HILLFORTS NEAR RECHKI VILLAGE IN VILEYKA DISTRICT OF MINSK OBLAST: STUDY HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE OF THE SITES
The paper examines the history of the archaeological study of two hillforts located near Rechki village in Vileyka District of Minsk Oblast. Both sites are located on natural hills and feature a complex fortification system. The most studied hillfort is the one referred to by the locals as “Castle Hill”. It was originally investigated by A. Kirkor, who considered it to be a major fortification of the Krivichi belonging to the Pre-Christian period. In the interwar period, a plan of the hillfort was compiled in the course of an expedition by the Archaeological Museum of the Stefan Batory University. The monument itself was attributed to the “prehistoric” or “early historical” period. In the second half of the twentieth century, the site was explored by L.V. Alekseev, M.M. Charniausky and Y.G. Zvjaruga. M.M. Charniausky discovered materials at the site which date back to the third quarter of the 1st Millennium AD. According to J.G. Zvjaruga's interpretation, the monument was a feudal castle. In 2019-2020, archaeological exploration was carried out on the “Castle Hill” under the supervision of P.S. Kurlovich. The finds allow to date the hillfort within the 1st Millennium AD. Remains of a metallurgical complex were discovered on the edge of the site. The second hillfort “Haradok” has remained practically unexplored. It was originally mentioned by F.V. Pokrovsky. In 2020, hand-made pottery with large content of crushed stone admixtures was discovered at the site. Determination of the chronology and interpretation of the hillforts located near Rechki village will become possible after further archaeological investigations.