In 2008 archaeologists resumed excavations in the north-western part of Berezan’ island, at area ‘O’. The building remains are dated to the second half of the VIth century BC. They had been almost completely destroyed because of the basement, which was constructed here later (in 435-400 years BC.). On a small area a burned deposit (last quarter of the VIth century BC.) was uncovered. Constructiion of another building, whose remains are located in the southern part of the site, was accomplished in the same period. There is no stone foundation for the walls of the premises; the walls were made of mud bricks. Three mud brick courses could be observed at a height of 0.30-0.58 m, which is a rare phenomenon for the Berezan settlement. The room bounded with walls of mud brick was destroyed because of fire, which occurred in last quarter of the VIth century BC. The basement, which was carved in the layer dated to the second half of the VIth century BC., is rectangular. The single-sided masonry in the basement’s southern wall stays well-preserved, as well a fragment of its eastern part. Other parts of the masonry were dismantled in ancient times. The remains of the building, which had been constructed simultaneously with the basement (in early Vth century BC.), were found in bad condition. Thus it was impossible to accurately restore the plan of the building, to which the basement annexed.
Other studies were carried out in the southwestern part of the area ‘O’. Their task was to uncover the buildings situated westward of the city street revealed in 2007. It became clear that in its western part the street was bounded with a firm wall, whose masonry was composed of large limestone slabs (which had been little processed and were arranged in a single row). This masonry’s thickness did not exceed 0.9 m and was overlain by the mud brick. During the excavations in 2008 the masonry was uncovered to the extent of approximately 17 m. No adjoining walls were found. Apparently, this masonry was the foundation for a fence that bounded a large open area located westward of it. In the southern part of the site archaeologists investigated a building, which was located on the area bordered by this fence. The remains of three walls of this building were revealed. Inside it there had been at least two rooms. Part of the dado above the foundation survived near only one wall (two-face, three-layer masonry); it was composed of processed rectangular limestone slabs. Reconstructing of a plan of the complex will be possible after further extension of the area studied – in western and southern directions. However the dates of this building and fence constructing can be estimated in advance: late VIth century – early Vth century BC.
The facilities described above had been built over a dense burned deposit. The construction remains attributed to the time when the fire happened, are virtually absent on the uncovered area. Inside a burned deposit archaeologists found a fragmented Ionian pitcher ornamented with lines of red paint. Functional pits and ditches for two sunken-floored buildings were carved into the burned deposit. Both were oval, and their depth did not exceed 0.20 m. The presence of post holes let us presume the use of pyramidal roofs. In the southern part of one sunken-floored building a low-level stove-bench was found. Findings from the filling of these complexes let us date it to the last quarter of/late VIth century BC. Among them: an Attic black-glazed calix (type C), fragments of amphorae of various origins (late VIth century BC.), a Samos container-like amphora (late VI – early Vth century BC.). These complexes are related to a short recovery phase, which followed the destructions in the last quarter of the VIth century BC. They precede constructing of new capital facilities on this area.
Among other finds: five functional pits are attributed to early days of Berezan’ settlement (first half of the VIth century BC.). The Ionic painted ceramics were represented in these complexes by fragments of a large black-figure skyphos, a fragmented calix (rosette bowl type), and a striped plate with ornament. Also a fragment of a bone psalium was found.