Pages: 113-131

The article analyzes the problems of dating and cultural belonging of the Slavic treasure of silver jewelry, discovered in 1905 near the village Ivakhnyky in Sula river region (present-day Yakhnyky village, Poltava region, Ukraine). Absence of a group of similar complexes caused very controversial chronological estimates among the researchers who dated the time of concealment of the hoard in a wide range — from the beginning of the 8th to the beginning of the 10th century.
On the basis of the analysis of the circle of cultural connections, four groups of objects are distinguished in the hoard: “Volyntsevo” group (fibula-shaped plaques, torcs with a saddle-shaped clasp used as diadems); “Romny” group (torcs with paddle-shaped ends); “North-East” group (torc with faceted endings, noisy pendants of the Finno-Ugric and Krivichi origin, necklaces from one-part chopped beads); “Saltov” group (rings and sleigh bells). With the exception of the “Volyntsevo” group, whose artifacts find analogies in the Slavic antiquities of the Dnieper Left Bank of the 8th century, the other three groups belong to the period after the collapse of the Volyntsevo culture (circa 812—815), marking the formation of a new Romny culture complex of dress accessories. The concealment of the Ivakhnyky treasure most likely happened circa 830—840 as a consequence of appearance of new nomadic tribes of the ancient Magyars on the southern border of the forest-steppe zone.

Keywords: Dnieper Left Bank region, Slavs, Volyntsevo culture, Romny culture, treasure, jewelry, chronology

Information about author:

Oleksii Komar (Kiev, Ukraine). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Geroev Stalingrada Ave., 12, Kiev, 04210, Ukraine
E-mail: [email protected]