Cross pendants of Umrevinsky ostrog

Purpose. The archeological studies of the necropolis that was formed on the territory of the yard of Umrevinsky Ostrog after the site lost its defensive value have been conducted since 2000. By present, 89 graves have been studied that contained 29 cross pendants. 16 more cross pendants and their parts were found in the vicinity, to the south and north from the ostrog territory. This article presents the results of our analyzing the staurographic collection of the Umrevinsky Ostrog. The analysis is aimed at reconstructing the historical reality of the 18th - 19th centuries on the ostrog territory as reflected in the collection of cross pendants. We also assessed the information potential that such sources could possess, as well as perspectives of studying other large staurographic collections of the 17-19th centuries found on the territory of the archeological monuments during the Russian intervention to Siberia. The monuments studied include the necropolis of the town of Ananyino in Omsk region, the Nagornoe cemetery in Barnaul, old necropolises in Irkutsk, the necropolis of the Krasnoyarsky and Ilimsky Ostrogs, etc. Results. In the course of the research, each cross pendant was referred to one of the identified planigraphic burial groups, as well as to particular groups based on the cross pendant form and the alloy it is made of, which was obtained using X-ray fluorescence analysis. All possible combinations of these groups were studied. We identified three stages of establishing the necropolis: the initial burials (the 40-90s of the 18th century) were performed in the middle part of the western lath fence and contained graves of the people living in the ostrog suburb; graves in the central part of the ostrog yard were made at the beginning of the 19th century and contained the diсeased of the town of Umrevа moved to a modern place; graves made later were situated along the northern, southern and western lath fence. Conclusion. It is determined that the highest information potential is demonstrated by the composition of the alloy of the cross pendant. Based on the alloy analysis, we reconstruct the necropolis’ chronological history. On the contrary, the cross pendant form does not possess any valuable information for reconstructing historical reality related to the establishment and development of the necropolis on the ostrog territory. The appearance of cross pendants is likely to change slowly, so it cannot be traced within one century, which was the period when the necropolis under study was formed. Our analysis of the staurographic collection of the Umrevinsky Ostrog testified to the fact that the alloy of the cross pendant was less variable and possessed more valuable information than the cross pendant form. Within approximately one century, the typology of forms of cross pendants cannot serve as a basis of chronological differentiation of facts and phenomena of the historical reality. Further studies in this area to be conducted on the basis of analyzing cross pendant collections of other Russian necropolises of the 17-19th centuries. It can show whether our results are a specific feature of the staurographic collection of the Umrevinsky Ostrog, or they are typical of Siberia and the Far East in general.