Early Rus’ Connectivity

Schriftzug »Gerda Henkel Stiftung«, grau

The project focuses on bringing into scholarly circulation the burial record of Shestovytsia — one of the most important Viking-Age cemeteries in Eastern Europe, crucial for understanding mobility, cultural interaction and processes of state formation in Early Rus’.

Schwarz-weiß-Fotografie einer großen Erdgrabung mit vier Männern, von denen zwei auf dem Rand sitzen und zwei im Graben stehen, im ländlichen Gebiet mit Baum und weiter Landschaft im Hintergrund. — Shestovytsia, Oblast Tschernihiw, Ukraine. Grab 21, 1925 (P. Smolichev). © Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine.

Shestovytsia: Recovering the Heart of Ukraine’s Viking Age
The project focuses on one of the most important archaeological sites from the Viking Age in Eastern Europe: Shestovytsia, which is located on a major transcontinental route connecting the Baltic and Black Seas. The site was a crucial hub for long-term interregional connections between early Rus', Scandinavia and Byzantium. Despite its great significance for understanding mobility, cultural interaction and the formation of early medieval societies, material from Shestovytsia has been published only in fragments thus far and remains largely inaccessible to international researchers.

The project aims to compile a comprehensive and illustrated scholarly catalogue of the burials at Shestovytsia, based on archival sources and museum collections. By systematically analysing this important body of sources, the site will be placed within the broader context of European Viking Age research, contributing to current debates on mobility, networking and cultural interaction. At the same time, a solid foundation will be laid for future comparative and interdisciplinary research.