ON THE PROBLEM OF PERIODIZATION OF MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL CULTURES IN THE PERM CIS-URALS

Abstract

The chronological boundaries of archaeological cultures are usually identified by the moments of cultural transformation caused by the migrations or changes of economic and cultural types. The medieval epoch in the Perm Cis-Urals is divided into the Lomovatov and Rodanovarchaeological cultures on the basis of the assumption that a range of sites ceased to be used in IX century and it might be that in that period, the population of the Upper Kama region faced certain considerable changes. The comparison of material culture of X and XI centuries with the last stage of the Lomovatov culture shows that there was no transformation in the given time. The period attributed to the Lavryatsky stage of the Rodanov culture is a direct continuation of the Lomovatov culture. The specificity of the period is determined by the influence of the Bulgar culture, but all categories of material culture retain the traits of the Lomovatov culture. The real transformation of cultures occured between XI and XII centuries, when the transition to tillage agriculture changed the economic and cultural type radically altering all categories of material culture. In XII-XIII centuries, they were changed under the influence of the ideas borrowed from the Volga Finns. This was manifested primarily in the technology and forms of jewelery. At the same time, the Russian influence was on the rise, which became predominant in XIV-XV centuries, reflecting the process of the “Russian colonization”, which was manifested in the migration of the Slavic and Finnish population from the western territories to the east.Thus, both basic reasons for the change of an archaeological culture can be traced: the alteration of economic and cultural type and migration. It means that the transition from the Lomovatov to the Rodanov culture occurred between XI and XII centuries.