silver artifacts, presence of refined jewelry) belonging of men to the military stratum. The results of a careful analysis of obtained material remain only in accordance with the features mentioned above already constitute a significant source for further historical conclusions. Add to this a reasonable periodization of the material, a scientific value of the source base will increase significantly. And in this case, it is only necessary to pay tribute to the efforts of T Ziemencky, directed in his time to carrying out of the excavations (until nowadays these graves could not be preserved!), and to R. Liwoch's works - for a complex and comprehensive research and introduction of the material into the scientific use. And we can finish here if it had not been a particular tendency that was given to the study from the beginning. First of all, it is notable that during examination of the material publications of scientists from Central Europe is widely used but modern works of East European researchers (including Ukrainian ones), who study the medieval antiquities, are not sufficiently applied. The non-peculiar periodiation should only allow avoiding but also to present typical and at the same time special character of the finds from Plisnes'k on the broader background of the analogies. At the same time, the range of issues that allow representing the artifacts considered in the monograph is quite broad and significant. Simultaneously, these materials, despite their effectiveness, are not quite suitable for solving problems of the interethnic relations. Instead, R. Liwoch subordinated the material to the final conclusion logically and methodically that we are dealing with the “lendzianskimPlesniskiem”, which is “spodobacsiз musiaiozdobywcy” (to knyazVolodymyr the Great) and in addition, placing the hill-fort on the south-east outskirts of the tribal territory of Lendians(Lзdzianie). It is a pity that actually the good case of the respectful publication of important sources are intertwined with the old-world debate about the location of area of habitation of Lendians. To the very large historiography of this issue, in which the opposite approaches to solving the problem clearly appeared, the available materials from Plisnes'k could not add anything (neither confirm nor refute the existing views). On the other hand, as R. Liwoch rightly points out, the burials with the body crosses are, without any doubt, representing the earliest evidence of the appearance of the Christians in the western territories of modern Ukraine. Their presence in Plisnes'k work was the result of the state-creation processes in the Rus'. As the representatives of the Great Knyaz-of Kyiv and at the same time - part of the social elite, these individuals, who formed the contingent of the Plisnes'k stronghold, controlled strategic territory on the western borders of the emerging state. The materials presented in the monograph, at the same time, reflect the everyday culture and peculiarities of the spiritual life of these people.

Summarizing, it should be emphasized that R. Liwoch's book “Zabytki z wykopalisk Teodora Nieczuja-Ziemiзckiego w latopisowymPlesnisku (Podhorcena Ukrainie)”, which is based on a diligent long-term work on the understanding of the old museum collections is a professional research, which represents the important distribution to the learning of history of Ukraine in the early period of the development of state.

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