MAPPING OF MONUMENTS OF OLD RUSS’ TIME OF THE VALLEY OF THE RIVER ORZHITSA: TO THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ANCIENT WAYS OF THE REGION

The paper presents the results of surveys of ancient Russian monuments in 2016 in the valley of the river Orzhitsa, and their comprehensive analysis is carried out. The only known to this time the Old Russian fortification in the valley of the river Orzhitsa was Grebinka. As a result of the works, materials of the XII century were discovered in with Yablunoeve. The concentration of a large number of satellite settlements between these fortresses is opened. Their appearance is fixed from the second half — the end of the XI century. The lack of materials of the era of Kievan Rus within the Orzhytsya fortress was proved. This proves once again that the chronicle mention of «Rjycya» is the name of the hydronym. Mapping of these settlements and historical sources give prospects for the reconstruction of the ancient ways of the region. The territorial structure of the settlement outside the «steppe corridor» between the Sliporid and Orzhitsa rivers, the presence of a good place for a crossing near the Lukim’ya settlement (as confirmed by late sources), topography of individual burials of the early bronze Age — early Iron Age, testify to the prolonged and continuous use of this variant of the passage («Lukim’ya path») to Pereyaslav and Kiev. Even more important this direction plays from the second half — the end of the XI century.