Sivershchyna Travel Guide

The International Archeological Expedition started excavating the largest in the Central-Eastern Europe fortified Viking camp of the 9th – 13th centuries and their burial cemetery near the village of Shestovitsa on the outskirts of Chernihiv, Northern Ukraine in 1998.

The expedition is organized by the Institute of the Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (O. Motsya, Doctor of History); Chernihiv Institute of History, Ethnology and Jurisprudence named after O.M.Lazorevskyi (V. Kovalenko, Associate Professor of History); Norwegian University of Technology and Sciences and Norwegian Institute of Archeology (A. Stalsberg, Doktor of History), with the participation of Nizyn Gogol State Pedagogical University, Bryansk Petrovsky State University, Gomel Skorina State University, Chernihiv Tarnovski Historical Museum. The consultant of the Program is Academician P. Tolochko, Director of the Institute of the Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

During some archaeological seasons nearly 4500 m2 of the Hillfort (its area is nearly 2,5 acres) and nearly 10000 m2 of the trading quarter (its area is about 75 acres) have been excavated. The investigations showed that at the end of the 9th century the rampart was spread over the whole perimeter of the ground. In the middle of the 13th century the Hillfort perished and life on it never resumed.

More than 200 tumuli with burial chambers, urn burials, inhumations in grave pits, cenotaphs and others were excavated on the burial cemetery near Shestovytsya. Among them there were many Viking’s graves with arms, horses, women-slaves and valuable burial things.

It is planed to proceed the work of the expedition in the nearest years. The number of the participants is about 120. Languages for communication are Ukrainian, English and Russian.

Everyone interested in history and archaeology is invited to participate in the expedition. Any cooperation and sponsorship are welcome.