THE AGGLOMERATIONS OF THE ANNALISTIC OVRUCH VOLOST

The unique phenomenon of the chronicle Ovruch volost — agglomerations and agglomeration areas including the largest in the region and not directly related to fortified chronicle settlements is analyzed in the paper. The high degree of archaeological exploration of the Ovruch volost made it possible to identify and determine the seven largest and, correspondingly, the most inhabited settlements which can be considered the agglomerations in the course of studying and reconstructing the settlement system. Some of these powerful complexes of sites (Ovruch, Norinsk, Gorodets) have already been specially analyzed in some papers. This work presents the results of study of three largest distinguished agglomerations — Naogryany-Khluplyany-Pokalyov, Khotin and Orlov-Fosni-Biduny. The last two ones were discovered and examined just recently and are one of the most important discoveries of the Ovruch project which changed the views on the main features of the settlement system of the Ovruch volost and its unique features. The description of these complexes, their spatial and geographical structure, and paleonatural background are proposed. The internal planigraphic structure, area and configuration of the constituent parts of the agglomerations, their position and importance in the general and local settlement systems are analyzed. The features of material culture and the functional features of each of the studied agglomerations are determined separately. Indicators of the presence of the most important social and economic spheres of life of the agglomeration population are determined. Based on the synthetic analysis, the estimated sociopolitical and geo-strategic importance, economic and environmental specialization of these points and their likely demographic potential are determined. The totality of the ascertained characteristics of the agglomerations determines their place and importance in the Ovruch volost, and wider — within the borders of Rus. The brief discussion regarding the atypical nature of such a phenomenon in the Old Rus Middle Ages is presented, and effective approaches to its explanation are determined. The discovery of such agglomeration formations changes the existing views on the status and hierarchy of Old Rus settlements, the definition of Old Rus cities and their typology. The important role and importance of the application of geographical approaches and methods for the study and comprehension of socioeconomic and physical-geographical resear