Финское население на северо-западе Новгородской земли

ENThe Slavs who came in the middle of the first millennium A.D. to the territory of Peipus and Ilmen lakes basins from more southern and southwestern regions of Europe met there two Finno-Ugric tribes - Chud'ox Ests of Russian chronicles and Vod'. The language of Vod' was relatively close to the north dialect of Estonian language. Beginning from the XlXth century the scholars tried to clear up the borders of the region where Vod' lived. Many of them thought that this tribe settled vast territories on the northwest of Russia. Such conclusions were based on the fact that the so called Vodskaja Pyatina of Novgorod the Great (administrative division) of the XVth-XVIth centuries was located on the same vast territory. During last decades appeared new materials which give us the possibility to speak more exactly about the region settled by Vod' in the Middle Ages. The study of written, ethnographical and archeological sources allows us to make the conclusion that the territory of Vod' stretched from the northeastern Estonia, along Finland Gulf up to the fortress Kopor'e and it's environment. There were found ancient stone cemeteries of Vod' dated to the beginning of the I millennium A.D. According to their burial rite and grave goods they look like the cemeteries of northern Ests (so called - tarand-graves of northern-easten Estonia).Sometimes such cemeteries included graves dated from XII-XIII to XVIII centuries. For them it's very typical some elements of dress of Vod' women: headdress with ornaments of small beads, kauri shells and bronze elements; specific breast decorations (so called müätsi and rissiko). In 2009 year in the region of Vod' cemeteries near the village of Valy there was found a bronze cattle whit parts of ethnographic dress of woman dated to the XVIIth century. The clothier apron was preserved most nicely. Our study shows that from ancient times southern bank of Finland Gulf was settled by ancestors of Ests and Vod'. According to the material culture the population to the East and to the West of river Narwa was alike. Then slowly the differences between their material culture grew. The people to the East of Narva acquired more and more special features in their material culture and language and they became to call themselves Vatialaset or Waddjalaiset (Vod' of Russian chronicles).