Unusual structures found during excavations at Krutik in 2010-2012

The Krutik settlement dating from the 9 th-11 th centuries was situated in theupper reaches of the Sheksna River. Thanks to the magnetometric investigations carriedout at the periphery of the settlement, structures unusual for Krutik were identified (fig. 1).They were domed stoves measuring on average 1,6x1,3 m and made of clay. They hadbeen cut into the steep slope of a hill. In a trench measuring 25 m 2, 23 such construc-tions were investigated which had been used in succession one after the other (fig. 2). Inthe combustion chambers of the stoves a complex infill was found, consisting of alternatelayers of charred and non-charred sand (figs 2, 2; 3). Analysis of all the information ob-tained made it possible to put forward three suggestions with regard to the functions of thestoves. They could have been used for baking bread, for drying mushrooms and berries, orfor preparing malt - an essential ingredient for brewing beer. The last of these interpreta-tions would appear to be the most likely.