Romny-Borshevo Culture

(also Romny-Borshchevo culture), an archaeological Slavic culture dating from the time of the formation of the ancient Russian state in the eighth through tenth centuries and found in the forest-steppe zone on the left bank of the Dnieper. The name of the culture is derived from two groups of remains that have been studied in the vicinities of the city of Romny in Sumy Oblast and the village of Bor-shevo (Borshchevo) in Voronezh Oblast.

In regions bordering on the steppe the Romny-Borshevo culture is characterized by fortified settlements (gorodishches), and in areas far from the steppe by nonfortified settlements (se-lishches). It is also characterized by semisubterranean dwellings with stone or pisé ovens and molded pottery, including bowls, basins, and skillets. The dominant form of burial was cremation. The population’s main occupation was agriculture. Some of the inhabitants engaged in trades, for example, iron smelting, forging, and nonferrous-metal processing. The population that left the Romny-Borshevo remains lived in neighboring or territorial communes. The most thoroughly investigated remains of the culture are the Novotroitskoe Gorodishche and the Titchi-kha Gorodishche.