Hillforts of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the Transcarpathian Region of Ukraine

In the scientific literature, 13 hillforts of Transcarpathia are referred to the Hallstatt period, of which only five are credible: Shelestovo, Ardanovo, Irshava, Bila Tserkva, and Seredne Vodyane. With the exception of Seredne Vodyane, which is of particular interest in terms of studying the early stage of the settlement of the mountain zone of the region, they are all located on the hills in the foothill zone. By the area, the fortified points are divided into sites of medium size (2-10 hectares): Shelestovo, Ardanovo, and Irshava and small ones (up to 2 hectares): Bila Tserkva and Seredne Vodyane. Fortifications are represented by ramparts and ditches. The ramparts reach a height of 2-3 m with a base width of 6-10 m, and ditches reach a depth of 1.5-2 m and a width of 5 m and more. In some cases, there is no rampart in the hard-to-reach places (Bila Tserkva), and additional lines of fortifications were erected in easily accessible places (Irshava). According to the structure of the embankment, the ramparts are divided into earthen and stone-earth. Sometimes for the strengthening of ramparts, stacked structures of logs (Irshava) or stone walls of dry masonry (Shelestovo) were used. Among the structures on the crest of a rampart, we note the palisades detected by the pits in Ardanovo. In the course of the small-scale excavations of the hillforts, the presence of a very weak cultural layer and the almost complete absence of economic structures were observed that, before carrying out large-scale works and obtaining materials that disprove these data, allows classifying these sites as shelters. It should be noted that, in Shelestovo, Ardanovo and Irshava, a relatively large amount of ceramic material was found directly in the embankments of the shafts, which indicates that the fortifications were created already after the settlements began functioning on the mountain tops.