Project:
Archaeological geophysical survey at „Bol'šoe Belskoe Gorodišče“
Location:
The huge „castle wall system of Bel’sk“ is situated on a prominent
rock plateau between two major rivers in the prairie-timber zone, not far from the district
town Kotelva, in the East Ukrainian administrative discrict of Poltava.
Mighty up to 12 m high ramparts with a length of more than 33 km
embrace an inner area of about 4000 ha. Three bigger one-on-one fortresses rise as
baileys with 15, 65 and 72 ha area into the landscape.
Targets:
Research work of the Ukrainian-German Team from Kiev and Hamburg is running since 1993
and goes along with scientific-technical investigations. Remote sensing, geophysics and
modern mensuration techniques shall detect location, expansion and structure of inner
settlements and of the necropolises.
Operations and results:
Castle rampart
Kurgan 2
The necropolis Marchenki and a part of the current excavation Carina Mogila were investigated
using geomagnetic measurements. Next to an already known Kurgan 1, these readings resulted in the
discovery of a huge Kurgan 2 which was not anymore apparent as an elevation on the surface.
Kurgan 1
The magnetogram shows the outer ring ditch with about 42 m diameter and the earth dam which follows inside.
The graves of the bigger Kurganes are mostly not intact anymore. Such disturbances are due to looters
and especially saltpetre cookers who used the grass sods of the Kurganes in the last century to produce
gunpowder.
The trench, the earth dams and the location of the probably robbed burial chambers are visible
in the magnetogram.
Partner:
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Institute of Geophysics “Subbotin” (www.igph.kiev.ua/)
