The Neuris were an ancient people group of whom historian Herodotus wrote in the 4^th volume of his work History. According to his narrative this was a tribe or a group of tribes occupying the territory of present-day northern Ukraine and southern Belarus. Perhaps their territory was in the northwestern part of Belarus, in the region of Miadzielyshchina where the villages of Naury and Niaviery are located. Archeologists connect the territory of settlement of the Neuris with the area where Milahradsky culture was spread out. In excavations on the location of the ancient city near the village of Haradzishcha which is positioned only 2 kilometres from Naury archeologists have discovered in the lower levels of soil the remains of ceramic pieces which by their shapes resemble plates characteristic of Milahradski culture. The flourishing of the ancient city (sometime around the 6^th century BC) concurs with Herodotus’ time period. How did the names of this long extinct people group come down to our time? Their settlements stretched across the high spots surrounded by Habskaje Swamp where earlier there probably existed a shallow lake. Radzivil’s Map of 1613 testifies to this fact showing the spillways of Vuzlianka River which are located in the large reservoir. The spillwasysempty into Narach River. Through the means of island-like isolation among those swamps ancient settlements were able to hold on to and pass on their ethnonyms to our time.

Categories: Гісторыя, Культура, Нацыя Беларусы