'COMFORT Online Lectures' presents:
Stepan Stepanenko
(Humboldt-Fellow at Leibniz-Zentrum fĂŒr ArchĂ€ologie, Germany):
âFortifications and agriculture of the Ulichi through the
Chervone and Sazhky hillfortsâ
20 February 2025, 14:00-16:00 h (CET = UTC +2)
Link to the online lecture:
https://rgzm-de.zoom.us/j/87664047195?pwd=14PWHaYjI1g0Dbw4YOAG2cEFMJtRK1.1
This presentation investigates the strategic positioning and socio-economic functions of tenth-century Ulichi hillforts along the Bug River in present-day Ukraine, focusing on the sites of Sazhky and Chervone, conducted as part of a Humboldt Foundation postdoctoral project. Drawing on fieldwork and the resultant unpublished records, the study explores how these hillforts integrated into the surrounding landscape, examining their role as agrarian strongholds with long-distance connections. Sazhky, marked by clear signs of assault and a violent end, stands in stark contrast to Chervone, where an absence of occupation debris suggests a possible pre-emptive evacuation. The research also examines agricultural production, storage facilies, and associated material remains at both sites, offering insights into population size, wealth, and the exercise of power within seemingly agrarian societies. By analysing defensive structures, trade links, and subsistence practices, this presentation contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between fortification and agriculture in early medieval Eastern Europe, situating Ulichi communities within broader regional networks and historical processes.
About the lecturer:
Dr Stepan Stepanenko is a Humboldt Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the Leibniz-Zentrum fĂŒr ArchĂ€ologie (LEIZA) in Schleswig, Germany. He holds a BA and MA from the University of York and a PhD from the Ăcole Pratique des Hautes Ătudes (PSL). His research focuses on Viking Age interactions, medieval trade, and Islamic numismatics across Ukraine, building on his work at the hillfort of Shestovytsya. Currently, he is developing an addressable network map from the analogue archaeological record of the Ulichi tribe's tenth-century settlements. His publications explore cross-cultural dynamics, expanding our understanding of exchange networks and settlement patterns in medieval Eastern Europe. https://zbsa.academia.edu/StepanStepanenko
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