Economic Activity of Fortified Settlement ‘Dykyi Sad’ Population

Abstract

The purpose of the research paper is to determine the functional purpose of the archaeological materials of the fortified settlement 'Dykyi Sad', dated to the end of the Bronze Age, to uncover the main spheres of economic activity, the peculiar features of life, and the directions of communication of the Buh Steppe region population at the end of the 2 nd millennium BCE. The scientific novelty is in comprehensive coverage of the structural features of the layout and material complex of the fortified settlement 'Dykyi Sad', the state of development of animal husbandry, agriculture, crafts, handicrafts, and the main directions of population exchange in the region. Conclusions . It has been found out that 'Dykyi Sad' fortified settlement existed during almost the entire Bilozerka culture time. Based on palynological and lithopedological data, it can be stated that people of the 12 th - 10 th centuries BCE lived in the region in favorable economic conditions. At the time of their arrival on the territory of the future fortified settlement and at the beginning of its existence, the climate was milder (first of all, more humid) than it is now. The population of the region preserved the features of the cattle breeding and agricultural economy with fairly developed crafts (pottery, woodworking, weaving, metalworking, stone, bone, and horn processing), hunting, and fishing but with definitely clear signs of gradual changes associated with the general restructuring of the economic structures of the Late Bronze Age on the eve of the transition to a nomadic way of life, which completely began dominating in the steppe of the Early Iron Age. The gradual reorientation of 'Dykyi Sad' population's economy is confirmed by a small number of agricultural artifacts, namely grain grinders, grindstones, and a few sickles found in the cultural layer of the fortified settlement, as well as a limited range of cultivated plants. During the period of the general crisis of the Bronze Age civilization, the economic activity of the inhabitants of the Buh Steppe region was focused on the development of animal husbandry, various crafts, and the maintenance of economic ties between certain regions of the oikumene, in an effort to adapt to the inevitable changes.