Enukov V.V. Chronology of the Final of the Romny Culture “Posemye” Based on Numismatic Materials
Vladimir V. Enukov, Doctor of Sciences (History), Director of the Research Institute of Archaeology of South-Eastern Rus’, Kursk State University, Radishcheva St, 33, 305000 Kursk, Russian Federation
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Abstract. This article examines the hypothesis linking late hoards of dirhams from “Posemye,” the regions of the Seversk land, with the decline of the Romny culture resulting from the spread of the Old Russian culture. This territory is characterized by a significant concentration of hoards containing round cut-outs from Arabic coins, which has been confirmed through mapping. In the first stage of the study, a compact chronological group of hoards (974/975–990/991 AD), comprising 14 out of the 30 recorded complexes, was identified based on the latest coins (t.p.q.). The hoard concentration within such a narrow time frame supports the hypothesis of a military cataclysm that accompanied the incorporation of this “tribal” territory into Rus’. The second stage was dedicated to the analysis of the metrological characteristics of the round cut-outs. It has been established that in circulation, the size of a coin took priority over its weight. This indicates the existence of a monetary system oriented towards piece-by-piece acceptance. Large payments were presumably conducted by weighing batches of coins. The chronological significance of the placement of the cut on the coin has been revealed: if initially they were made only from the central part of the coin field, then from the 970s onwards, cut-outs from the edges became predominant. The study of their dimensions made it possible to determine the rate of their reduction. The identification of modal diameter values within the complexes, combined with numismatic dating, contributed to the refinement of the hoards’ chronology. The peak of their deposition falls in the 980s; by the end of that decade, this original monetary system rapidly disappears. The violent nature of these events finds confirmation in archaeological data: all investigated Romny hillforts show evidence of fire at their final stage of existence. Life at these sites either ceased for a long period or was never revived. Among the known chronicle accounts, the situation described finds the closest correspondence in the campaign of Vladimir Svyatoslavich against Volga Bulgaria in 985 AD.
Key words: Romny culture, Old Russian culture, “Posemye”, round cut-outs of dirhams, chronology.
Citation. Enukov V.V., 2026. Hronologiya finala romenskoy kul’tury «Posem’ya» po materialam numizmatiki [Chronology of the Final of the Romny Culture “Posemye” Based on Numismatic Materials]. Nizhnevolzhskiy Arkheologicheskiy Vestnik [The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin], vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 100-122. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/nav.jvolsu.2026.1.5
Chronology of the Final of the Romny Culture “Posemye” Based on Numismatic Materials by Enukov V.V. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
