Issues of Archaeological Cultures Study in the Territory of Uman Region (on materials by H.Yu. Khraban)

Abstract

The purpose of the research paper is to focus attention on the role of the ‘second plan’ historians in scientific research of the history of Ukraine; to evaluate and study comprehensively the contribution of H.Yu. Khraban to the archaeological study of Uman region territory; to carry out a detailed analysis of the archaeological part of the scholar’s scientific heritage; to find out the results of his archaeological studies, and to show the importance of the archaeological study of the regions for the reconstruction of the genuine history of Ukraine. Scientific novelty: The contribution of H. Khraban to the study of various archaeological cultures sites in the western part of Cherkasy and neighboring oblasts is analyzed based on the fundamental source base, and after finding as well as introduction into scientific circulation of a significant array of new archival sources. The paper significantly augments a list of scholar’s works, many of which are unpublished and remain relevant to this day. Conclusions. The activity of H. Khraban devoted to the archaeological study of the territory of Uman region, Eastern Podillia, and the popularization of the ancient history of Ukraine is analyzed. The contribution of the historian to the addition of previously unknown pages from the history of the expansion of different archaeological cultures tribes into Uman region territory, his assistance in the organization of Uman Museum of Local Lore research activities, and the involvement of the public in the archaeological study of the region are shown. H.Yu. Khraban himself participated in archaeological field research in Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, and Zhytomyr oblasts. Hryhorii Khraban maintained systematic ties with the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and spoke at meetings of the Department of Archeology Early Slavs with important reports on the results of his studies. Scientific notes and collected material objects were systematically given by the scholar to the scientific funds of the Institute of Archaeology. According to the time of their dating, H. Khraban attributed the archaeological sites discovered in the territory of Uman region to the Paleolithic period, Trypillia culture, Bronze Age, Bilohrudivska culture, Scythian period, Zarubyntsi and Cherniakhiv cultures, and the sites of the early Slavs. H. Khraban’s merit as an archaeologist lies in the fact that he helped to study the continuity in the settling of Uman region territory since ancient times.