Information on the thesis

The thesis studied the role of metallurgy in the socio-economic life of the clans and tribes of the Eastern Slavs (Antes – Penkovka culture, Sklavens – Praha-Korchak culture and chronicles tribes) on the territory of Ukraine during the second half of the
V–X centuries. The genus (clan) of Eastern Slavs inhabits a separate settlement. In large settlements were several clans. Combinations from 3 to 8 clans – “nest” of settlements, – formed a tribe, which was concentrated in a small river basin, was a separate social unit, an autonomous body, which provided themselves with everything necessary for life and united with the neighboring tribes in the Union, if necessary. Tribal “nests” of settlements localized along the Dnieper, Dniester, Pripyat, Desna, Southern and Western Bug. Rivers, their tributaries and valleys were not only providers of bog ore, wood and water, they were transport for ironwork. Similar functions performed and other rivers – Teterev, Sluch, Goryn, Desna, Seversky Donets and their tributaries.

Written sources fixed in the VIII century tribes Dulebs, Drevlyanes, Northmen, Volyns, Croats, Ulichi, Tivertsy, that, obviously, before now were the part of the large associations of Ants and Sklavens. Each tribal union of the Eastern Slavs, except the name, differed a territory of residence, the number of the tribes, the peculiarities of their craft, life, customs, myths, dialect, culture elements

The availability is analyzed of raw materials – iron ore, charcoal, fluxes; Extraction of iron in the second half of I thousand mainly based on the use of «damps blowing» (puddling) furnaces – pit and ground shaft with slag’s discharge – as the most productive and the corresponding to the level of development of Ants, Sklavens and chronicles tribes. In the third quarter of I thousand, after a decline of iron production, large complexes of smelting and processing of iron forge were created at the Dniester, at the Southern and Western Bug (from Antes – Haivoron, Parievka, Seliste, from Sklavens – Zymne). Technique and technology of metallurgy and metal working in the settlements of Sklavens and Antes were the same level. They used the same process steps, one type of raw material, that indicating the unity and interaction of tribes Antes and Sklavens.

As a result, our research identified 14 tribal “nests” of settlements of Antes
VI–VII centuries. Of these, 7 “nests” of settlements provided themselves with iron alone; 4 “nests” imported iron products from related tribes, and 3 – the source of supply of iron at this stage is not set. Of the 11 identified tribal “nests” of settlements of Sklavens, 5 “nests” provide themselves with iron alone, 3 “nests”, probably, imported from the settlement Korczak VII, and 3 “nests” – the source of supply is not installed.

At Chronicles tribes VIII–X centuries, probably, every tribe in the “nest” of settlements has a center of iron-mining production and iron products. Drawing on achievements of previous researchers, we have localized in the Pre-Carpathian region 20 objects of ferrous metallurgy and 16 tribal centers of iron production by 66 “nests” of settlements of Croats. In the Southern Transnistria mapped tribal metallurgical centers in the 8 “nests” of settlements of Tivertsy. For the chronicles Bužha-Volyns – 20 “nests” of Bužha are at Holm and Podlasie, 31 “nest” of Lucian tribes at river Styr and 4 “nests” of Volyns are in the upper reaches of the Dniester. They may have ensured the iron by metallurgical centers of tribal townships. In the area between the Dnieper and Desna localized 8 “nests” of settlements of Northerners. Each tribe provided itself metals and articles of iron. At the Kiev region, at 30 “nests” of settlements, only 2 “nests” of Drevlyane, at which metallurgical centers acted, we showed at this stage. Probably, there were many more, but this assumption requires further research.

Developed integrated schematic maps of monuments of ferrous metallurgy of the Eastern Slavs of the second half I thousand; a variant is offered of demarcation of Ants and Sklavens, unions of chronicles tribes, as well as the possible limits of settling of certain small tribes:

General trends in the development of iron production in the Eastern Slavs are noticeable – an increase in the volume and improve the organization of tribal iron production in the last quarter of the I thousand. During this period, increased exchange of iron and agricultural products, while maintaining their tribal character, which was based on the collective ownership of property and land. After the liquidation the tribal system and self management of chronicles tribes by Ruric princes in Rus, exchange acquired a new, trading nature.

The technological process of ball iron (krytsa)’s obtaining by way of direct reduction of iron (DRI) by ancient steelmakers is investigated. The relevance of the using the experience of past generations of DRI was defined in modern industry, in the modeling of ancient crafts in Archeoparks at thematic tourist routes of Ukraine.

Keywords: Ants, Sklavins, the chronicles tribes, «nests» of settlements, iron ore, ball iron (krytsya), charcoal, fluxes, furnaces, metallurgy, technology, craft, Archeopark.