Results of pollen studies at the Staraya Ryazan fortified settlement

The article describes results of pollen studies conducted at the Staraya (Old)Ryazan fortified settlement. The most complete picture is traced down in the cross-sectionin excavation trench 28. These materials supplemented with pollen data from previouslyexamined excavation trench 27 allow the researchers to trace changes in the landscapeenvironment in the vicinity of the hillfort and also identify climatic changes over the entiretimeline covered by the study (the Finnish period - 12th century). The vegetation coveraround the Staraya Ryazan hillfort throughout the medieval climatic optimum was similarto grasslands steppes and the warm and humid stage did not set in until the middle ofthe 12th century when the water rose in the Oka River, this period was followed by cooling ofthe climate. Subsequently the climate became warmer again, humidity decreased andimportance of the oak and, especially, the lime-tree increased