Forty years of Russian archaeological excavations on Spitsbergen

Archaeological excavations of sites on the Spitsbergen archipelago provided an opportunity to collect a lot of information on a way of life and activities of the Pomors. The Spitsbergen expedition of the Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, excavated more than 40 Pomor hunting stations and did reconnaissance in a large part of the archipelago fit for living. The analysis of the data obtained concludes that settlements were built at three hypsometric altitudes, such as sea-shore terraces, beneath these terraces and at the beach level. The Pomors began to exploit the archipelago not later than the mid-16th century. The hunting activities reached their peak in the 18th century which saw changes in the characteristics of the settlements: instead of detached huts called stanoviye houses and related small camps (stanoks), there appeared villages consisting of several log houses and supporting constructions. The excavations produced a rich and varied collection of household implements and hunting tools.