New research on the problem of interpretation of the Neolithic finds from the Fasova site

So far the site of Fasova found by V. Piasetskyi in 1971 is thought to be the only site with a find of LBK vessel in the South-east Polissia. Despite the probable loss of the materials gathered there, the veracity of this find is confirmed by its photograph in the field report of V. Piasetskyi and its drawing published in the paper by D. Telegin. The absence of detailed information on this site led to the distribution of views on Fasova as a settlement of early farmers, which came here from the west Volhynia. However, the data from the field report of the site’s discoverer and new surveys there enable the authors to doubt this interpretation. Namely, the site yielded only a single sherd of LBK vessel. The site is situated on a small sandy upland in the meadow plain of Trostianytsia river in typical Polissian landscape, thus, in the conditions typical for the sites of indigenous fishers and hunters but not early farming settlements. Moreover, the new research revealed a shard of a vessel of Samchyntsi type on the site. The latter type of ware is characteristic for some sub-Neolithic cultures of Ukraine in the second half of 6th – the early 5th mill. BCE. So, nowadays, the most probable interpretation is that the pot of LBK is an ‘import’ on the site of indigenous foragers. On the other hand, V. Piasetskyi mentioned that this shard is saturated with temper of ilmenite, thus, making the local production of the vessel in the basin of Irsha river much more likely. In order to solve this dilemma, the further field-work on the site is highly required as well as the recovery of the 1971 collection with further petrographic analysis of the shard will be very helpful.