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The most prominent portage on the eastern trade route is the one between the river Kasplia in the north, and the great Dniepr in the south. The Kasplia is a tributary of the great Daugava, directly connected to the Baltic sea. The Dniepr could be reached from the north via portage from the Lovat, directly connected to Lake Ilmen and Ladoga. It is no surprise then, that a settlement would appear on the portage between the Kasplia and the Dniepr, running along the banks of the latter. It is in fact, the largest archaeological site discovered in the region and has proven a virtual treasure trove it is comparable to more wellknown locations like Novgorod or Kiev, and some have even argued, that it was the most important settlement on the route to Byzantium. Nowadays it is called: Gnezdovo.

Sources:
Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages(5001300) Florin Curta
GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL ISSUES OF THE UPPER DNIEPER WESTERN DVINA RIVER REGION (WESTERN RUSSIA): FIELDTRIP GUIDE
gnezdovo.com
GNEZDOVO ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEX M. V. Bondareva, A. S. Mironova, A. A. Rudenko
Horse remains from the Gnezdovo archaeological complex, Smolensk Region, Russia Irina V. Kirillova, Natalia N. Spasskaya
Landscape and historical conditions for the emergence and formation of the city of Smolensk V.A Nizotsev and N.M Erman
Symbols of Faith or Symbols of Status? Christian Objects in TenthCentury Rus´ Fedir Androshchuk
The Technology of Manufacturing Glass Beads at Gnezdovo, Smolensk Region O.P Dobrova
The Varangians Sverrir Jakobsson
Vikingperiod preurban settlements in Russia and finds of artefacts of Scandinavian character Tamara Pushkina
Viking Rus Wladyslaw Duczko

Music credits:
Skyrim Solstheim OST Jeremy Soule
Too Cool Kevin Macleod
Featuring photographies of Gnezdovo kurgans by Mikra72

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
4:52 Geographical situation
9:52 Industry
16:16 Jewelcrafting
20:28 Town and hillfort
24:48 The cemetaries
35:16 Rise of Smolensk


#vikings #history #russia