Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела гора Луганської обл.

To date, there is no exact number of objects of archaeological heritage that have suffered as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The publication provides information about a barrow group damaged by the Russian occupiers which is located near Vesela Hora village in Luhansk Oblast.

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Published in:Археологія
Date:2025
Issue:1
Pages:110-120
ISSN:2616-499X
Author Affiliations:
  • S. A. Telizhenko — PhD, Academic Secretary of the Institute of Archaeology, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Main Author: Telizhenko, S. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Archaeology NAS of Ukraine 2025
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Online Access:https://arheologia.com.ua/index.php/arheologia/article/view/409
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Chemistry, Physics and Technology of Surface
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container_title Археологія
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description To date, there is no exact number of objects of archaeological heritage that have suffered as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The publication provides information about a barrow group damaged by the Russian occupiers which is located near Vesela Hora village in Luhansk Oblast.
doi_str_mv 10.15407/arheologia2025.01.110
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fulltext НАЦIОНАЛЬНА АКАДЕМIЯ НАУК УКРАЇНИ • IНСТИТУТ АРХЕОЛОГIЇ НАН УКРАЇНИ НАУКОВИЙ ЖУРНАЛ – ЗАСНОВАНИЙ У 1947 р. ВИДАЄТЬСЯ ЩОКВАРТАЛЬНО КИЇВ 1  2025 АРХЕОЛОГIЯ Головний редактор ЧАБАЙ В. П., член-кореспондент НАН України, Iнститут археологiї НАН України Редакцiйна колегiя БОЛТРИК Ю. В., кандидат iсторичних наук, Iнститут археологiї НАН України БУЙСЬКИХ А. В., член-кореспондент НАН України, Iнститут археологiї НАН України ГАРДІ С. Е., PhD, Університет ім. Рея Хуана Карлоса, Іспанія ДЖIНДЖАН Ф., професор, доктор хаб., почесний професор унiверситету Париж 1 Пантеон Сорбонна, Францiя ЗАЛIЗНЯК Л. Л., професор, доктор iсторичних наук, Нацiональний унiверситет «Києво-Могилянська академiя» КАЙЗЕР Е., професор, доктор хаб., Вiльний унiверситет Берлiну, Німеччина ОТРОЩЕНКО В. В., професор, доктор iсторичних наук, Нацiональний унiверситет «Києво-Могилянська академiя» ПЛАВІНСЬКИЙ М. О., кандидат історичних наук, Варшавський університет, Польща ПОТЄХIНА I. Д., кандидат iсторичних наук, Iнститут археологiї НАН України РАБІНОВІЦ А., PhD, Техаський університет в Остіні, Сполучені штати Америки ФОРНАСЬЄ Й., професор, доктор хаб., Галле-Віттенбергський університет імені Мартіна Лютера, Німеччина ШЕВЧЕНКО T. М., кандидат історичних наук, Інститут археології НАН України (вiдповiдальний секретар) NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF UKRAINE • INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY NAS OF UKRAINE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL – FOUNDED IN 1947 FREQUENCY: QUARTERLY Editor-in-Chief CHABAI V. P., Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Editorial Board BOLTRYK Yu. V., PhD in History, Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine BUISKYKH A. V., Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine DJINDJIAN F., Professor, Dr. Hab., Professor of the University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, France FORNASIER J., Professor, Dr. Hab., Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany HARDY S. A., PhD, Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain KAISER E., Professor, Dr. Hab., Free University of Berlin, Germany OTROSHCHENKO V. V., Professor, DSc in History, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy PLAVINSKI M. O., PhD in History, University of Warsaw, Poland POTEKHINA I. D., PhD in History, Institute of Archaeology of the NAS of Ukraine RABINOWITZ A., PhD in Classical Archaeology, University of Texas at Austin, the USA SHEVCHENKO T. M., PhD in History, Institute of Archaeology NAS of Ukraine (Executive Secretary) ZALIZNIAK L. L., Professor, DSc in History, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy ARHEOLOGIA KYIV 1  2025 ЗМIСТ CONTENTS Articles RUDYCH T. O., KOZAK O. D. Late Bronze Age Population of South-Western Volyn Based on An- thropological Material From Rovantsi Necropolis ВЕРТІЄНКО Г. В. Скіфський σάγαρις: слово — образ — археологічний обʼєкт Publications of Archaeological Materials ЗАБАВІН В.  О., НЕБРАТ С.  Г. Кургани біля с. Калинівка (за матеріалами Маріупольської ар- хеологічної експедиції) KOMAR O. V., BILYNSKA L. I., BUHAI O. M. A Medieval Hoard of Silver Ingots Discovered near Dernove village in Sumy Oblast Protection of Archaeological Monuments ТЕЛІЖЕНКО С.  А. Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та ви- користання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела Гора Луганської обл. Статтi РУДИЧ Т.  О., КОЗАК О.  Д. Населення південно-західної Волині  кінця доби бронзи за антропологічними матеріалами з могильника Рованці VERTIIENKO H. V. Scythian σάγαρις: Word — Image — Archaeological Object Публiкацiї археологiчних матерiалiв ZABAVIN V.  O., NEBRAT S.  H.  Barrows near Kalynivka village (Based on Materials of the Mariupol Archaeological Expedition) КОМАР О. В., БІЛИНСЬКА Л. І., БУГАЙ О. М. Середньовічний скарб срібних злитків зі знахід- ки поблизу с. Дернове на Сумщині Охорона археологiчних пам’яток TELIZHENKO  S.  A. Monitoring Archaeological Heritage in the Conditions of War: Damage and Military Use of the Mounds Near Vesela Hora Village in Luhansk Oblast 5 23 47 80 110 Методи археологiчних дослiджень РАДЧЕНКО С.  Б.,  ЧЕНЦОВ  Я.  М. Фотограмметрія у структурі трансдис- циплінарної археології: приклад моделювання артефактів із середньовічного степу України Хронiка Євгенія Федорівна Редіна: життя, присвячене археології Methodology of Archaeological Research RADCHENKO S. B., CHENTSOV Ya. M. Photo- grammetry in the Structure of Transdisciplinary Archaeology: an Example of Modelling Artefacts from the Medieval Steppe of Ukraine News Review Yevheniia Fedorivna Redina: a Life Dedicated to Archaeology 121 149 ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1110 Охорона пам’яток археологiї УДК: 902.2:351.853((477.61)”364” https://doi.org/10.15407/arheologia2025.01.110 * TELIZHENKO Serhii Anatoliiovych ― PhD, Academic Secretary of the Institute of Archaeology, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, ORCID 0000-0003- 1677-4900, telizhenko@nas.gov.ua MONITORING ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE IN THE CONDITIONS OF WAR: DAMAGE AND MILITARY USE OF THE MOUNDS NEAR VESELA HORA VILLAGE IN LUHANSK OBLAST © S. A. TELIZHENKO* 2025 To date, there is no exact number of objects of ar- chaeological heritage that have suffered as a re- sult of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The publication provides information about a barrow group damaged by the Russian occupiers which is located near Vesela Hora village in Luhansk Oblast. K e y w o r d s: Luhansk Oblast, barrow group, archaeology of war, archaeological monitoring Russian aggression has caused and continues to cause irreparable damage to Ukraine with a very long list of crimes: total destruction of settlements, killing and deportation of the civilian population, torture of prisoners of war, persecution on ethnic and religious grounds, destruction of natural re- sources, objects and sabotage against technolog- ical objects of civil infrastructure, which lead to ecological and other disasters. Separate clauses should be considered crimes against the cultural property of Ukraine, which also include crimes re- lated to the destruction or partial destruction of ar- chaeological heritage objects, use of objects of ar- chaeological heritage for military purposes, theft of archaeological valuables from the destroyed ob- jects of archaeological heritage or museums and their movement for the purpose of resale or crea- tion of own collections in Russia, conducting ille- gal excavations in the occupied territories, etc. Russia has begun seizing Ukrainian territory since 2014, when, with the help of separate units of the Russian army, it started occupying govern- mental buildings and military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula (The UN… 2014; 2020). Later, in or- der to legitimise its actions in the eyes of the in- ternational community, on March 16, 2014, Rus- sia resorted to holding an illegal referendum on the status of the Crimea. Around the same time, Russia began preparations for the seizure of the south-eastern regions of Ukraine. As a result of a series of military events in 2014–2015, dur- ing which brutal combat clashes took place, ac- companied by heavy losses among the military and civilian population, parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions were occupied. During the mil- itary operations of 2014 and 2015, as well as in subsequent years, cases of damage to the integ- rity of cultural property were repeatedly record- ed (Damage… 2024). In one of the publications, I proposed a typology of the nature of damage to objects of archaeological heritage (Telizhenko 2016; Теліженко 2023, p. 25). In the future, this typology is likely to undergo changes, but cur- rently it has the following form: 1. Damage to the integrity of objects of ar- chaeological heritage (mounds, settlements, buri- al grounds, etc.) as a result of shelling (presence of craters from explosions); 2. Objects of archaeological heritage, which are damaged as a result of the arrangement of military objects (defensive structures/observation points or firing points with the use of equipment or hand tools) and their subsequent use for military purposes; 3. Mined areas of archaeological heritage sites; 4. Areas with objects of archaeological herit- age, which are used for large-scale construction of military infrastructure. The construction of civil infrastructure in the occupied territories is an issue for a separate study. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.en ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1 111 In all cases, the degree of damage is determined directly on the spot, and this requires the develop- ment of a separate calculation method. One of the examples of the use of an archaeo- logical heritage site for military purposes is a bar- row group near Vesela Hora village in the Luhansk Oblast. This paper is the first in a series of publica- tions dedicated to the damaged archaeological her- itage of the Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts of the eastern part of Ukraine. Methods To prepare this publication, the methods of studying cartographic materials, as well as the analysis of satellite images available online, were used. The best resource for studying satellite im- ages is Google Earth and the feature that allows users to view areas of the Earth’s surface in imag- es from previous years. To work with other objects of archaeological heritage, the following resources were also used: HereWeGo, Sentinel hub, as well as Maps and Satellite imagery by Brady Africk. The methods of remote monitoring of the con- dition of archaeological heritage have been applied for a long time and are among successful examples. For instance, the work of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) under the Science and Human Rights program, which inves- tigated information on the destruction of Armeni- an cultural properties by Azerbaijan between 1998 and 2005 (American… 2010). Using high-resolu- tion satellite images, AAAS documented the gradu- al destruction of a medieval Armenian cemetery of the 15th — 16th centuries in the Julfa region (Nakh- ichevan, Azerbaijan). A large-scale remote sensing project using a complex of data: aerial photographs, historical maps, documentary and archaeological records, and satellite images, was conducted in North- East Africa (Laguna-Palma, Toscano; Rodríguez- Rellán 2024). Examples of remote monitoring of archaeologi- cal heritage in wartime using high-resolution satel- lite images include the joint work of the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) and the US Department of State investigating damaged archae- ological sites in Syria, Northern Iraq, and Southern Turkey, which resulted in approximately 5,000 doc- umented cases (Casana, Laugier 2017). In 2019, an article was published that was ded- icated to establishing the fact of the destruction of part of the Old City of Palmyra (the Temple of Bel, the Temple of Baal Shamin, the Arch of Triumph, etc.) by ISIS between 2015 and 2017 and assessing the damage caused (Cerra, Plank, Schreie 2019). Due to the joint work of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the facts of the destruction of the monu- ment, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were established, and a damage map was created. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale inva- sion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, independent centres have been activated to study the impact of war on the condition of archaeological heritage sites, which, among other things, use remote monitoring using satellite images in their work (see: Буйських et al. 2023; Чабай та ін. 2024; Koropetsky et al. 2024). In the study, in order to establish the status of objects of archaeological heritage, there is a need to check the register documentation of cultural heritage protection departments or study archival materials stored in the Scientific Archives of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (the IA NAS of Ukraine). The Location of the Mound Group The mound group consists of four mounds and is located 1873 m south-east from the Church of the Annunciation (1776–1777), which is in the centre of Vesela Hora village in the Luhansk ur- ban community, Luhansk district, Luhansk Oblast, and 4.8  km south-east from the central part of the city of Shchastia (Novoaidar Region), and 14.4 km to the north-west from the central part of the city of Luhansk (the building of the regional state administration) (fig.  1–3). Topographically, the mound group is located on a relatively viable section of the right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River, on the watershed that separates the Rivers Siverskyi Donets and Luhan. At a distance of 24 to 30 m to the east from the barrow 1 of the mound group, there is a road of local importance connect- ing the city of Luhansk with Vesela Hora village, and 720 m to the east is the highway N-21 (Staro- bilsk-Donetsk). The mound group has a no. 1390 on the state register. The GPS coordinates of the barrow 1 are the following: N 48.69954622790683, E 39.267818808598165. Historical Reference Mounds are earthen embankments of vari- ous sizes that were built over burials. As a rule, mounds are not located on watersheds, but they are ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1112 also known on low floodplain terraces. The oldest burial mounds in Luhansk Oblast should be con- sidered to be the Early Eneolithic burial barrows (Рассамакін, Черних 2017). Over time, represent- atives of other, later cultures buried their dead in these structures. Given the significant number of scientific publications, the study area mostly pre- sents burials from the Bronze Age as well as buri- als from the Early Iron Age and the Middle Ages. For the first time, the mound group near Vese- la Hora village was recorded on the military top- ographical map of the Russian Empire of 1846– 1863, which was created under the leadership of F. F. Schubert and P. O. Tuchkov (Карти Шубер- та…; Карти триверстовки…). The map shows one large embankment and seven smaller embank- ments (fig. 4). On the neighbouring site, which is located to the north-east, and which will be dis- cussed below, two mounds are also marked one large and a small one next to it. The distance be- tween both barrow groups can be between 400 to 600 m. Fig. 1. Location of the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on the Physical map of Ukraine (marked with a red rectangle) Fig. 2. Mound group (state registration no. 1309) on the image from November  11, 2017 (marked with a yellow circle). Source: Google Earth Fig. 3. Mound group (state registration no. 1309) on the image from October 7, 2004. Source: Google Earth ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1 113 Fig. 4. Location of the mound group (state registration no.  1309) on the map of F.  F.  Schubert (1863). Red circle — barrow group no. 1309; yellow circle — barrows on the neighbourhood In the Scientific Archives of the IA NAS of Ukraine, there is a register card compiled on Au- gust 18, 1947 by T. Lytvyn (Мельник, Батинов, Литвин 1947). It contains data on four mounds that extended to the south-west of the Lu- hansk-Vesela Hora highway (fig.  5). The near- est and largest barrow 1 was located closer to the highway. The card contains the following infor- mation (fig. 6): “Mound  1. An earthen embankment of 3  m high. Diameter — 30 m. The surface of the mound is overgrown with wild grass and covered with defensive trenches; Mound 2. An earthen mound 1.7 m high. Diam- eter — 15 m. The foot is ploughed. The top is over- grown with wild herbs; Mound  3. An earthen mound 1.3  m high. Di- ameter — 12 m. The foot is ploughed. The entire surface, with the exception of the top, is ploughed; Mound  4. An earthen embankment 1  m high. Diameter — 9 m. The entire surface is ploughed.”1 Thus, as of 1947, one of the mounds was dam- aged, because it was used for military purpos- es during the World War II. Other embankments were destroyed. 1 Hereinafter translated from Russian by S. A. Telizhenko. Fig. 5. Photocopy of the registration card in form no. 6, signed by T. Lytvyn. A group of barrows on the 5th kilometer of the western Vesela Hora–Voroshilovhrad Road. 1947. Scientific Archives of the IA NAS of Ukraine In 1977, the mound group was re-examined by a researcher of the Siversk-Donetsk Archaeologi- cal Expedition, O. F. Horelik (Паспорт курганної групи 1977). However, in his documentation only the two largest mounds (mounds І and ІІ) are indi- cated with the following dimensions: “Mound І. Di- ameter 47 m, height 2.6 m. The slopes of the mound are steep; Mound  II. Diameter 35 m, height 3 m. The slopes of the mound are very steep. The sur- face is damaged by excavation of soil from a war- time dugout [WWII-auth.]”. In the register of ar- chaeological monuments of local significance of Luhansk Oblast, it is stated that the object’s doc- umentation was created in 1985, and on June 27, 1985, by the decision no. 297 it was adopted to reg- istration (registration no. 1390). The photograph in the document shows two mounds (fig. 7). Unfortu- nately, there is no information about which mound is in the foreground. The topographic plan made by D. Rudykov is also interesting (fig. 8). The descrip- tion of the mound in the passport does not corre- spond to the image on the map, because the pass- ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1114 Fig. 6. Photocopy of the registration card in the form no. 6, signed by T. Lytvyn. A group of barrows on the 5th kilometer of the western Vesela Hora–Voroshylovhrad Road. 1947. Scientific Archives of the IA NAS of Ukraine Fig. 7. View of the mounds I and II of the mound group no. 1309. Passport of the mound group no. 1309 (1977) ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1 115 port indicates that the mound II was located 78 m to the north-northeast, and according to the map it turns out that the mound I is located in this direction in relation to the mound II. The overlay of a mod- ern satellite image shows that either the map is quite conditional, or the area has undergone minor trans- formations. Events of 2014–2022 Until 2014, the barrow group was relatively quiet, except for the fact that the burial mound of the barrow  2 was regularly undermined. During the time that has passed since 1947, a power line was built near the mound group, and already closer to the 1990s, a reclamation basin was built 553 m south-west from the barrow 1, from which canals were set aside to the south-east and directly next to the highway, closer to the barrow group. In 2014, a new post-WWII history of the mound group begins. If “defensive trenches” were record- ed on the mound I in 1947, then the two mounds have been damaged since 2014. In June 2014, the Ukrainian military blocked 11 km of the H-21 high- way in order to control traffic and monitor the town of Shchastia, which is located on the lower left bank of the Siverskyi Donets River (fig. 9). They set up a checkpoint located 724 m to the east of the mound group. On the field itself, which is located between highways H-21 and Luhansk‒Vesela Hora, fir- ing positions and trenches were entrenched. Since July  2014, the number of firing positions has in- creased significantly, and a busy dirt road has ap- peared near the mound 1, which is located next to the Fig. 8. Plan of the mound group no. 1309. Passport of the mound group no. 1309 (1977) ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1116 Luhansk‒Vesela Hora highway (fig. 10). Between July and August 2014, the Ukrainian military were pushed back to the Siverskyi Donets River and this part of the route became controlled by the Russia supported military. In August 2014, defensive struc- tures (foxholes) and firing positions began to be in- stalled on both mounds (fig. 11). Due to the fact that the area occupied by the Russia controlled military came under fire from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (from the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets River), the occupants had to move 720  m in the western direction — directly to the mounds. There are no images between August  2014 and October  2014, so it can be assumed that the trenches between the mounds I and II were dug exactly during this period (within one month) (fig. 12). The south-western part of the trench wedged into the body of the mound II, while its eastern and north-eastern parts wedged into and surrounded the body of the mound I. In April 2015, the situation was almost without change – the mounds and the field on which they were located came under fire from the left bank (fig. 13). At the same time, the latter was shelled from the side of the barrows and the adjacent area, which was prepared for this purpose in 2014. A rectangular platform was excavated from the western side of the mound II, which may have been used to accommodate a ve- hicle. The image from August 1, 2016 shows that there were almost no changes in the mound group, but already a year later it can be seen that the trench was extended in the western direction — it acquired clearer configurations, in accordance with the re- quirements for the arrangement of field fortification (fig.  14). On the image from August  4, 2017, the trenches were actively used for their intended pur- pose (fig.  15). The greatest activity was observed near the mound I — there, most likely, closer to the checkpoint, was not only a foxhole, but also a kind of command post. It is possible that some kind of shelter was made in the body of the mound  II as well — the images from June 16, 2019 showed ac- tivity around this barrow and on its top (fig. 16). It could also be seen that an additional incision was made into its body from the south-western side of the mound  II in 2019. It is significant that simul- taneously with the activity directly on the mounds, Russia supported military had also used the landing site, which was located 309 m south-west from the mound II, since 2017. This is especially well visible on the image from January 2020. As of January 2, 2020, there was an activity around both barrows (traces from passing vehicles) (fig. 17). The image from June 2, 2020 showed that the trench was ex- tended from the cut on the mound II in the south- west direction (fig. 18). According to the image from the beginning of October 2021, it is possible to ascertain the ab- sence of any activity near the mound II — the ab- sence of traces and weed-covered trenches and the actual embankment of the mound (fig. 19). Trac- es of activity could be observed only around the mound I. There was no activity at all in the landing area south-west of the mound II; the path from the barrow was overgrown, and no signs of the move- ment of equipment were visible. This may indicate that the need for exactly these positions gradually Fig. 9. Image of an intact mound group from June 30, 2014. 720  m to the east from them, near the H-21 highway, a checkpoint and firing positions are set up. Source: Google Earth Fig. 10. Situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on July 17, 2014. Source: Google Earth ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1 117 Fig. 11. Situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on August 8, 2014. Source: Google Earth Fig. 12. Situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on October 13, 2014. Source: Google Earth Fig. 13. Situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on April 10, 2015. Source: Google Earth Fig.  14. Situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on August 1, 2016. Source: Google Earth disappeared, as preparations for a full-scale inva- sion were in full swing. As of June 2022, the activ- ity on the mounds was minimal (fig. 20). Conclusion The mound group was damaged for the first time during the World War  II. Unfortunately, the compiler of the record card in 1947 did not make graphic images of the mounds in the plan and did not put them on schemes of “defensive trenches” of the World War II, so that the nature of the dam- age was clear. Between 1947 and 1977, when the mound group was surveyed for the second time, O. F. Horelik, who later wrote the documentation of the object, did not record the two embankments, which in 1947 were 1.0 and 1.3 m high. It is possi- ble that the survey was carried out in the summer, when the topography of the area was poorly traced, due to the presence of agricultural crops, or it can be assumed that the mounds were ploughed at that time. Between 2014 and 2020, the mounds I and II were significantly damaged as a result of the instal- lation of defensive structures and firing points by Russia supported military. It is possible that burials were destroyed by them during the construction of engineering and technical structures. It is also pos- sible that the defensive structures were the burial mounds 3 and 4, which were eventually destroyed. It should also be mentioned that in the area where in 2014 Ukrainian military first set up a check- point and firing positions, there were also two bar- ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1118 Fig. 15. The situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on August 4, 2017. Source: Google Earth Fig. 16. The situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on June 16, 2019. Source: Google Earth Fig. 17. The situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on January 2, 2020. Source: Google Earth Fig. 18. The situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on July 4, 2020. Source: Google Earth Fig. 19. The situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on October 2021. Sources: Google Earth & HereWeGo Fig. 20. The situation at the mound group (state registration no. 1309) on June 2022. Sources: Google Earth & HereWeGo ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1 119 rows (according to the map of the second half of the 19th century). It is possible that as of 2014 they were almost levelled, and during military activity they could have been destroyed entirely. Acknowledgments This paper was written as a part of the project of the Non-state Organization “Crimean Institute of Strategic Studies” entitled “Proliferation and restoration of the documentation of violations: the cultural heritage of Ukraine during the war.” Ac- cording to the resolution of the Presidium of the NAS of Ukraine no. 425, dated by December 13, 2023, monitoring of archaeological heritage mon- uments is a priority area of the scientific activity of the IA NAS of Ukraine. The author expresses sincere gratitude to Sean Mark Miller for his help in editing the text, as well as his friendly advice. Буйських,  А., Івакін,  В., Шидловський,  П., Зоцен- ко, І. 2023. Пам’ятки археології під час війни: польовий досвід та юридичний аспект (на прикладі робіт МАЕ у м. Києві та Київській області у 2022 р.). Vita Antiqua, 14, p. 36-59. Чабай, В.П., Теліженко, С.А., Гнера, В.А., Смирнов, О.І., Буйських, А.В. 2024. Моніторингові роботи Кахов- ського загону Миколаївської археологічної експедиції в 2023 році. Науковий архів ІА НАН України; ф. 64, 2023/1. Карти триверстовки нової редакції [online]. Ре- жим доступу: https://freemap.com.ua/karty-ukrainy/karty- trexverstovki-s-privyazkoj-dlya-gps/karta-trexverstovka-25- 17/#google_vignette [Дата звернення 20 грудня 2024]. Карти Шуберта-Тучкова [online]. Режим доступу: https://krystynopol.info/karty-shuberta/#google_vignette [Дата звернення 20 грудня 2024]. Мельник, И. И., Батинов, Г. Л., Литвин, Т. 1947. Кар- тотека курганов Ватутинского, Ворошиловградского, Краснодонского, Лисичанского, Станично-Луганского, Ново-Астраханского, Новосветловского, Александров- ского, Свердловского, Славяносербского, Успенского ра- йонов Ворошиловградской области. Науковий архів ІА НАНУ, ф. 64, 1947/39. Паспорт курганної групи. Реєстраційний номер 1390. Створений О.  Ф.  Гореліком у 1977  р. Індекс І.3.1390- 2.3.16. З приватного архіву автора. Оригінали зберігають- ся на окупованій території України у м. Луганськ. Рассамакін, Ю. Я., Черних, Є. О. 2017. Поховання доби раннього енеоліту на Луганщині. Археологія, 2, p. 38-53. Теліженко, С. 2023. Війна в Україні: нові виклики для археології. Vita Antiqua, 14, с. 24-35. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 2010. High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and the Destruction of Cultural Artifacts in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. Available at: https://www.aaas.org/resources/high-resolution-satellite-im- agery-and-destruction-cultural-artifacts-nakhchivan-azerbai- jan [Accessed 25 November 2024]. Casana, J., Laugier, E. J. 2017. Satellite Imagery-Based Moni- toring of Archaeological Site Damage in the Syrian Civil War. PLoS ONE, 12(11), p. 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188589 Cerra, D., Plank, S., Schreie, G. 2019. The Case of Pal- myra: Monitoring Sensitive Cultural Heritage Sites from Space [online]. Available at: https://www.eurisy.eu/stories/ the-case-of-palmyra-syria-monitoring-sensitive-cultural-her- itage-sites-from-space_264/ [Accessed 25 November 2024]. Damage and Victims. Assessments undertaken by UNE- SCO. Available at: https://www.unesco.org/en/ukraine-war/ damages-and-victims [Accessed 25 November 2024]. Koropeckyj,  D.  F., Greenland,  K., Harrell,  C., Jaspar- ro, S., Munevar, S. Hardy 2024. Documenting Russian Mil- itary Activity in the Vicinity of Ancient Ukrainian Burial Mounds: Fortification, Destruction, and Possible Looting. A Conflict Observatory Report. Charlottesville, VA: Cultural Resilience Informatics and Analysis (CURIA) Lab [online]. Available at: https://hub.conflictobservatory.org/portal/apps/ sites/#/home/pages/kurgan-1 [Accessed 25 November 2024]. Laguna-Palma,  D., Toscano,  M., Rodríguez-Rellán,  C. 2024. The Role of Aerial Prospection for Monitoring and Pre- serving Cultural Heritage in Northeastern Africa. Heritage, 7, р. 652-666. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7020032 Telizhenko,  S. 2016. Monitoring Archaeological Sites & Monuments in a War Zone. R.M. Chapple, Archaeologist (Blog Post) [online]. Available at: https://rmchapple.blog- spot.com/2016/07/monitoring-archaeological-sites.html [Ac- cessed 22 September 2024]. The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 68/262 of March 27, 2014, “Territorial Integrity of Ukraine.” Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/767883?ln=ru&v=pdf [Accessed 25 November 2024]. The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 75/192 of De- cember 28, 2020, “Situation of Human Rights in the Au- tonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol (Ukraine).” Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/ 3896447?ln=ru&v=pdf [Accessed 25 November 2024]. С. А. Теліженко Кандидат історичних наук, учений секретар Інституту археології НАН України, ORCID 0000-0003-1677- 4900, telizhenko@nas.gov.ua. МОНІТОРИНГ АРХЕОЛОГІЧНОЇ СПАДЩИНИ В УМОВАХ ВІЙНИ: ПОШКОДЖЕННЯ ТА ВИ- КОРИСТАННЯ У ВОЄННИХ ЦІЛЯХ КУРГАННОЇ ГРУПИ БІЛЯ С. ВЕСЕЛА ГОРА ЛУГАНСЬКОЇ ОБЛ. Курганна група (охоронний номер 1390) розташовується у 1,8 км на південний схід від центральної частини с. Весела Гора (Луганська обл.). Уперше інформація про курганну групу з’являється на військових топографічних мапах Російської імперії 1846–1863 рр, які були створені під керівництвом Ф. Ф. Шуберта та П. О. Тучкова. На мапі того часу зображено сім насипів. У 1947 р. на курганну групу було складено облікову документацію про курганну групу на південний схід від автошляху Весела Гора-Ворошиловград (Луганськ). Вона містить інформацію про чотири насипи. У 1977  р. курганну групу оглянув співробітник Луганського обласного краєзнавчого музею О. Ф. Горелік. Він зафіксував лише два кургани. Паспорт об’єкту археології був створений у 1985 р. ISSN 0235-3490 (Print), ISSN 2616-499X (Online). Археологія, 2025, № 1120 Починаючи з середини серпня 2014 і до червня 2020  р. проросійські бойовики використовували курганну групу у воєнних цілях, про що свідчать супутникові знімки за вказаний період. Таким чином, не виключається, що військова активність в охоронній зоні курганної групи могла призвести до пошкодження їх насипів, а також до руйнації поховальних об’єктів. К л ю ч о в і с л о в а: Східна Україна, Луганська обл., курганна група, археологія війни, археологічний моніторинг. References Buiskykh, A., Ivakin, V., Shydlovskyi, P., Zotsenko, I. 2023. Pamiatky arkheolohii pid chas viiny: polovyi dosvid ta yurydych- nyi aspekt (na prykladi robit MAE u m. Kyievi ta Kyivskii oblasti u 2022 r.). Vita Antiqua, 14, p. 36-59. Chabai, V.P., Telizhenko, S.A., Hnera, V.A., Smyrnov, O.I., Buiskykh, A.V. 2024. Monitorynhovi roboty Kakhovskoho zahonu Mykolaivskoi arkheolohichnoi ekspedytsii v 2023 rotsi. Naukovyi arkhiv IA NAN Ukrainy; f. 64, 2023/1. Karty tryverstovky novoi redaktsii [online]. Available at: https://freemap.com.ua/karty-ukrainy/karty-trexverstovki-s-privyazkoj- dlya-gps/karta-trexverstovka-25-17/#google_vignette [Accessed 20 December 2024]. Karty Shuberta-Tuchkova [online]. Available at: https://krystynopol.info/karty-shuberta/#google_vignette [Accessed 20  De- cember 2024]. Melnik, I.  I., Batinov, G. L., Litvin, T. 1947. Kartoteka kurganov Vatutinskogo, Voroshilovgradskogo, Krasnodonskogo, Li- sichanskogo, Stanichno-Luganskogo, Novo-Astrakhanskogo, Novosvetlovskogo, Aleksandrovskogo, Sverdlovskogo, Slavi- anoserbskogo, Uspenskogo raionov Voroshilovgradskoi oblasti. Scientific Archives of the Institute of Archaeology, the NAS of Ukraine, f. 64, 1947/39. Pasport kurhannoi hrupy. Reiestratsiinyi nomer 1390. Stvorenyi O. F. Horelikom u 1977 r. Index І.3.1390-2.3.16. From the author’s private archive. The original is kept in the occupied territory of Ukraine in the city of Luhansk. Rassamakin, Yu. Ia., Chernykh, Ye. O. 2017. Pokhovannia doby rannoho eneolitu na Luhanshchyni. Arheologia, 2, p. 38-53. Telizhenko, S. 2023. Viina v Ukraini: novi vyklyky dlia arkheolohii. Vita Antiqua, 14, p. 24-35. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 2010. High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and the Destruction of Cul- tural Artifacts in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. Available at: https://www.aaas.org/resources/high-resolution-satellite-image- ry-and-destruction-cultural-artifacts-nakhchivan-azerbaijan [Accessed 25 November 2024]. Casana, J., Laugier, E. J. 2017. Satellite Imagery-Based Monitoring of Archaeological Site Damage in the Syrian Civil War. PLoS ONE, 12(11), p. 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188589 Cerra, D., Plank, S., Schreie, G. 2019. The Case of Palmyra: Monitoring Sensitive Cultural Heritage Sites from Space [online]. Availa- ble at: https://www.eurisy.eu/stories/the-case-of-palmyra-syria-monitoring-sensitive-cultural-heritage-sites-from-space_264/ [Accessed 25 November 2024]. Damage and Victims. Assessments undertaken by UNESCO. Available at: https://www.unesco.org/en/ukraine-war/damag- es-and-victims [Accessed 25 November 2024]. Koropeckyj, D. F., Greenland, K., Harrell, C., Jasparro, S., Munevar, and S. Hardy. 2024. Documenting Russian Military Activ- ity in the Vicinity of Ancient Ukrainian Burial Mounds: Fortification, Destruction, and Possible Looting. A Conflict Ob- servatory Report. Charlottesville, VA: Cultural Resilience Informatics and Analysis (CURIA) Lab [online]. Available at: https://hub.conflictobservatory.org/portal/apps/sites/#/home/pages/kurgan-1 [Accessed 25 November 2024]. Laguna-Palma, D., Toscano, M., Rodríguez-Rellán, C. 2024. The Role of Aerial Prospection for Monitoring and Preserving Cul- tural Heritage in Northeastern Africa. Heritage, 7, р. 652-666. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7020032 Telizhenko, S. 2016. Monitoring Archaeological Sites & Monuments in a War Zone. R.M. Chapple, Archaeologist (Blog Post) [online]. Available at: https://rmchapple.blogspot.com/2016/07/monitoring-archaeological-sites.html [Accessed 22 September 2024]. The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 68/262 of March 27, 2014, “Territorial Integrity of Ukraine.” Available at: https://dig- itallibrary.un.org/record/767883?ln=ru&v=pdf [Accessed 25 November 2024]. The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 75/192 of December 28, 2020, “Situation of Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol (Ukraine).” Available at: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3896447?ln=ru&v=pdf [Accessed 25 November 2024].
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spelling arheologia-com-ua-article-4092025-04-11T19:25:42Z Monitoring Archaeological Heritage in the Conditions of War: Damage and Military Use of The Mounds Near Vesela Hora Village in Luhansk Oblast Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела гора Луганської обл. Telizhenko, S. A. Luhansk Oblast, barrow group, archaeology of war, archaeological monitoring. Східна Україна, Луганська обл., курганна група, археологія війни, археологічний моніторинг. To date, there is no exact number of objects of archaeological heritage that have suffered as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The publication provides information about a barrow group damaged by the Russian occupiers which is located near Vesela Hora village in Luhansk Oblast. Курганна група (охоронний номер 1390) розташовується у 1,8 км на південний схід від центральної частини с. Весела Гора (Луганська обл.). Уперше інформація про курганну групу з’являється на військових топографічних мапах Російської імперії 1846–1863 рр, які були створені під керівництвом Ф. Ф. Шуберта та П. О. Тучкова. На мапі того часу зображено сім насипів. У 1947 р. на курганну групу було складено облікову документацію про курганну групу на південний схід від автошляху Весела Гора-Ворошиловград (Луганськ). Вона містить інформацію про чотири насипи. У 1977 р. курганну групу оглянув співробітник Луганського обласного краєзнавчого музею О. Ф. Горелік. Він зафіксував лише два кургани. Паспорт об’єкту археології був створений у 1985 р. Починаючи з середини серпня 2014 і до червня 2020 р. проросійські бойовики використовували курганну групу у воєнних цілях, про що свідчать супутникові знімки за вказаний період. Таким чином, не виключається, що військова активність в охоронній зоні курганної групи могла призвести до пошкодження їх насипів, а також до руйнації поховальних об’єктів. Institute of Archaeology NAS of Ukraine 2025-03-19 Article Article application/pdf https://arheologia.com.ua/index.php/arheologia/article/view/409 10.15407/arheologia2025.01.110 Arheologia; No 1 (2025): Arheologia; 110-120 Археологія ; № 1 (2025): Археологія; 110-120 Археология; № 1 (2025): Arheologia; 110-120 2616-499X 0235-3490 en https://arheologia.com.ua/index.php/arheologia/article/view/409/421 Copyright (c) 2025 Arheologia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.en
spellingShingle Східна Україна
Луганська обл.
курганна група
археологія війни
археологічний моніторинг.
Telizhenko, S. A.
Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела гора Луганської обл.
title Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела гора Луганської обл.
title_alt Monitoring Archaeological Heritage in the Conditions of War: Damage and Military Use of The Mounds Near Vesela Hora Village in Luhansk Oblast
title_full Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела гора Луганської обл.
title_fullStr Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела гора Луганської обл.
title_full_unstemmed Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела гора Луганської обл.
title_short Моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. Весела гора Луганської обл.
title_sort моніторинг археологічної спадщини в умовах війни: пошкодження та використання у воєнних цілях курганної групи біля с. весела гора луганської обл.
topic Східна Україна
Луганська обл.
курганна група
археологія війни
археологічний моніторинг.
topic_facet Luhansk Oblast
barrow group
archaeology of war
archaeological monitoring.
Східна Україна
Луганська обл.
курганна група
археологія війни
археологічний моніторинг.
url https://arheologia.com.ua/index.php/arheologia/article/view/409
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