The Trakhtemyriv Hillfort of the Skythian Period in the Dnipro Forest-Steppe Right Bank Region (Research and Prospects)

<jats:p>The relevance of the research. The Trakhtemyriv hillfort is located on the right bank of the Middle Dnipro region, is one of the largest monuments of the Scythian period in southern Eastern Europe. The monument has been known to researchers since at least the 1840s. Large-scale excavations have been carried out here. The research conducted by H.T. Kovpanenko was particularly significant. Numerous residential and economic complexes and religious sites have been discovered. Information about the burial rites of the settlement's inhabitants has been obtained. The vast amount of material obtained has not been introduced into scientific circulation. This necessitates further research. The purpose of the article is to characterize the history of research on the Trakhtemyriv hillfort in Cherkasy region and to clarify the specifics of studying the monument during different historical periods. Conclusions. The Trakhtemyriv settlement from the Scythian period is part of the Kyiv-Cherkasy local group of monuments of the Eastern European Forest-Steppe. It is located in the Poroska subgroup of monuments. The monument has been known in literature since the 19th century. Noteworthy works on this subject include those by P. Kulish, F. D. de Montperrey, L. Pokhylevych, I. Fundukley, and M. Grabovsky. At the end of the 19th century, the first items from Trakhtemyriv were included in collections formed by V. Antonovych and M. Brandenburg. During the Soviet era, the Trakhtemyriv hillfort was surveyed by M. Rudynsky, T. Passiek, O. Terenozhkin, and V. Petrenko, who established the early Scythian period of the monument. The most significant archaeological excavations at the site were carried out by H. Kovpanenko in 1964–1965. The scientist excavated an area of over 3 hectares and studied numerous residential and burial complexes. They include above-ground dwellings, dugouts, production facilities, and utility pits. Cult buildings and altars were discovered. A child's grave, bones in residential premises, and a collective burial were found on the settlement. The finds include molded and imported antique dishes, weapons, tools, bridle parts, and jewelry. In subsequent years, excavations were conducted by E. Maksymov, O. Petrashenko, L. Vynohorodska, and U. Boltryk. The material obtained from the Trakhtemyriv hillfort remains unsystematized. It requires a separate monographic study. The main tasks of such work should be to study the topography of the site, its defensive system, residential and economic buildings, burial rites and economic activities of the inhabitants, and the chronology of the complexes. It should also examine the place of the Trakhtemyriv hillfort among other contemporary sites in the Northern Black Sea region.</jats:p>