The article offers results of preliminary
archaeological investigations, conducted by Scientific Research Center «Rescue
Archaeological Service» (Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences
of Ukraine) in 2007 and 2017, prior to the construction project of the bypass
road around Berezhany town in Ternopil region. It provides information
concerning the newly discovered archeological sites as well as the elaboration
of the obtainable data on formerly revealed sites in the surroundings of
villages Lisnyky, Lapshyn, Hayok and Hlynovychi.
According to archival and bibliographic data,
archaeological surveys were previously conducted in 2006 by the expeditions of
Mykhailo Filipchuk and Mykola Bandrivsky nearby villages Lapshyn and Hynovychi.
However, the summaries of these surveys are insufficiently published and
besides presenting the incoherent results, which cause some confusion in the
number of sites.
In 2007, expedition of Rescue Archaeological Service
has re-examined the multi-layered settlement Hynovychi I, collecting the items
from the Late Paleolithic to the Early Iron Age. Subsequent rescue
archeological excavations were carried out in 2008 by the expedition led by
Bohdan Salo.
Ancient Rus settlement Hlynovychi III was
discovered adjacent to the previous site.
Around the village Lapshyn, additional archeological
sites were discovered, namely Lapshyn III, IV, V, and VI, which behold
several phases of the region’s inhabitants starting from the Paleolithic and
until the Age of Principalities. Materials of Vysotsko and Chernyakhiv cultures are predominant on these
sites.
Four groups of barrows were located on the forested
hills near village Lisnyky, named therefore Lisnyky I, II, III, and IV.
They contain a total of 20 barrows, which could be dated to the Bronze Age.
Altogether, the explorations of 2007 and 2017 has
newly discovered or identified ten archaeological sites, including settlements
and burrow necropolises. Seven previously known settlement were localized due
to the updated information. As a result, the archeological map of the region
was significantly supplemented, with the names and numbers of archaeological
sites well-coordinated.
Some of the ancient settlements and the barrow groups
are located along the route of future bypass road, thus making it necessary to
conduct preventive archaeological excavations. The results of intended studies
will definitely clarify cultural and chronological identity of these sites.