Researchers in the Desna river basin have identified a series of 11th-century communal hearths that show signs of ritualized burning associated with the early Maslenitsa (Butter Week) festival. The sites contained carbonized remnants of straw effigies and eggshell fragments.
The findings point to a synthesis of pre-Christian solar worship and early Slavic agricultural rites. The presence of large clay griddles indicates the communal preparation of flatbreads, symbolizing the sun's return after winter.