THE HOUSEHOLD COMPLEXES WITHIN THE TERRITORY OF THE LOWER CASTLE IN POLACK IN THE XTH-XVIIITH CENTURIES (BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE EXCAVATIONS IN 2014)

Abstract

The archaeological research on the projection of the Lower Castle in Polack were conducted in 2014. During the excavations, the cultural layers of the Xth-XVIIIth centuries as well as the cultural layers of the earlier period, the ancient cemeteries, the Polack tangible culture, the building material of the temple of the XIIth centu-ry, etc. were explored. As a result, seventeen household complexes were defined. The cultural layer does not preserve organic substances, thus the complexes were determined with the remains of stoves, cultural layer marks, inland pits, ceramics concentration in the household area, etc. The largest number of the recorded com-plexes date back to the Xth-XIIIth centuries. In addition to stones and clay, the ancient bricks (plinths) were used in the stove construction of the Old Russian period. In the beginning of the XVIth century the houses with stone foundation appeared. The projection of the Lower Castle in the XVIIth-XVIIIth centuries has no features of the intensive housing development. This period is characterized by the final destruction of the temple of the XIIth century.