Beginning of history

Large-scale archaeological excavations are underway in the village of Gorodishche — it was here on the Menka River that our capital was born

Officially, the year of birth of Minsk is considered to be 1067, the first mention of it is kept by the Tale of Bygone Years. But scientists who have been exploring the Mensk settlement and fortress for half a century are not sure about the unambiguity of this date, since they have often come across finds from an earlier period — the 9th–10th centuries. Last year, the Prime Minister instructed to organise a large-scale study  of the archaeological complex, because in the 11th century it was one of the most significant ‘megacities’ of the Polotsk land and Eastern Europe as a whole. The start was made in April, more than Br500,000 were allocated from the republican budget.

Place with history

The Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences conducts large-scale archaeological research in the most promising areas of the fortified settlement and the settlements adjacent to it. Everyone understands that it is impossible to fully explore such a gigantic archaeological complex in one field season. Imagine, only the fortified Small and Big settlements occupy an area of 2 hectares, the height of the defensive ramparts is 8–12 metres, and the settlement behind the fortress walls is 30 hectares. The excavation will take at least two years.

The only model of the Mensk Castle of the 11th century in Belarus

Now they are being conducted from the western side of Gorodishche. A curious artefact was found at this place — the handle of a bronze vessel of Arab origin of the 10th century. As well as ingots of non-ferrous metals, silver coins, jewellery, belt pads, cast defective products and tools. According to the Head of the Department of the Middle Ages and Modern Times of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Head of the Prospecting Work Andrei Voitekhovich, this confirmed the assumption that from the second half of the 11th to the beginning of the 12th century there was a jewellery workshop, “Having completed work on this site, we will lay an excavation on the western side in order to localise the boundaries of the jeweller’s estate, to determine its dimensions in order to understand the context of this place. There is an assumption that this is the territory of a trade and craft settlement, where there were workshops and forges. The site is limited by the Dunai Creek and the Menka River, and for safety reasons, our ancestors located such fire hazardous industries near the water. This version is supported by a dozen lead seals found that marked goods.”   The depth of the cultural layer in this place is 80 centimetres. Layer by layer, the soil is carefully removed and sifted, and all the finds are fixed on the plan and photographed. It’s unfortunate, but the chemical composition of the soil near the banks of the Menka River adversely affected the preservation of organic matter — wood, leather and fabric...
However, the remains of earthworks of our ancestors have survived to this day. The oak fortifications of the city are hidden in them. This summer, experts will reopen them to take samples of coal and logs. Dendrochronological and radiocarbon analyses will give the date of the ramparts erection and remove all disagreements about whether this settlement is the ancestor of Minsk.

Find for science

The locals joke: here, wherever you dig, there is a treasure everywhere. The territory of the Mensk settlement really hides many secrets. Archaeologists continue to open them, raising to the surface unique artefacts of the 10th–12th centuries: weights, elements of a belt set, women’s chest and head ornaments, a fragment of a silver dirham, a key to an interior lock, and other items.
Archaeologists made a landmark find last year — the bottom of a potter’s pot, which depicts the prince’s trident. Andrei Voitekhovich explained why the find is interesting for science, “This is a royal badge. To be precise, it is the personal family sign of Izyaslav, the son of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich and Rogneda. We are talking about the beginning of the 11th century. This is a unique find, because his personal sign has never been found on the territory of modern Belarus before. It was found only on a seal discovered in Novgorod. The symbol on the fragment of the pot in the future will allow us to determine the chronology and status of the settlement, in particular, the period when it became part of the Polotsk land.”

Open-air museum

The settlement on Menka River should become one of the favourite tourist routes of Belarusians, First Deputy Head of the President Administration Maksim Ryzhenkov believes. “It is the capital, that in many ways people are always guided by the antiquity of a particular people, country, its cultural traditions, historical memory. Now the task is to provide maximum scientific confirmation not only from some chronicle sources, but also to put the finds in justification,” he said during a visit to archaeological excavations last summer.
During the nationwide subbotnik, a new security sign ‘Archaeological complex on the Menka River. Historical and cultural value of the 2nd category’ appeared here, the spring of Vseslav the Sorcerer was maintained, paths from the village to the settlement were arranged, trees along the path to the St. Nicholas Church were planted, and bushes in areas that will be explored by archaeologists were cut down.
Having thoroughly studied the found artefacts, scientists will be able to interpret the significance of the settlement and its role in the formation of the Belarusian statehood. Andrei Voitekhovich has no doubts that soon this important historical and cultural site for our country will become a new brand of Belarus.

Students of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts at the excavations in the village of Gorodishche, Minsk Region

HOWEVER  
On April 22nd, Mensk settlement received the status of a monument of national significance.



TO THE POINT 
There is an idea at the excavation site to recreate the appearance of an ancient settlement, replicas of houses and outbuildings, reproduce the interiors of jewellery and pottery workshops, living quarters... This will be a kind of small corner of Ancient Rus’ near the Gorodishche.

By Inna Gorbatenko
Photos by Aleksey Matyush