Артемьева Н.Г.  

The mound hill of Zagorodnoye - a stratified site on the territory of Primorye

The article shows the materials excavated during archaeological investigations of the stratified site of Zagorognoye-5 (Primorsky Krai). For the purpose of the correct determination of the subsurface structure, the mound was investigated with a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). The interpretations of the obtained GPR data were not confirmed by results of the archaeological research. The artifacts that had been found during the archaeological excavations gave us the opportunity to clarify the time frames of the settlement and subdivide them into some chronological periods the Neolithic to the contemporary times. In the Middle Ages the mound hill was used as a place of worship. It was confirmed with the excavated remains of the religious construction and the other related artifacts. Later, the place served as a graveyard for the Korean people. As far as is known, the Koreans always payed a great attention to the locations and directions of their graves. The top of the hill that could overlook the highest mountain peak on the nearby terrains was commonly considered to be the most auspicious burial spot. On the whole, stratified archaeological sites are rather typical for Primorye, especially for the areas with favorable natural and geographical conditions. The hill of Zagorodnoye-5 is situated on a high point within the river valley of the Pazdol’naya; its geomantic characteristics were suitable for sacred ceremonies.

Key words: Primorsky Krai, stratified site, the Neolithic culture (Zaysanovskaya), culture of the early Iron Age (Yankovskaya), the Pol’cevskaya culture, culture of the Mohe, the Jurchen culture, the Korean culture (the 20th century).