Historic Tripillia artifacts found in Kamianets‑Podilskyi - Boost for UNESCO bid?

Work was underway, and artifacts were discovered.

The ancient artifacts were found on the territory of the Old Castle during the excavation of a trench for lightning protection.

"Near the adjacent building of the Old Castle in Kamianets-Podilskyi, materials from the early Iron Age and the Eneolithic period were discovered. These are fragments of pottery, earthenware vessels, and objects made of bone and flint. The early Iron Age is represented by relics of the Chornolis culture from the 9th–8th centuries BC. There are also cups, ladles, bowls, and jugs with rich incised and pasted ornamentation and a polished black surface," said Pavlo Nechytailo, head of the Kamianets-Podilskyi architectural and archaeological expedition of the state enterprise "Scientific Research Center 'Protective Archaeological Service'" of the Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine.

According to the specialist, materials of this culture had been previously discovered on the territory of the Old Castle. A fragment of the defensive rampart from that time and agricultural pits had been found.

At the Institute of Archaeology, experts say that the obtained materials indicate contacts between the local population of that era and other cultures of the Central European zone. It was these interactions that led to the construction of the first fortifications on the site of the Old Castle.

Objects of the Trypillian culture

Artifacts of the Copper-Stone Age belong to two stages of the Trypillian culture, and researchers consider every ceramic fragment a crucial testament to past millennia.

Pavlo Nechytailo says that analysis of the ornamentation on the fragments confirms that there was a settlement from the Trypillian V1 stage on the territory of the Old Castle, which is dated to the 5th millennium BC.

This period was a crisis in the history of Neolithic farmers in Europe, as there was a sharp cooling at the time. Scientists concluded that during that period, the Trypillians actively migrated to inaccessible headlands and elevated areas.

The archaeologist noted that the late medieval and early modern layers in the eastern part of the inner courtyard were leveled during land clearing. Only the lower part of the cultural layers remains, where evidence of the early Iron Age and the Eneolithic is visible.

"As a result of the survey, a significant number of artifacts were discovered, some of which may enhance the museum's exhibition. Practice shows that even small earthworks on such sites must be carried out with the participation of archaeologists," emphasized Nechytailo.

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Sources: Wikipedia, the Great Ukrainian Encyclopedia, website of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.