Pages: 70-82

The article presents findings of the excavated early Middle Age site at Kotorsk IX, which is part of the assemblage of sites of Kotorsk grave ground in Pljuss Rajon of Pskov Oblast’. The assemblage includes a cape fortified site with a station adjacent to it, and a number of diversified burial sites lined along the bank of Gorodonka river (fig. I). Among the burial sites there are sopkas (high mounds), burial mounds of the culture of Long Barrows, tall sopka-like mounds, mounds with inhumations of early Russian period and burials without mounds containing cremations. The assemblage yielded burial sites of unknown type – burials without mounds with corps cremated on side. One of such examples is Kotorsk IX, consisting of burials without mounds and a number of mounds of early Russian period. The cremated human corpses were placed in the surface structure, whose remains can be traced by a series of pillar holes. Mixed with the bones, were numerous findings of melted decorations and household items (fig. III) and earth wares (fig. IV). The finds help dating the site by late IX – turn of X-XI cc. Studies were carried out of the early Russian inhumations found in the mounds on the border of cemetery without burial mounds. The set of finds (fig. V-X) allows dating them by middle – late XI c. Similar cemeteries with cremations without mounds have been studied near the other early Russian mound groups on Kotorsk cemetery.