Medieval Russia rural settlements in the Upper Volga region (Dubna district): material culture and chronology

The paper examines materials from archaeological excavations of rural settlements located in the Upper Volga region, namely, in the river basin between the estuaries of the Dubna and the Medveditsa rivers on the Volga left bank, such as Kreva-1, Kimry-1, Abramovo-1, 2 and 3. The sites revealed remains of dwellings, traces of production facilities (ironworks and bronze-casting), blacksmith's shops and potteries. The finds of jingling jewelry pieces is an evidence of presence of individuals born in the areas inhabited by the Merya or the Muroma in this part of the Upper Volga region. The sites in question are intermediary locations with the elements of the Scandinavian culture in the area between the Novgorod land, the Upper Dnieper region and the Yaroslavl Volga region. The earliest structures and finds are dated to the 10th-11th cc., which is the period when this area in the Volga region was actively developed, over time it became an area of population concentration along the Volga route that passed through the fringes of the Novgorod and the Rostov-Suzdal lands. Apparently, the studied settlements reached the peak in their development in the 11th - first half of the 12th c. Typologically, Kreva-1 and Abramovo-3 are close to large settlements of Suzdal Opolye. These settlements have yielded prestigious female jewelry, earlier types of the Christian cult items and Scandinavian goods. In the 12th c. the Dubna settlement located in the Volga right bank acquired the status of a customs office (location where duties were paid) which means that the prince's control over this Volga section and its population was tightened. The settlements on the Volga left bank were still occupied.