Село Київської Русі (за матеріалами південноруських земель)

Results of the carried out researches on studying vil­lage of an epoch of the Kiev Russ confirm opinion, that becoming and development of a society during an epoch of feudalism in the significant image was determined by relations which developed in village, where the great bulk of the population of that time lived. And in reconstruction of a life of those times the great value is got with archeologic materials. New concerning the given work there is that the complex approach to studying old russian village is the following stage in comparison with works of prede­cessors.

Speaking about “development” of villages in space and in time it is necessary to note, that formation old russian settlement structures is traced in the end IX - in the begin­ning of X centuries. Separate inhabited localities and their concentrations concentrate at this time in districts with the advanced hydrological grid where the rivers create natural axes of regional division. In XI-XII centuries the total of settlements increases, that has been connected to develop­ment of the new grounds and increase in a population. The tendency to increase in settlements and their accommodation in new topographical conditions during feudal disso­ciation XII-XIII allows to specify that the new system of settling starts to be formed centuries. The situation sharply changes in XIII century, when on a significant part of open settlements the life stops and renews later on a new place. It connect with invasion of mongolo-tatar hordes of Batyj and burning up of resource zones. Such situation was not characteristic only for the grounds of South Russ. It is traced in more northern areas of the East Europe at this time, and during the different historical periods in other areas of land settlement - “Flight to hills“ system.

In the end of XI- in the beginning of XII century on change of uniform building style of dwellings there comes their big variety: near to half-dugout there are construc­tions, which builded on inhabited and uninhabited land­ings, two and three-chambered. So, building business in village in those days was not primitive and one-sided. And during only XII century in different places there are man­ ors (a little bit later, than in cities). However presence of locks and keys testifies to prevalence of a private property on village during several centuries of an old russ history.

On a high level of development the then agriculture stayed also: agriculture, cattle breeding and industrial branches (hunting, fishing, apiculturing, collecting, a tim­ber-chemical craft). This structure was generated on the basis of achievements of earlier time, and the further de­velopment established on regional specificity for which the main condition was the natural-climatic environment. In fact except for the general division of the territory consid­ered in work into wood and forest-steppe strips there were features of microregional crushing, a landscape, soils, flo­rae and faunae.

During Ancient russ time agriculture radically varies: there is a gradual transition from technics of loosening ground to plowing with revolution of layers. Though loos­ ening plow still remains in use, first of all, in a zone of Polissya (Marshy Woodlands). There is a gradual transi­tion from two-, to three-field system, and slash-n-bum land tenure are used as auxiliary. Cattle-breeding also under­ goes essential changes: in conformity to an environment there were two types of managing — wood and forest-steppe which differed with breeds of cattle and efficiency of branches.

Fast rates on village crafts and trade developed. First of all it concerns to iron works. The researches carried out recently testify about a high level of development of man­ufacture in village, which put under doubt the statement about full craft dependence of the population of open settlements on city in which workshops only and various crafts could develop. In particular, about residing at a suburban zone of professionals I bear eloquent testimony special craft tools.

About a high level of rural craft various ceramic prod­ucts (this branch had strongly pronounced craft character already since boundary of X-Xl centuries), and also the rests of such occupations as jeweller craft, spinning, weav­ing, processing of a leather, a stone, a bone and a tree tes­tify.

About trade relations (first of all - between city and village, sometimes - between various microregions) speak such groups of finds as spinning wheel, made from the Ovruch pink slate - pyrophillit, subjects of arms, equip­ment of the horseman and a fighting horse (some of them, probably, was produced in the settlement), ornaments from a glass and nonferrous metals and other finds.

One more direction in studying archeologic materials — reconstruction of social relations sn village. First of all this establishment of the sizes of social - territorial unit - annalistic “verv”. Behind this term the majority of research­ers see the name of the territorial community of East Slavs. The collected information allows to express opinion, that it is necessary to carry to such communities, first of all, some small settlements, which situated in rather small ter­ritory. Between such “jacks” territorial break is fixed. On the big settlements, probably, independent communities function. Features of finds and constructions on separate settlements enable to speak and about their specialization-built-up sites, where representatives of feudal elite lived, the trading - craft centers, villages which inhabitants were engaged, basically, agriculture and cattle breeding. How­ ever overwhelming majority of them had multipurpose as­ signment.

Already in more details one can bring an attention to the question about relations between the big and small fam­ilies during a medieval epoch. Under the certain economic conditions in concrete regions basic “stream” in this ques­tion - mass allocation of small families from big — it could “unwrapped” in the opposite direction.

And finds in a countryside of pagan amulets, Christian symbols, presence as tumulustical and earth burial grounds specifies an opposition of old and new beliefs, that as a whole across Russ has generated the original phenomenon known in the historical literature under the name of “dual­belief’.

The fixed adaptations for the letter - styles, and even separate inscriptions on products, from books specify fas­teners a cultural level of representatives of separate cate­gories of agricultural population.

All above-stated information allows to come to one, but the basic for given time to a conclusion: during An­cient Russ time between city and village in many spheres of a life there were parity relations.