origin were not taken into consideration and the place of the settlement and its character
are still uncertain.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SCANDINAVIAN
ARTEFACTS IN EASTERN EUROPEWithin the territory of modern Russia several areas are characterised by a considerable
number of Scandinavian artefacts: Staraya Ladoga with the area to the south and east of
Lake Ladoga; Rjurikovo Gorodishche near Novgorod on the Upper Volkhov River; the
Jaroslavl’–Vladimir area with the river system of the Volga; Gorodok on the Lovat’ in
the Upper Lovat’ River area, and the Upper Dnepr (Dnieper) area, in the vicinity of the
modern town of Smolensk (Gnëzdovo and Novosëlki). Single objects of Scandinavian
origin have been found in the cemeteries of rural character in the country between the
Dnepr and the Dvina.
In Belarus there are only single finds known from excavations of old towns (Vitebsk,
Polotsk), hill forts (Menka, Maskovichi), graves (Menka, Uklja) and hoards (Bryli). In
Ukraine a large concentration of Scandinavian artefacts came from the Chernigov
(Chernihiv) area on the Desna River, and the middle and lower part of the Dnepr River
(Kyiv [Kiev], Chortica island area and Berezan’). Single finds are known in the area of
Siverskyj Dinets and Buh Rivers and Crimea (Kerch, Sevastopol’). One grave with
weaponry of Scandinavian character has been found in the cemetery of Chersoneses
(Sevastopol’).
The Volkhov River and Lake Ladoga areaMost of the earliest Scandinavian finds have been found in the oldest cultural layers of
Staraya Ladoga and a few graves south of Lake Ladoga (Brandenburg 1895 : 122 table I:
2 ). The presence of Scandinavians in Staraya Ladoga can be dated to the second part of
the eighth century. At this time Ladoga, situated on the western bank of the Volkhov
River at the mouth of a small brook, Ladozhka, in a place now called Zemljanoe
gorodishche, was a small settlement occupied by people from northern Europe
(Kuz’min 2000 : 129 – 30 ). There are signs of possible blacksmiths’ activity, which was
later supplemented by jewellery production (Rjabinin 1994 : 26 ). The types of tools have
close parallels in Scandinavia. In the course of the 780 s and beginning of the 800 s the
Ladoga settlement takes on more of the appearance of a trade centre. Two different
house-building traditions could be seen in Ladoga at this time. One of them is repre-
sented by large houses with a central fireplace and is usually interpreted as Scandinavian.
Another Slavic tradition is represented by small rectangular wooden houses with a
fireplace in one of the corners.
In the earliest horizons of the Staraya Ladoga settlement some objects characteristic of
Scandinavian culture of the Vendel period around ad 600 have been found. A small oval
brooch and a bronze handle with a small head with a horned head-dress and a collection
of smiths’ tools indicate that there were both Scandinavian men and women settled in
Ladoga at that time (Davidan 1993 : 27 Abb. 8 : 8 ).
In the 830 – 40 s the site was expanding considerably. New houses were built on the
northern side of the Ladozhka brook. Metal-, antler-, amberworking and glass bead-
making as well as weaving are characteristic traits in the settlement activity (Davidan
–– Fjodor Androshchuk––