No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The article outlines the fi ndings of excavations of a ritual building discovered at the Southern Ussuri fortifi ed site (Primorye Territory), identifi ed as the capital of the Xupin county of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty. Previously it was thought that the Southern Ussuri town was founded by the Balhae people and that during its early period it was the center of the Balhae district of Shuaibin, while the Jurchens appeared there later. However, our fi ndings suggest that the town belonged to the Jurchens from the beginning. Despite the high density of modern buildings on the territory of the medieval town, our study of what was left of the habitation deposits has allowed us to determine the architectural horizons and to associate them with specifi c historical periods. Based on the analysis of materials excavated from a building located on the upper architectural horizon, architectural features of a medieval building representing the Buddhist tradition were described: the colonnade, roof style, and sculptural representations of dragons, phoenixes, and Buddhist immortals. New decorative motifs on the tiles of the front and eaves of the roof were discovered, and new standards of building materials were identifi ed. The fi ndings suggest that the ritual structure dates to the 13th century— the second period of the Jurchen Eastern Xia State (1234–1276), preceding the Yuan Dynasty. Special architectural features revealed during the excavations of the upper architectural horizon are reliable indicators for assessing the age of other sites in Primorye.

Purpose. The article is dedicated to the research of harvesting tools that were excavated on the territory of the Shaiginskoe site. For the first time, the full statistics of the material are given, its new classification has been developed, and the data reveal the role of agriculture in life in the military-agricultural settlements of the State of East Xia. The Jurchens’ walled towns dating back to the period of the Eastern Xia State are qualified as military and agricultural settlements. Fortification structures of the sites imply their military functions, whereas findings of agricultural equipment affirm respective activities of the citizens. The agricultural implements excavated on the site of Shaiginskoe include hand-held tools typically used by the Jurchen people for harvesting cereal crops or cutting grass for hay. The article covers a complete statistic of the archaeological findings, provides a new type of their classification and demonstrates the scientists’ efforts to determine the specific features of social relations in military and agricultural settlements. Results. A total of 113 items have been found in the Shayginskoe settlement, which can be attributed to tools for harvesting. According to morphological features, they can be divided into species A – sickles and species B – scythes. Having analyzed the unearthed material, the authors conclude that the tools had a cross-purpose and their functions were not clearly separated. The Jurchens’ sickle appeared to be similar to the sickle-scythe used by the Manchus. They correspond to each other in size, shape and functionality. The only difference lies in a manner of fastening the blade to the handle. Conclusion. Judging by the number of agricultural equipment found in almost one in three dwellings of The Shaiginskoe fortification, it can be concluded that many residents of the city, to varying degrees, engaged in agriculture, supplemented by fishing and hunting, providing themselves with food, however agriculture played an important role in the economy of medieval fortifications of Primorye, and formed the basis of agricultural activity of the Jurchen.