Население Верхнего Подонья в позднеримское время: жертва или агрессор?
Population of the Upper Don Region in the Late Roman Time: Victim or Aggressor?

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses materials of the middle of the 3rd — beginning of the 4th cc. AD found on the territory of the Upper Don Region (a group of sites such as Kashirka–Sedelki). At the moment, 130 agricultural settlements with a slightly saturated cultural layer have been found there. The goal is to study the causes of the death of the Upper Don sites. There is a commonly accepted hypothesis advanced by A. M. Oblomsky that those settlements were destroyed by fire during the Gothic campaigns to the east. Considering the spatial location of the settlements, types of sites, stages in their existence, however, a different conclusion is implied. Indirect evidence suggests a peaceful development of the territory and non-preparedness of the Upper Don residents to fend off. The destruction of the settlements did not come as a surprise to the inhabitants and affected all the identified villages, many of which were located at the source of small streams, away from major rivers. The question of ritual burning of buildings before abandoning the settlements is raised. The authors suppose that Kashirka–Sedelki type of sites could be distributed along the Gothic progress to the north-east with the aim to master the Don trade route.

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