Rossoshki I fortified settlement in the Middle Don

The paper summarizes the results of more than ten-year research of Rossoshki I,which is a Scythian settlement. It reviews specific features of defensive constructions,residential buildings and buildings for household activities and support structures.Characteristics of pottery assemblages help trace down the pattern of development, whichis the same as the pattern recorded for the Dnieper-Don forest-steppe sites, while its localfeatures show stylistic similarity with the sites in the Seym River Region. Tools found atthe settlement are predominantly related to domestic crafts. Results of osteological andpaleobotanical studies are also provided. The assemblage of the artifacts collected duringthe settlement excavations suggests that the people used it as a place to hide in case ofa threat of enemy attacks and a place for seasonal or short-term stays