New medieval sun compasses? The problem of the function of stone disks from southern Rus’

Olena Veremeychyk; Olga Antowska-Gorączniak

doi:10.23858/SA/76.2024.2.3290

Published: 2024-12-17

Vol. 76 No. 2 (2024)

New medieval sun compasses? The problem of the function of stone disks from southern Rus’

Olena Veremeychyk , Olga Antowska-Gorączniak

Sprawozdania Archeologiczne

Section: Field Survey and Materials

https://doi.org/10.23858/SA/76.2024.2.3290

Abstract

The article explores stone disks discovered at medieval sites in Rus’. A total of eight pyrophyllite slate objects, sourced from outcrops near Ovruch (Ukraine), were analysed. These disks have been previously interpreted as various items, including calendars, craft tools such as needle sharpeners and polishing stones, as well as components of hand-operated bow drills. Through measurements and surface analysis, three stone disks (Kyiv, Listven, Liubech) exhibit similarities to Vikings’ sun compasses, with a limited number of examples found in Greenland and the Baltic Sea region. The analysed objects were dated to the period between the late 12th and mid-13th centuries. The origin of the raw material suggests local manufacturing. At the same time, the form and function may have been influenced by Scandinavian traders and sailors, aligning with the presence of these disks along rivers within the trade route ‘from the Varangians to the Greeks.’ Further studies and archaeological experiments are necessary to confirm whether these disks had a practical navigational purpose.

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Veremeychyk, O., & Antowska-Gorączniak, O. (2024). New medieval sun compasses? The problem of the function of stone disks from southern Rus’. Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 76(2), 383–398. https://doi.org/10.23858/SA/76.2024.2.3290

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Olena Veremeychyk

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3020-8342

Affiliation:

Department of the History of Ukraine, Archaeology and Ethnology, T.H. Shevchenko National University, Chernikhiv, Ukraine, Ukraine

Olga Antowska-Gorączniak

olgaag@amu.edu.pl
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5732-4474

Affiliation:

Faculty of Archaeology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland, Poland