Archaeological investigation
on Tesovo Settlement, Luga distr. Len.obl, Russia
settlement
Tesovo was firstly mentioned
in written sources in 1233 when German ritters overcame and burnt down
some parts of Novgorod Land, also overcame "Tesovo fortress". The first
picture of Tesovo belongs to 1615 (see below)Then in was a large village
deserted only in 18th c. In 1960s the part of the settlement was badly
destroyed.
First archaeological investigations
near Tesovo surroundings were held in 1878 by Novgorod priest Bogoslovsky.
He excavated some graveyards nesr Tesovo but the data was lose through
the Russian Revolution and Civil war 1917-1921. Then in 1928 S.A.Teploukhov
excavated the medieval borrows of 12-13th cc. nearby Tesovo Settlement.
this data is in State Hermitage, St.Petersburg, Rus-sia. In 1977 Yu.M.Lesman
refounded the settlement and created the scientific map of its surroundings.
Our expedition began to excavate Tesovo settlement in 1998 with the help
of local administration. Up to this time 420 sq. metres were investigated.
Unfortunately, the main part of the settlement layers was mixed by the
agricultural work of 19-20 centuries. The main data of it appears to be
of 10-16 cc. (see some exemplars on the pictures attached). Now we are
attempt-ing to continue our studies.
Tesovo is situated in a
very nice, especially in Summer time, place, on a small hill full of greenery,
near the ruins of stone 19 century church, 140 km from St.Petersburg, 50
km from the Luga town, on the bank of small Tesovaya river.
Some reminds from the
excavations of 1999-2000 one can found here
