Department of Archaeology of Prehistoric Society

In the composition Centre of archeology and ancient history of Belarus.
The department was formed in
2005 on the basis of the department of archaeology of the Stone and the Bronze Ages and the department of archaeology of the Iron Age.
Kontakt: Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220072, Minsk,
str. Akademicheskaya, 1, room. 208.
Phone: (+375 17) 284-18-93, 284-13-22
E-mail: amedved@tut.by

Head of the department:
Candidate of Historical Sciences
Medvedev Alexandr Mikhailovich

The staff members of the department include:
– Elena G. Kalechits, Doctor, professor and chief researcher;
– Nikolai N. Krivaltsevich, PhD, leading researcher;
– Natalia N. Dubitskaya, PhD, senior researcher;
– Maxim M. Chernyavsky, PhD, senior researcher;
– Igor N. Ezepenko, PhD, senior researcher; 		– Sergei B. Linevich, researcher;
– Maria I. Tkacheva, researcher;
– Oleg Y. Tkachev, researcher;
– Alexander N. Vashenov, researcher;
– Svetlana S. Velent-Scherbach, junior researcher;
– Harshkou Aliaksandr, junior researcher.

Is being taught as a post-graduate student of the department
Jaroslav L. Khomchenko

The main directions of scientific research of the department:

  • • archaeological investigations and excavations of sites of the Stone, the Bronze and the Iron Ages;
  • • study of initial settlement of the territory of Belarus;
  • • Neolithic process and transition from “appropriating” to productive economy;
  • • genesis and historical destiny of the population of the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Ages;
  • • material and spiritual culture of the population in the Paleolithic, the Mesolithic, the Bronze and the Iron Ages;
  • • chronology and periodization of the pre-historic period of Belarus.

The general research subject matter in 2016–2020:
«Belarusian territories in the pre-historic time (the Stone, the Bronze, the Iron Ages)».

The major results of scientific research of the department:

  • • the development of the concept of formation and development of ecological subsystems in the late Pleistocene – early Holocene, and development of the cultures of the Stone Age in territory of the Belarusian Polessye;
  • • definition of the dominating cultural components such as all-European horizon of the Pitted Ware group of Cultures, classical phases of the Middle Dnieper Culture (with active inl uence of the Catacomb Culture), and also regional groups of the sites such as Mokhov 4th and group of sites of type of the Cultural circle of Babye in the pre-historic society of the Dnieper river region;
  • • large-scale investigations on the construction areas of the Grodno hydroe-lectric power station, the Belarusian nuclear power station, the Nezhynsk potash plant, roads and gas nets;
  • • discovery of new sources for the characteristic material and spiritual cultures of the pre-historic population of Belarus during annual field research in all regions of Belarus

The major products of the department have found reflection in a number of scientific articles, as well as in monographs:

  • Язэпенка І.М. Паселішчы неаліту і ранняга перыяду эпохі бронзы міжрэчча Бярэзіны і Дняпра. – Магілёў, 2014. – 238 с.
  • Калечыц А.Г Першыя людзі на зямлі Беларусі: для сярэд. і ст. шк. ўзросту. – Мінск: Беларус. Энцыкл. імя П. Броўкі, 2015. – 120 с.
  • Калечыц А.Г. У гасцях у далёкіх продкаў / Ін-т гісторыі НАН Беларусі; ДУА «Мін. абл. ін-т развіцця адукацыі». – Мінск: Мін. абл. ІРА, 2015. – 52 с.