Results of the ams radiocarbon dating of the blockhouse from the Veliky Novgorod Kremlin from M. Kh. Aleshkovsky’s excavations of 1959

The paper reviews results of the AMS radiocarbon dating of an oak blockhouse from the Veliky Novgorod Kremlin (Detinets) from the holdings of the NovgorodState Museum-Preserve with the use of the wiggle-matching method (M. Kh. Aleshkovsky’s excavations of 1959). The modeled radiocarbon AMS date for the preservedrings of the logs the blockhouse was made of falls between 1018-1034 (1σ, 68,2 %) withhigh statistical indicators. This date along with other previously published dates allows theresearchers to date the existence of the defensive fortifications in the Novgorod Kremlinto the early 11th century with fair confidence. The second construction stage of the defensive line in the northern part of the Novgorod Kremlin near the Vladimir Tower may bedated to the first quarter of the 11th century as the earliest and linked to 1044, which is thedate mentioned in the chronicles, as the latest.