Exploration. A scientific archaeological expedition has recently concluded in the Lepel region.
Near the village of Babcha, 40 schoolchildren, under the guidance of Marat Klimov, a research fellow at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences, literally touched history with their own hands.
Exploration.
A scientific archaeological expedition has recently concluded in the Lepel region. Near the village of Babcha, 40 schoolchildren, under the guidance of Marat Klimov, a research fellow at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences, literally touched history with their own hands. The first assistants were teachers Valery Tukhto and Olga Babaed from the Slabodskaya Secondary School, as well as Natalya Drozdovich and Tatyana Silvanovich, who work at the I. Yerashov Gymnasium.
The excavation site was chosen based on the results of archaeological exploration around Lakes Kabak and Babchanskoye in the spring. During the exploration, several fragments of ceramic products were found – lids of ancient pots, which allowed dating the ancient settlements to approximately the 10th–13th centuries. Two unique artefacts were also found at that time, which stood out from the general picture. A spindle whorl made of slate. Usually, in our area, such items were made of clay. A slate product is an import, proving the existence of trade relations with distant countries. Natural slate was mined and processed, for example, in the Caucasus. By the way, it was highly valued in Belarus. The second find – an arrowhead made of flint, belongs to a completely different historical era – the 2nd millennium BC. In any case, all the items found indicated that the ancient settlement should be sought on the western shore of Lake Babchanskoye.
Volunteer Appeal
Valery Tukhta has extensive experience in archaeological excavations, so he took on the work with full knowledge of the matter. This year's expedition was the second largest in scale and number of participants. A similar event was held last year in the Dubavets tract, near Verabki. Last year's excavations were, so to speak, a trial run. Before that, our children rarely participated in archaeological expeditions, episodically. By the summer of 2016, there were four or five schoolchildren who had archaeological experience. The rest had grown up, moved away, entered educational institutions, or were called up for military service. Those guys became the first core, the basis of the expedition. About fifty teenagers passed through Dubavets, who became acquainted with science, the scientific approach, and methods. And this year, about 80 percent of the participants in the Babcha expedition were former archaeologists from Dubavets. They no longer needed to be taught how to dig correctly, how to find artifacts. They taught the newcomers themselves.
As last year, we turned to history teachers. In addition, the coordinates of most of the participants of last year's expedition, their mobile phone numbers, and email addresses have been preserved. Children who were in Dubavets last year invited their younger brothers and sisters this year. For example, following Roman Silvanovich from Lepel, his brother Artyom also came this year, and Ivan Matyrka from Stai brought his sister Nastya. On the first day or two, the older ones taught the younger ones, and then they started digging like real archaeologists. Children from farther afield also came. For example, Veronika Klunduk is from Novopolotsk. She also participated in the expedition last year. Anya Kolyadka came from Glubokoye, and Kristina Markova came all the way from Prague. The girl lives with her parents in the capital of the Czech Republic, came for the holidays to visit her grandmother in Babcha – and joined the expedition from there. The age of the young archaeologists varied. The main striking force, of course, was made up of middle and high school students, but eight beginners also worked diligently alongside them.
Preparatory Stage
An archaeological expedition is conventionally divided into two stages – preparation and archaeological excavation. Moreover, the former is usually more important. The first group of participants, whom Valery called the "rear echelon," arrived at the site in advance. Their task was to set up the campsite.
Designated areas for tents were allocated and equipped, a kitchen and dining area were set up, improvised washbasins were hung, and a toilet was certainly built. Waste collection and disposal were organised. Waste was collected in plastic bags, transported daily to the nearest village of Babcha, and disposed of in waste collection containers. Water for washing dishes was drawn from the lake, and for cooking food, it was brought from Kurmelyovka, from a former manor spring.
A few days before the expedition began, I sent memos to all the children and their parents, detailing what and how much to bring. A change of clothes, shoes, socks, underwear, and some food were recommended to be packed in backpacks. Money for food was collected in advance. I wrote to bring camping mats and sleeping bags. And importantly – to charge mobile phones. The most well-equipped participants turned out to be brothers Roman and Artem Silvanovich.
Excavation and Test Pits
The excavation itself proved rather challenging. On one hand, the weather was not very conducive with clear and sunny days. It drizzled intermittently, and the children donned plastic raincoats and capes, and put on rubber boots. However, during the actual digging, incredible miracles happened, and the drizzle would stop. On the other hand, the absence of heat and stuffiness was also perceived as a significant advantage.
One excavation pit, measuring four by six meters, was established, and the main work took place there. Nearby, two exploratory test pits, each one square meter, were dug to assess and confirm the correctness of the chosen location.
Initially, the top layer, about 10-12 centimeters deep – the so-called overburden – was removed. Below this lay a 70-centimeter cultural layer, which the archaeologists carefully excavated, layer by layer.
Typically, on former settlements, the soil is chernozem, fertile, and loose, easily dug with both a large shovel and a small trowel. However, at the settlement near Babcha, the situation was slightly different: the chernozem was so compressed and compacted that the shovel barely penetrated it, and small stones had to be chipped away. In Belarus, up until around the 15th-18th centuries, and in certain areas even later, people rarely used wells. They usually settled on the banks of rivers and lakes and drew water from these bodies. Much later, they began to dig wells. In this case, the same pattern is observed: the settlement was located right on the bank of the lake. Based on the finds, we date it to the 10th-12th centuries. In the 13th century, a climate change occurred, leading to a rise in water levels in lakes and rivers. The ancient village was flooded, and people moved and began to build higher up, in the location of the modern village. After a century or two, the lake receded to its banks, but the inhabitants did not abandon their established settlements. During this time, the water compacted the soil, pressing it down – which is why it was difficult to dig.
It should be noted that the soil at Babcha was not generous with individual finds. Fragments of pottery, shards of pots and bowls, were found more often. The children joked that families lived there who often quarrelled and broke earthenware during arguments. The boys found several flint flakes – tools from earlier eras. Using a metal detector, a fragment of a "vost" – an ancient fishing tool – was found. And Nastya Matyrka found a small iron knife.
Traces of an ancient hearth were also found in the excavation pit. More precisely, a fire pit, as in those distant times, people did not build stoves with chimneys. Instead, there was a fire pit inside the dwelling, made ofstones, which heated the building in a "black" way. From the former hearth at the Babcha settlement, stones cemented with clay and a thick layer of ash, up to 80 centimeters deep, remained.
Cultural Programme
At the same time, the organizers devised a whole programme for the young volunteers so that they would not only work and study, but also have fun. What is it like to live on the lake shore for several days and not go for a swim? The adults understood this, so swimming was organised. As a mandatory requirement, water enthusiasts put on life jackets, because, according to Valeriy Tukhta, the shore is shallow at the water's edge, and then the depth is above head height.
Entertainment was also arranged, but the most memorable was the cultural programme. The expedition was planned for five days of active excavations – every day, or rather, every evening, a specific cultural event was organised. On Monday, bard Tatyana Matafonova-Hrynyevich visited. She brought an interactive performance to Babcha, so that those present became participants in the action. Quizzes, joint singing, games – the performance lasted more than two hours.
On Tuesday, the chief editor of ARCHE magazine, Valer Bulhakau, and historian Ales Pashkevich were guests. ARCHE is a historical journal that publishes scientific articles, reports on archaeological and ethnographic expeditions, and publishes archival documents, chronicles, and annals. Therefore, on that evening, colleagues of older and younger generations met. Experienced scientists in an interesting way told about historical science and its sources. They also demonstrated the latest historical literature publications.
And on Wednesday, the band "Reha" visited the excavation site! Andrus Takindang's rock band – another guest of the expedition, pleased the archaeologists with their performance. The soloist Andrus possesses unsurpassed charm, the ability to engage the audience, and to convey a positive, energetic mood to them. Even to the most gloomy and tired people from hard work. The next day, sitting in the excavation pit and sifting the soil, the children hummed Andrus's "Rovar-men" and "Trend-trend-trend, Belarusian brand".
And on Thursday, Kupalle was celebrated, which the organizers tried to arrange as close as possible to the ancient canon. Round dances, a fire lit with flint, folk dances, jumping over the fire, launching wreaths on the water – the event ended only when the first rays of the sun shone in the east.
And on Friday, the excavations were completed, the mainland soil in the excavation pit and test pits was cleared, and the finds were collected and packed for transportation to the Institute of History. Most of the children were picked up by their parents.i. The last participants of the expedition, having cleaned up after themselves, left the campsite on Saturday.
Summing up the results
Although the Babchanskoye settlement was not rich in actual, individual finds, its very existence confirms the presence of a settlement system in the northeastern part of Belarus. In the 10th–13th centuries, in the Lepel region and surrounding areas along the banks of rivers and lakes, there was a system of settlements that were not isolated from each other but actively interacted, exchanged, and traded among themselves.
For the schoolchildren, participating in the expedition became an adventure they will remember for a lifetime. It was a touch of science, living in tents, battling the elements, and at the same time, making new friends. This year, as last year, all participants of the expedition were awarded personalized t-shirts with a motto – a line from Yanka Kupala: “We march in the sun with the young sun, glory to our Fatherland and its peoples!”. This t-shirt became a symbol for the teenagers of touching a great cause.
S. BAZYL.
Photos from the archive of the archaeological expedition.
