Asva

Asva 

a gorod (fortified town) of the seventh century B.C. through the ninth century A.D. It was located near the village of Asva on the eastern part of the island of Saaremaa (Estonian SSR). The site was excavated in 1934, 1938–39, 1948–49, and 1965–66. The original settlement was surrounded by a fence, later replaced by a rampart of stone slabs. The remains of dwellings, a hoe, a grain grater, sickles, other implements (mostly of bone), iron and bronze objects, and small casting dies have been found. Early ceramics are decorated mainly by cross-hatching, and there are vessels of the type belonging to the Lusatian culture; later ceramics are of local types. The inhabitants practiced agriculture, cattle raising, and fishing and hunted for seal and other game.

REFERENCES

Vassar, A. K. “Ukreplennoe poselenie Asva na ostrove Saaremaa.” In the collection Drevnie poseleniia i gorodishcha, collection 1. Tallin, 1955.
Lyugas, V. “O datirovke gorodishcha Asva.” Izvestiia AN Estonskoi SSR, obshchestvennye nauki, 1967, no. 1.