In the paper jewellery from sites and complexes of the Saltiv culture, which do not chronologically fit within the boundaries of its existence, is analysed. All finds can be divided into two groups (fig. 1): East European champlevé enamel style (group I) and “antiquities of the Antes ” (group II). The second group, in turn, is divided into products typical for the hoards of the Martynivka circle (group II, subgroup 1) and items typical for the Pastyrske hillfort (group II, subgroup 2). In the article the first group is presented. It is represented by three monuments, where four finds were discovered (Table 1). First of all, there is the Tsimliansk Right-bank hillfort. Two fibulae of East European champlevé enamel style were discovered. 1. Bronze fibula, triangular (fig. 2: 3). The decoration belongs to late variations: from the middle of the 3rd to the 5th: type IV (fibulae with elements of degradation), subtype 2 after: G. Korzukhina (fig. 3; 4). 2. The upper part of the T-shaped fibula. The item is from the cultural layer at a depth of 20 cm (fig. 2: 2). The clasp belongs to late variations: from the middle of the 3rd to the 5th or even the middle — second half of the 4th century. Belongs to type IV, subtype 1 after: G. Korzukhina or to the third series, type 2 after: Ye. Hokhovskyi (fig. 5; 6). The lower extent of the Don River is not the only point with finds of East European champlevé enamel style. However, other finds come from sites and complexes of the Late Roman period. Such finds could have entered this region with the Late Sarmatian population. Secondly, there is the Dmitrievka cemetery which was investigated by S. Pletneva. A female burial from the end of the 8th century was discovered in catacomb no. 44. The lunar pendant was found on the belt according to G. Korzukhina. Korzukhina, although S. Pletneva claims that the item got into the catacomb by accident. This is a large three-horned lunar pendant, with round platforms at the ends also decorated with red enamel (fig. 7: 1). The decoration belongs to type I according to G. Korzukhina and is dated by the advanced stage of the style’s existence to the end of the 2d — 3dcenturies (fig. 7; 8). Eleven locations with finds of East European champlevé enamel style and 17 monuments of Kyiv culture are known in the upper reaches of the Siverskyi Donets River. Finally, there is the Sukha Homilsha cemetery 1 which was investigated by V. Mikheev. In burial no. 274, a detail of a rectangular link of a chain with slotted fields without enamel was found. This object belongs to late variants dated to the period from the middle of the 3rd to the 5th centuries. The burial itself is dated to the second half of the 8th — the beginning of the 9th century (fig. 9; 10; 11). East European champlevé enamel style finds and monuments of Kyiv culture are also known within the Kharkiv Oblast. Jewellery of Martynivka circle hoards and items typical for the Pastyrske hillfort from Saltiv monuments are often considered as evidence of Penkivka and Saltiv connections. However, finds of East European champlevé enamel style from Saltiv monuments has signs of the secondary usage. It indicates that other finds may also have been reused. The next works are devoted to the consideration of wellery and products typical for the Pastyrske hillfort from Saltiv monuments.

The paper presents consider of the functional use of two three-beam openwork badges from the Martynivka hoard (fig. 1). There are two points of view on the functional use of these products: 1) horse trappings; 2) details of the belt. An attempt is made to determine the range of possible analogies or prototypes of products. All analogies can be divided into two major groups: 1) on the general outlines; 2) on the «internal ornamentation». The first group. An almost complete analogy to the products from the Martynivka hoard is the decoration from grave 1, vault 238 of the Luchiste cemetery in the Crimea (fig. 2) — the last quarter of the 7th century. The other two analogies come from the Avar cemetery of Pécs-Köztemető, burial 45 (fig. 3), although they differ in greater finesse. This is the burial of a horse with trappings. A. Kissa dates this area of the cemetery within the end of 6th — middle of 7th century. More distant analogies are two finds (almost completely identical to each other) from the Luchiste cemetery, from vault 65, grave 2 — the second half of the 7th century (figs. 4—6) and vault 113 — the first half of the 7th century (fig. 8: 7). A similar badge depicting a man in the center comes from Cherkasy or Chyhyryn counties (fig. 8: 8). This find, together with products from Luchiste, on formal grounds belongs to type IV according to E. Garam. On the territory of the Avar Khanate, similar ornaments are known (figs. 7; 8: 9—12) — Tiszafüred, grave 166 and 262, Tiszaderzs, grave 14 and an accidental find from Hungary. Second group. Prototypes or analogies for this group are determined by internal ornamentation. They can be found among the bronze belt openwork badges of a number of cemeteries of the Avar Khanate. The first subgroup — badges with three rays departing from the central shamrock (fig. 8: 13). The second subgroup — badges with a triangle in the centre with three groups of double rays diverging from it in different directions (fig. 8: 14). The third subgroup — badges with а circle in the centre and three radial rays (fig. 8: 15). So, in the second group you can find similar products, they are very diverse, differ in the design of interior decoration. There is a difference from the presence of eyelets. Although finds from Avar cemeteries sometimes have one eyelet. In the Avars, the beginning of the existence of such products falls on the Early Avar period — the second half of 6th — early 7th century, although most of them in the Late Avar period — 8th century. E. Garam believes that these products appear in the Avars from the middle of the 7th century and continue to exist in the 8th century. Thus, the three-beam openwork badges from the Martynivka hoard could have two uses: as details of a horse harness and details of belt ornaments of a woman’s suit.

The proposed essays describe some aspects of the ancient Slavs’ spiritual life. This book contains ten stories: from the analysis of solar symbolism in the life of ancient Slavs to trying to find the location of the Volos heathen temple in the Kyiv Podil. These essays will help the reader to feel the “laboratory” of studies on archeology at all stages: identification of archeological materials, use of natural sciences methods, and involvement of written and ethnographic sources. And as a consequence get the synthesis of new ideas and interesting well-grounded conclusions. For those who are interested in our history, archaeologists, historians, ethnographers, local history experts, lecturers, and students of universities.

In the article amber beads from Slavic sites of the early Middle Ages are presented. A catalogue was compiled, which included information on 21 archaeological monuments and complexes. These locations are divided into three regions of concentration. Such finds come from the hoards of Martynivka and Pastyrske circles and the Pastyrske hill-fort, inhumated burials (Mokhnach, Balaklia) and the hill-forts of the Kolochyn culture. According to the number of finds, the monuments and complexes can be divided into six groups (fig. 2): 1 — the number of finds is unknown; 2 — with the number of finds from one to eight beads; 3 — complexes with the number of finds of about one and a half dozen copies of amber beads; 4 — with about 20 beads; 5 — a burial from Balaklia, where 30 beads were found; 6 — a burial from Mokhnach with 117 items. At least 285 amber beads come from Slavic monuments. However, the number of finds in some of the complexes is unknown. Only 132 items are defined typologically. As a result of morphological analysis, seven types were identified based on general outlines, which were divided into variants based on the section (fig. 3; Table 2). All of these types were found in the hoards of Martynivka and Pastyrske circles, on the sites and in complexes associated with these two chronological groups. Only the materials of Demydivka settlement indicate the beginning of the existence of type 1 within the second half of the 5th — beginning / first half of the 6th centuries. Amber beads are not typical for the materials of previous Proto-Slavic archaeological cultures. They are known only on a few monuments of the Kyiv culture (Table. 3; fig. 11). Finds of amber beads are unknown for the materials of the Volyntseve, Romny and Raiky cultures. Amber beads appear only in Kyivan Rus period. The analysis and comparison of beads from two complexes — Khyttsi hoard and the collection of Kolomak region were carried out. An analysis of scientific publications, the geological situation of the region and direct research of artefacts by laboratory methods allows us to draw the following conclusions: - amber from all the monuments may be of local origin or imported from the deposits of the Right-Bank of the Dnipro River; - processing of amber was carried out by local craftsmen. To do so, they used a grinding stone (sandstone) and a polishing material (clay), which was applied to a cloth or felt. Holes were drilled mechanically using a metal flattened at the end of the needle. The shape of the beads generally depended on the primary morphology of the found amber fragments and did not differ in complexity. The most time-consuming, in our opinion, is a round disk-shaped one, since for its manufacture it was necessary to obtain a flat, even surface on both sides.

The authors present finds of artefacts with swastika of the first half of the 1 st millennium AD from the Zarubintsy culture area, Late Zarubintsy sites and Kiev culture. They are represented by pottery (13 pieces), Eastern European barbarian champleves (20 pieces), spindle whorls (9 pieces) and household items (1 piece). For the first half of the 1 st millennium AD in the area of Proto-Slavic archaeological cultures, 38 finds with images of the swastika (69 images in total) are known, which come from 29 locations. 47 images are right-sided, 21 are left-sided, the rays of one point in both directions. One find is known in the Zarubintsy culture, seven artefacts on the Late Zarubintsy sites and 32 artefacts in the materials of the Kiev culture. Consequently, the number of items with swastikas increases over time.