▁ 6 th – 8 th ▁centuries , ▁such ▁as ▁agricult ural ▁settlement s ▁and ▁tall ▁cone - like ▁k urg ans ▁with ▁cre m ated ▁bodies ▁in ▁the ▁Lad oga ▁region . ▁The ▁most ▁ancient ▁settlement ▁is ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁or ▁ 8 th ▁century . ▁N umer ous ▁arch ae ological ▁finds , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁metal ▁tip ▁for ▁a ▁wooden ▁pl ough , ▁indicate ▁that ▁the ▁Il men ▁S lav s ▁had ▁a ▁well - develop ed ▁agricult ure . ▁▁ ▁They ▁were ▁not ▁a ▁particularly ▁war like ▁state , ▁but ▁evidence ▁of ▁their ▁unique ▁weapon ry , ▁dated ▁back ▁to ▁mid - 8 th ▁century , ▁has ▁been ▁found ▁around ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Nov gor od . ▁The ▁weapon ry ▁consisted ▁of ▁spe ars , ▁m aces , ▁s words , ▁b ows , ▁j avel ins ▁and ▁even ▁some ▁war ▁h amm ers . ▁It ▁appears ▁that ▁they ▁fought ▁ag gress ive ▁war fare ▁designed ▁to ▁push ▁their ▁enemies ▁out ▁of ▁their ▁lands , ▁rather ▁than ▁destroy ▁them ▁utter ly . ▁ ▁The ▁principal ▁cities ▁of ▁the ▁Il men ▁S lav s ▁were ▁Star aya ▁Russ a ▁and ▁Nov gor od , ▁which ▁had ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁ 9 th – 1 0 th ▁centuries . ▁The ▁land ▁of ▁the ▁Il men ▁S lav s ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁Nov gor od ▁Republic . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁W lad ys law ▁Duc z ko , ▁it ▁is ▁unlikely ▁there ▁was ▁S lav ic