The Shelomok V settlement - a new archeological site of the late middle ages in the Lower Tom region

This article describes the survey at the Shelomok Vsettlement on the right bank of the Tom River, which was discovered in 2019. The Shelomok locality has been known in the archeology of Siberia since the late 19th century. It occupies the area of a pseudoterrace above the floodplain with the total area of1360 sq. m. The height of the pseudo-terrace relative to the level of the floodplain reaches 5 m. The settlement is distinguished by the absence of objects visible in the terrain. Excavation works at the settlement revealed a thick cultural layer and collection of finds, including pottery fragments, stone fragments, and animal bones. The pottery complex has made it possible to date Shelomok V to the Late Middle Ages (16th-17th centuries). Osteological remains belonged to elk, bovine cattle, wolf (or a large dog), beaver, horse, and wild boar. One bone belonged to a bird. Complete parallels to the pottery from the settlement can be found among the evidence from the nearby Shelomok I fortified settlement. Most likely, the Shelomok V settlement existed simultaneously with the fortified settlement and formed a single dwelling complex with it. Possible flooding of the pseudo-terrace where the Shelomok V settlement was located suggests its seasonal operation. According to the written sources of the 17th century, a group of Tomsk Tatars led by Prince Basanday lived in the area where the site is located. With high degree of probability, the Late Medieval sites in the Shelomok locality can be associated with this population. Good prospects for further studies ofthe Shelomok V settlement stem from its single-layer nature, which is rare for settlement sites ofthe 16th-17th centuries in that area. Studies at the Shelomok V settlement will make it possible to obtain a "pristine” Late Medieval pottery complex, needed for solving many research problems of that period.