Interdisciplinary research on the antiquity of the Black Sea. Volume II
Interdisciplinary research on the antiquity of the Black Sea. Volume II
Światowit Supplement Series C: Pontica et Caucasica
Contributor(s): Marcin Matera (Editor), Radosław Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski (Editor)
Subject(s): History, Archaeology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Black Sea; mouth of the Don; Bospore; Chersonesos; Middle Ages; modern period; Tanais; Olbia
Summary/Abstract: The second volume of series C of supplements to the "Światowit" yearbook, "Pontica and Caucasica", contains 33 papers that present the results of archaeological and interdisciplinary research conducted by scholars from various countries on the Black Sea seaside. Texts are devoted to research issues relating to various chronological periods (from the early stages of Greek colonization in the region to the presence of the Genoese and Ottoman garrisons). The volume is divided into thematic parts: Tanais and Lower Don; Bosporus, Chersonesos, Olbia; Middle Ages and the modern period; New research and projects; Archaeological materials and their interpretation; Written sources, texts, myths.
Series: Pontica et Caucasica
- E-ISBN-13: 978-83-235-5568-1
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-83-235-5560-5
- Page Count: 402
- Publication Year: 2021
- Language: English, Russian
Курильницы сарматской эпохи из раскопок некрополя Танаиса I – середины III вв. н.э.
Курильницы сарматской эпохи из раскопок некрополя Танаиса I – середины III вв. н.э.
(Sarmatian censers from the investigations of the necropolis of ancient Tanais 1st – mid. 3rd century AD)
- Author(s):Ludmila Basilevich
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:13-19
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Sarmatian culture; Lower Don region; funeral rite; censers; indicators of ethno-cultural community
- Summary/Abstract:The study of ritual vessels – burning cups or censers – in the context of funeral traditions allows to trace relations between the settled and nomadic population in the region of Lower Don. The analysis of funeral rite’s allows us to understand importance of censers in the religious sphere of ancient life. We can interpret these vessels as an indicator of the ethnocultural component of the Sarmatian community. The investigation covers two chronological periods: the 1st – beginning of the 2nd centuries AD; second half of the 2nd – middle of the 3rd centuries AD. In the first period there is wide variety of censers forms and shapes. We can see cylindrical with small holes (diagnostic form for this time) and paired vessels among them. They are found mostly in female and child graves. In the second period the quadrangular shape of the censers appeared that marked the period of the late Sarmatian culture. Findings of censers in graves prove that the ritual traditions of nomads become an integral part of the burial cult of the ancient population of the Northern Black Sea region.
Итоги работ по изучению палеогеографии Танаиса в 2015–2017 гг.
Итоги работ по изучению палеогеографии Танаиса в 2015–2017 гг.
(Results of paleogeographic researches of Tanais in 2015–2017)
- Author(s):Denis Bunin, S.M. Ilyashenko, Andrei V. Panin, Olga S. Khokhlova
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:21-27
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:Tanais; paleogeography; climate; geomorphology; interdisciplinary studies; Lower Don region
- Summary/Abstract:The foundation of Tanais in the 3rd century BC and its growth through the 2nd century BC took place in climatic conditions, comparable to those of the modern period. The most devastating conquest of the city by Bosporus King Polemon occurred in the late 1st century BC, when the climate aridity reached its peak. Throughout the whole period of the city existence it was surrounded by steppe communities, but the coniferous (pine) pollen was also found. The highest proportion of pollen of cultivated plants and weed (4–6%) is found in the assemblages attributable to the first period of the city life (the 2nd–1st centuries BC). The analysis of microbiomorphs agreed with the pollen data and provided additional data on the wood and reed having been widely used in economical activities in the first period of the city life. From the middle of the 2nd to the late 4th centuries AD the climate conditions may be considered to be humid and favorable for the bioproductivity. Another wave of aridity was recorded at the boundary of the 4th and 5th centuries AD. At the end of the 5th century AD the city ceased to exist. A complex analysis of sediments, opened by drilling, was also performed. Due to the results, at least at the beginning of the 3rd century AD the harbor area of Tanais was situated inside of Don branch – Myortvy Donets. At the time of foundation, the city could be located at the confluence of the river into the sea, and by the end of its existence it could already be inside the delta. Apparently, in the first centuries AD Myortvy Donets was more watery than it is now, which allowed it to fulfill the functions of the main transport way. Thus, we can suppose that the middle class of ancient merchant ships could freely enter Tanais harbor.
Red slip pottery and Late Roman Tanais in the light of new research
Red slip pottery and Late Roman Tanais in the light of new research
(Red slip pottery and Late Roman Tanais in the light of new research)
- Author(s):Krzysztof Domżalski
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:29-33
- No. of Pages:5
- Keywords:Tanais; red slip pottery; Late Antiquity
- Summary/Abstract:Red slip vessels found in Tanais are a very numerous category of imports, which arrived by the sea to the Late Antique settlement founded on the forgotten ruins of an Early Roman tradesmen town, destroyed around the mid-3rd century AD. Previous research allowed to determine that the later settlement was established about a century after the destruction caused by the Goths, and existed for several decades keeping regular contacts with the Bosporan and other Black Sea coastal centres. The paper updates the knowledge about the Late Roman red slip ware finds almost twenty years after the publication of the basic study on the discussed category of imports in Tanais. The source materials are mainly the finds from the Polish-Russian excavations in Sector XXV, conducted in 1999–2019. Altogether 32 fragments of Late Roman red slip vessels were found there. The vast majority (29 fragments) were the finds of the Pontic Red Slip ware, coming probably from the north-eastern part of Anatolia. These supplies were supplemented by the much more modest imports from the Northern Africa (African Red Slip ware, 2 fragments) and eastern Aegean (Late Roman C/Phocean Red Slip ware,1 fragment). The typo-chronological analysis of these and earlier finds, as well as some results of new studies, especially on the Pontic Red Slip ware vessels, indicate that the Late Roman settlement in Tanais was founded slightly later that it was assumed, at the very end of the 4th century and that it had regular contacts overseas until at least the end of the third quarter of the 5th century.
Амфоры Танаиса I в. до – I в. н.э
Амфоры Танаиса I в. до – I в. н.э
(Tanais Amphorae of 1st century BC – 1st century AD)
- Author(s):S.A. Naumenko
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:35-44
- No. of Pages:10
- Keywords:Tanais; Hellenistic period; Roman period; amphorae; production centers
- Summary/Abstract:The paper is concerned with Tanais trade relations from the 1st century BC to 1st century AD. The main types of amphora containers from various production centers are presented, including both the Pontic and Mediterranean regions, as well as so far unknown centers.
Еще одна жертва времени гибели Танаиса?
Еще одна жертва времени гибели Танаиса?
(Another victim of Tanais’s destruction?)
- Author(s):Marcin Matera
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:45-58
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Tanais; Tanais’s destruction; Roman period; 2nd–3rd century AD; human remains
- Summary/Abstract:In 2018–2019 in the filling of the defensive ditch surrounding the western region of Tanais, human remains were discovered. The unusual position of the skeleton and the absence of a burial pit indicate that it can hardly be considered as deliberate burial. The archaeological materials found together with the skeleton is characteristic for the 2nd–3rd centuries AD. Considering all these factors, the question arises whether these remains are the victim of one of the raids that destroyed Tanais in the middle of the 2nd or in the middle of the 3rd century AD?
Основные итоги пятилетнего исследования предметов античной коропластики Нижнего Дона с помощью методов дактилоскопии и трасологии
Основные итоги пятилетнего исследования предметов античной коропластики Нижнего Дона с помощью методов дактилоскопии и трасологии
(The main results of a five-year dactyloscopy and trace evidence study of ancient terracottas objects found in the lower Don)
- Author(s):N.I. Suworowa, Anna G. Yazovskih, S.W. Sergo, N.V. Lazarev
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:59-76
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:Elizavetovskoe settlement; coroplastic art; terracotta; masters–coroplasts; fingerprints; dactyloscopy; trace evidence
- Summary/Abstract:The article analyzes the results of implementation of a new scientific method in examining ancient terracottas. For the first time this method was used by authors of the present article for examining terracottas of Tanais and it proved successful. The subjects for examination at the next stage of the study were finds from the Elizavetovskoe settlement, stored in the Educational Museum of Archeology in the Institute of History and International Relations of the Southern Federal University, and also in Azov History, Archeology and Paleontology Museum-Reserve. The subject of this study are ancient clay figurines from the Elizavetovskoe settlement, stored in the Rostov Regional Museum of Local Lore, as well as terracottas from the Novocherkassk Museum of the History of Don Cossacks and the Taganrog State Literary and Historical Architectural Museum-Reserve. A total of 70 terracotta items were examined. Among them are fragments of protomes, male and female figurines, animal figures dating from 4th–3rd century BC. Many of them were softened by kneading in forms. In the process of kneading artisans pressed clay tightly into forms, thus leaving distinct fingerprints on the inside of items. The fingerprints reveal information about age and gender of ancient artisans as well as peculiarities of the terracotta crafting.
Междисциплинарные исследования на территории Семибратнего городища (Лабриса)
Междисциплинарные исследования на территории Семибратнего городища (Лабриса)
(Interdisciplinary investigations on the territory of the Seven Brother’s townsite (Labrys))
- Author(s):V.A. Goroncharovsky, Tatiana Nikolaevna Smekalova, Tatyana Valentinovna Sapelko
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:79-100
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Bosporan kingdom; Sindika; Labrys (Seven Brother’s townsite); interdisciplinary investigations; pollen data
- Summary/Abstract:Labrys (the Seven Brother’s townsite) is located at the lower reaches of the Kuban River. In the 19th–20th centuries it was investigated by Vladimir Tizengauzen (1878) and Nikita Anfimov (between 1938 and 1955). The purpose of the present work is the analysis of the new data received during comprehensive research of the site (2001–2009). Primarily the works of these years are connected with the southern part of ancient settlement. According to geomagnetic survey it has the form of trapezoid, whereas northern part has oval outlines. On the southern, eastern and western sides of townsite one can see a prominent thickening of the intensity of anomalies at several points, which seem to meet the gates fortified by towers. Near eastern side a study of earlier layers revealed defensive wall and passage-tower with staircase of the 5th century BC. It abused destruction at the beginning of the 4th century BC and rebuilt about the middle of the same century. During Early Hellenistic period the remains of temenos with the external wall of the limestone blocks and two altars were located here. The pollen data of the 5th–1st centuries BC show that climate changes, fluctuations in the Black Sea level and changes in the hydrological regime of the Kuban River influenced to the development of Labrys. Further comprehensive study of this archaeological site can give essentially new information about early stage of the Greek-Sindian relations and following development of this region.
Panticapeum or Bosporus
Panticapeum or Bosporus
(Panticapeum or Bosporus)
- Author(s):Evgeny Alexandrovich Molev
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:101-106
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Bosporan Kingdom; Pontus; Panticapaeum; Archaeanaktids; Spartokids; policy
- Summary/Abstract:The article deals with the history of the issue of the double name of the capital of the Bosporan state – “Panticapaeum” and “Bosporus”. The author briefly describes the research of his predecessors and gives his assessment of the origin and understanding of both terms. The special importance of the main source in this issue – Diodorus Siculus is noted. Archaeological, epigraphic and numismatic sources of this or that version are considered separately. In the process of the study, the author identifies the names of the capital of Bosporus, given in the works of ancient authors, monuments of epigraphy and numismatics, and gives them a brief description, which allows clarifying the time of appearance and duration of the existence of both terms. In conclusion, the author gives an explanation of the reasons for such an unusual phenomenon for the ancient world, when the name of the policy and the city diverge.
Investigations on the southern slope of the Nymphaion plateau (1972–2018)
Investigations on the southern slope of the Nymphaion plateau (1972–2018)
(Investigations on the southern slope of the Nymphaion plateau (1972–2018))
- Author(s):Olga Sokolova
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:107-116
- No. of Pages:10
- Keywords:Nymphaion (Nymphaeum); sanctuary of the sea gods; system of fortifications; wineries; pottery kiln
- Summary/Abstract:The article summarizes the results of excavations on the southern slope of the Nymphaion plateau during the period from 1972 to 2018.
Позднеантичный некрополь боспорского города Китей
Позднеантичный некрополь боспорского города Китей
(Necropolis of the Bosporan City of Kytae in Late Antiquity)
- Author(s):Zoe V. Khanutina, V.A. Khrshanovsky
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:117-136
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:Bosporan Kingdom; Kytae; necropolis; funeral and memorial complexes; late antique time
- Summary/Abstract:The authors of the article suggest preliminary results of the research undertaken in 1992–2020 at the south-western coastal area of the Kytae necropolis. Along with the three early Hellenistic crypts made of limestone blocks and slabs, there were discovered over 40 earthen and slab tombs, an earthen vault, ritual (commemorative) complexes, and pits that date back to the Late Antiquity times. Confined (narrow) dating was difficult due to the mix of heterogeneous and multi-time material in the overlapping layer: numerous fragments of imported and Bosporan amphorae, black-glazed and red-glazed pottery, various wheel and hand-made pottery, terracotta figurines, spindles and sinkers, glass shatters and Bosporan coins, date within 4th century BC and first half of the 5th century AD. Lack of stratification data in the mound and the ground fill of the open ritual complexes requires dating it from the latest materials that are published in the present article. The most reliable mark to determine the time of the necropolis occurrence is coinage – coins of Bosporan kings whose reign falls on time within 250–330 AD. Another group of finds includes profile fragments of narrow-necked amphorae made of light clay (type E after Shelov), and the red-clay amphorae (type 100 after Zeest, or the de Lackey type). The upper chronological timeline – first half of the 5th century AD – we would not consider as finally approved. Provided it is established that the late antique burial and commemorative complexes had been overlapped by the meridionally directed shafts running parallel to each other, then the discovered necropolis should be recognized as that of the type not seen so far in Bosporus. Not only the abundant materials found in shaft mounds, but also traces of sacrifices – numerous bone remains of wild and domestic animals, birds and poultry, and fish – testifies in favour of such a conclusion. Full description of the entire amount of the material discovered by the excavations (including numerous “asynchronous” items of earlier dates – pottery stamps, fragments of painted and black-glazed ceramic vessels, “Megarian” bowls, terracotta figurines, and bronze Bosporan coins), as well as the attempts to interpret their presence in the late antique layer, and the speculations about the possible ethnic and cultural belonging of the necropolis lay far above the limits of the present article.
Мирмекий 1956–1958
Мирмекий 1956–1958
(Myrmekion 1956–1958)
- Author(s):Tomasz Scholl
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:137-142
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Bosporan Kingdom; Myrmekion; soviet-polish excavations
- Summary/Abstract:In 1955, during the meeting in the National Museum in Warsaw between the Director of the Hermitage Museum Mikhail Artamonov and Deputy Director of the National Museum Kazimierz Michałowski, a proposal for joint Soviet-Polish excavations in Myrmekion was made. The relevant agreements between the Hermitage Museum and the National Museum in Warsaw (with the participation of the University of Warsaw and Leningrad University) were signed. In the summer of 1956, the first post-war expedition of Polish archaeologists focused on antiquity research began. Although the joint Polish-Soviet work lasted only for 3 campaigns, it allowed for field education in the field of antiquity excavations of young archaeological workers as well as students of the University of Warsaw from higher years of studies.
Митреумы в Скифии и Тавриде
Митреумы в Скифии и Тавриде
(Mithraea in Scythia and Taurica)
- Author(s):Radosław Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:143-151
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Roman Army; Taurica; Mithraea; Mithras
- Summary/Abstract:In the first centuries of our era, Roman garrisons periodically stationed in the Greek cities on the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea. Civilians originating from the Roman provinces also resided there, while the local population gradually succumbed to Romanisation. The material evidence of this process includes finds confirming the performance of religious ceremonies that had previously been unknown in the discussed area. These include various artefacts linked to the cult of Mithras. The text presents various such finds from Balaklava-Kadykovka and Aj-Todor Cape, as well as from Chersonesos, Olbia and Tyras. The article analyses their relationship with the places where the Roman army was stationed. In the case of the listed settlements, certain hypotheses have been presented concerning the possible location of the Mithraea or temples devoted to various deities, including Mithras.
Римская армия, Святой Климент и начало добычи камня в каменоломнях Инкермана
Римская армия, Святой Климент и начало добычи камня в каменоломнях Инкермана
(Roman Army, Saint Clement and beginnings of the Inkerman quarry)
- Author(s):Radosław Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski, Radosław Andrzej Gawroński
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:153-160
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Roman Army; Roman Quarry; Saint Clement; Tauric Chersonesos; Taurica
- Summary/Abstract:The late antiquity tradition from maintains that the emperor Trajan banished Pope Clement to the Crimea to work in the Tauric Chersonesos' quarry. According to these legends, the Pope suffered a martyr's death at the place of exile, drowned in the sea with an anchor tied to his neck. The credibility of that testimony was often questioned. The authors of the present contribution try to argue that some elements of the above mentioned tradition could have contained a core of truth, tough an unexpected one. The analysis of stone remains of Tauric Chersonesos' fortifications may serve as an evidence that the limestone quarry was working at Inkermann under the supervision of the Roman army. However, the earliest activity of that kind can be dated to the times of Antoninus Pius. The present state of research precludes dating it back to the reign of Trajan. Therefore, it seems that the local tradition about stone quarry presence was later mingled with the legends about Pope Clement's martyrdom.
Монети типу «Дельфін» з приміських садиб Ольвії Понтійської
Монети типу «Дельфін» з приміських садиб Ольвії Понтійської
(Coins of “Dolphin” type from the suburban estates of Pontic Olbia)
- Author(s):Valentina A. Papanova, Svetlana N. Lyashko, Fedya Winner Cairo
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:161-174
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:сoins of “Dolphin” type; suburban estates; dating; systematize; stratigraphy; ceramic material; manufacturing defects
- Summary/Abstract:Coins of “Dolphin” type are one of the oldest coins which were in circulation in Olbia and its area. Coins of this type are of great interest in the two suburban estates of Shyroka Balka (Broad Hollow) 6 (οἶκος) of the second third of the 5th – beginning of the 3rd century BC. and Shyroka Balka (Broad Hollow) 7 (χωρίον) of the late 5th – 30’s of the 4th century BC. On these estates 492 copper/bronze coins of different denominations including 144 dolphin ones (29%) were excavated. On the χωρίον there were excavated 207 coins of the 5th – 4th century BC and 7 dolphin coins (3%). A very interesting coin hull οἶκος contains 285 coins, including 137 dolphin coins or 29%, which is 7 times more than in the χωρίον. As for the dating of dolphin coins , there is no unanimous view on their existence to this day. There are several similar situations with the classification of dolphins. The Kharko-Lapin classification is considered the most successful typologically and chronologically. Not all researchers agree with these classifications because they believe that no classification is true. The reason for that are that attempts to systematize are based only on stylistic observations and are not supported by stratigraphy of findings. Therefore, of particular interest is the group of dolphin coins find (50 specimens) in a closed complex on the oikos (οἶκος) in the economic pit no. 30, which aggregate 36% of all coins of this type found on the oikos (οἶκος). The pit also contained ceramic material of the 6th–4th century BC. It is interesting, that six coins (12%) had a manufacturing defects. Casting defects largely influenced the deviation of the coin mass from normal. Circulation of defective dolphin coins once again confirms that these coins did not have a clearly defined face value and were accepted by weight. Analysis of the group of dolphin coins find once again confirms the simultaneous circulation and their chronological sequence, clarifies their dating. Probably the release of Olbian dolphin coins is ended at the beginning of the three third of the 6th century BC and associated with the siege of Pontic Olbia by Zopyrion in 331 BC.
Крепость Тягин – выдающийся памятник средневековья на територии Нижнего Поднепровья (батиметрические исследования и реконструкции)
Крепость Тягин – выдающийся памятник
средневековья на територии Нижнего Поднепровья (батиметрические исследования и реконструкции)
(The fortress Tiahyn – outstanding monument of medieval age on the territory of Lower Dnieper (bathymetric survey and reconstruction))
- Author(s):Svetlana A. Belyaeva, M.M. Ievlev, A.V. Chubenko
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:177-182
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:island; riverbed; site of ancient selltement; fortress; dungeon; tower; wall; harbour; crossing point
- Summary/Abstract:The article is dedicated to the problems of the study of the hill fort and fortress Tiahyn with the help of various methods of natural sciences and historical reconstructions. Especially much attention was paid to the results of a bathymetric survey of the rivers Dnieper and Tiahynka close to the settlement and fortress. During the survey, the remains of two harbours were discovered, a stone defense tower, and a bridge. The next important objects, which also have been discovered were: two Dnieper river crossing points that had been functioning in antiquity and the Middle Ages. The comparing of all results of research of the fortress Tiahyn gave the possibility to study defence facilities and give its preliminary reconstruction, present the materials found during archaeological excavations.
Междисциплинарные исследования средневековых памятников Северного Причерноморья
Междисциплинарные исследования средневековых памятников Северного Причерноморья
(Interdisciplinary investigations of the medieval monuments of the North Black Sea area)
- Author(s):Swietłana Bielajewa
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:183-189
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:interdisciplinary methods; archaeological monuments; North Black Sea area; investigations; historical reconstructions; preservation
- Summary/Abstract:The use of interdisciplinary methods became the fundament of the study of numerous medieval monuments of the North Black Sea area at the end of 20th – first decades of 21st century. It gave more possibilities for historical interpretations and reconstructions. The article presents the main directions of investigations with the help of the interdisciplinary methods in the work of the South Medieval expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in various parts of North Black Sea area from the West to the East. In the international projects have been taken part scientists of numerous countries (Great Britain, Canada, Turkey, USA, and Ukraine). The complex of interdisciplinary methods included geophysical, dendrochronological, anthropological, paleobotanical, paleozoological, and other kinds of investigation. They allow to received important results about the planning structure, chronology, specific of historical and cultural development and specific of numerous fortresses and settlements of a vast region, such as Akkerman, Ochakiv, Dniprovske-2, Kinburn, Tyagin and others. The use of the non-destructive methods and technologies in the study of the archaeological monuments promotes a more deep understanding of the historical past and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Путешествия с Геродотом по окраинам империи: Ян Потоцкий и Рышард Капущинский
Путешествия с Геродотом по окраинам империи: Ян Потоцкий и Рышард Капущинский
(Travelling with Herodotus on the Fringes of an Empire Jan Potocki and Ryszard Kapuściński)
- Author(s):M. Węcowski
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:191-198
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Potocki; Kapuściński; Herodotus; travels; antiquarianism
- Summary/Abstract:Jan Potocki (1761–1815), the Polish aristocrat acclaimed for his French novel “The Manuscript found in Saragossa”, was an avid traveller, linguist, ethnologist, Egyptologist, and antiquary, but also a passionate reader and a self-proclaimed disciple of Herodotus. In 1802, he published his main scientific work: “The Primitive History of the Peoples of Russia, with A Complete Presentation of all the Peoples […], indispensable for our understanding of Book Four by Herodotus”. In 2004, Ryszard Kapuściński (1932–2007), Polish traveller, reporter and war-correspondent completed his last major work, the “Travels with Herodotus”. From his early career on, he always travelled with a copy of Herodotus, reading him as the arch-reporter of the past and his mentor. Ultimately, he decided to write a series of partly autobiographic essays, in which he constantly referred his reader to Herodotus as his own travel-companion and a key to a deeper understanding of consecutive 20th-century political and military conflicts he had witnessed. Separated by almost two centuries, the two writers and thinkers have much in common. It will be argued that they both used Herodotus as a means to understand, and to come to terms with, the fundamental political experience of their lives, personal and historical at the same time, namely that of living under the rule, and on the fringes, of a rapidly growing global empire, the Tsarist Russia, on the one hand, and the Soviet Union, on the other.
Перспективы историко-археологических исследований генуэзского присутствия в Нижнем Побужье в XIII–XV вв. (на примере археологического памятника Днепровское-2)
Перспективы историко-археологических
исследований генуэзского присутствия в Нижнем Побужье в XIII–XV вв. (на примере археологического памятника Днепровское-2)
(Prospects for historical and archaeological research the Genoese presence in the Lower Bug region in the 13th–15th centuries (on the example of the Dneprovskoe-2 archaeological site))
- Author(s):Oksana Gospodarenko, A. Smyrnov
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:199-203
- No. of Pages:5
- Keywords:Bug-Dniester river valley; Italian “castles”; Leriche castle; Dneprovskoe-2; portolans
- Summary/Abstract:While studying the problem of Italian colonization in the middle ages, the attention of researchers was focused on the colonies in the Crimea. The Bug-Dniester river valley remains outside of historical research. However, archaeological research in recent years makes it possible to look at this problem from a different angle. We are talking about the prospects of historical and archaeological research of Italian “castles” in the Lower Steppe lands of the Bug. Two of the five castles known to researchers were located at the mouth of the Dnieper (Spinola and Leriche castles). The first was located on the right bank of the Dnieper, above Kherson, near the village of Tyaginka. The second is within the limits of the modern city Oleshki (former Tsyurupinsk, Kherson region). But today there are enough reasons to localize the Leriche castle on the site of the Dneprovskoe-2 settlement (Ochakovsky district, Mykolaiv region). Numismatic material also confirms the assumption of historians and archaeologists about the presence of a “Genoese fortress” on the Dneprovskoe-2. In addition, archaeological research within the monument and the surrounding areas will allow to trace the likely connection between the Dneprovskoe-2 and Adjigol-1. There is an assumption that a small garrison and administration of the settlement of Ajigol-1 were located on the territory of Dneprovskoe-2. The specified memo requires immediate research because as a result of natural destruction and, especially, predatory excavations, its area is sharply reduced. Since 1982 (the last topographic survey), the size of the village has decreased by 0.33 ha, and the inner city by 0.5 ha. Furthermore, one of the aspects of research is the study of the influence of natural factors (in particular, the black sea oscillation factor) on the intensity of the Genoese presence in the region.
Малоазийские фаянсы и китайский фарфор в быту турецкого гарнизона крепости Гонио-Апсарос (по материалам раскопок 2018 года)
Малоазийские фаянсы и китайский фарфор в быту турецкого гарнизона крепости Гонио-Апсарос (по материалам раскопок 2018 года)
(Faience of Asia Minor and Chinese porcelain in everyday life of the Turkish garrison in the Gonio-Apsaros fortress (based on materials from the excavations of 2018))
- Author(s):Irina R. Gusach, K. Kamadadze
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:205-218
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:South-West Georgia; Gonio-Apsaros fortress; Ottoman garrison; faience of Asia Minor; Chinese porcelain; 16th–18th centuries
- Summary/Abstract:During the field season of 2018, besides new details of the architectural ensemble of the Roman period, 13 refuse pits of the Ottoman garrison period (1547–1878) were discovered and explored by the international Polish-Georgian archeological expedition. The 11 pits contained material that proves that the inhabitants of the fortress of the Later Middle Ages used mainly mass glaze and unglazed pottery in their everyday life which were manufactured in the ceramic centers of Anatolia and the South-East Crimea, as well as unglazed pottery produced locally. However, Gonio’s senior Turkish army apparently could afford to have more sumptous, artistic and expensive dishes “on their tables“. Among the archeological finds of 2018, are few (slightly more than 20 pieces) fragments of painted faience of Asia Minor: so-called “Iznik” vessels (bowls, plates, jugs, vases) dated to 16th–17th century, and Kütahyan coffee cups of the 17th–18th century. Moreover, in the cultural layer of the Ottoman period, was discovered a fragment of a Chinese porcelain – painted cup of the Emperor Kangxi’s reigning period (the end of the 17th – the beginning of the 18th century).
Орнаментация «турецких» курительных трубок (по материалам поселения Волна 12 на Тамани)
Орнаментация «турецких» курительных трубок (по материалам поселения Волна 12 на Тамани)
(Ornamentation of the “Turkish” tobacco pipes (on field research materials of the Volna 12 settlement on the Taman Peninsula))
- Author(s):Olga Kladchenko
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:219-232
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Taman Peninsula; settlements; New time; “Turkish” tobacco pipes; ornaments
- Summary/Abstract:This article discusses the results of the study of 406 “Turkish” tobacco pipes excavated at the Volna 12 settlement on the Taman Peninsula in 2013–2015. There are numerous classifications of tobacco pipes in the Russian-language publications but these researches have not analyzed such important detail as ornamentation of the pipes. Descriptions of ornaments are given in articles of European scholars but there is no comprehensive study of the pipe’s décor. The author identified seven ornamental motifs and described 42 types of stamps that are represented by both the small series and single artifacts. To apply the ornament, the cogwheels and various stamps were used, and they can serve as reliable markers of certain workshops. Stamps of all types are shown in correlation with typological features of types of “Turkish” tobacco pipes. A further study of ornamental stamps is a promising direction in identifying of individual workshops and local centers for the production of tobacco pipes.
Crimean Antiquities as Viewed by Foreigners in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries
Crimean Antiquities as Viewed by Foreigners in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries
(Crimean Antiquities as Viewed by Foreigners in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries)
- Author(s):Nikita I. Khrapunov
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:233-249
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:Crimea; travel writing; grand tour; imagology; intellectual history; archaeology; history of historical and archaeological researches; cultural heritage protection; political ideology
- Summary/Abstract:This paper presents considerations on the earliest stage of the investigation of the past of the Crimea that started after the first Russian annexation of the peninsula in 1783. Although Russian ideology underlined classical heritage of the northern Black Sea coast, travellers and researchers had their views of the antiquities and used them for different purposes. Travellers discovered the site of ancient Chersonese, supplied information how Scythian Neapolis was found, and made first analyses of old coins discovered in the region. Their travelogues explained the significance of archaeological monuments for European grand tours. However, they also produced long-living phantoms, such as the tomb of Mithradate in Kerch and that of Maria Potocka in Bakhchisarai, or the traces of the great flood in the Crimean mountains; these and other myths are still alive among local residents and tourists. The travellers developed the idea of the Crimea as a substitute of Greece, the must-see area of classical heritage, and suggested that archaeological artefacts should be taken abroad for “better protection”. Many attempts were made to relate modern residents of the Crimea with this or that ancient people known from Herodotus and Strabo, like the Russians as the Greeks or the Karaites as the Melanchleni. Finally, archaeology was used as an “ideological tool” directed on the Russians, accusing them of intentional destruction of cultural heritage. Many of these myths and stereotypes are still alive.
Underwater Archaeological Exploration in the Waters of Tendra Spit and Berezan Island in 2017
Underwater Archaeological Exploration in the Waters of Tendra Spit and Berezan Island in 2017
(Underwater Archaeological Exploration in the Waters of Tendra Spit and Berezan Island in 2017)
- Author(s):V. Gerasimov, Roman Reyda, Artur Brzóska, Karolina Trusz
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:253-257
- No. of Pages:5
- Keywords:Underwater archaeology; Black Sea; amphora; Bathymetry; Wreck
- Summary/Abstract:In the season 2017 the joint underwater archaeological expedition carried underwater archaeological exploration in the waters of Tendra Spit and Berezan Island on the shelf of the Black Sea, Ukrainian Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Underwater archaeological exploration focused on the waters near the northern tip of Tendra Spit, from both the Gulf of Tendra and the sea, and Berezan Island. In addition to the visual reconnaissance, divers were using sonar, profiler and side-scan sonar. As a result of the research a bathymetric map of the north and north-western tip of the spit was completed. During the visual survey, the surface finds has been identified on the shore and underwater at a relatively large area. Archaeological material included numerous fragments of amphorae, two fragments of tiles and one fragment of a bronze or copper plaque. All the discovered artefacts belong to the same period of the 1st century and they most probably belong to there mains of a shipwreck. Due to the research, it was possible to make an accurate bathymetric map of the bottom waters and sediment density, find ten potential underwater archaeological sites for further studies, and one possible wreck from the Roman period.
Some considerations on the crisis and reconstruction of the Urartian Kingdom in the Ararat Plain
Some considerations on the crisis and reconstruction of the Urartian Kingdom in the Ararat Plain
(Some considerations on the crisis and reconstruction of the Urartian Kingdom in the Ararat Plain)
- Author(s):Mateusz Iskra
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:259-265
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:Urartu; Ararat Plain; Iron Age; Rusa II; earthquake
- Summary/Abstract:The period between the end of 8th and first half of 7th century BC was a testing time for the political unity and administration efficiency of the Urartian Kingdom. Lost wars with Assyria accompanied by Cimmerian raids and natural disasters are reflected in decreasing of epigraphic sources and destruction layers in several main sites. Most probably, the Ararat Plain was one of the regions that severely suffered during this period. Since the region rich with arable land was particularly important for the Urartian economy the main efforts of Rusa II conducted during his reconstruction of the kingdom were put into rebuilt and resettled the entire area. The consequences of this efforts can be visible in settlement system, pottery tradition and burial custom of inhabitants of the Ararat Plain.
Metsamor (Armenia) unexpected burials from the beginning of the Common Era
Metsamor (Armenia) unexpected burials from the beginning of the Common Era
(Metsamor (Armenia) unexpected burials from the beginning of the Common Era)
- Author(s):Krzysztof Jakubiak, Ashot Piliposyan, Hasmik Simonyan, A. Simonyan
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:267-275
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Armenia; Metsamor; graves; glass; Roman artefacts; glass beads
- Summary/Abstract:Metsamor archaeological site situated in the Aras valley is known as multi phases settlement. Recent years of the activity in the field brought to light remnants of the Iron Age settlement. Thanks to the Armenian-Polish team excavations it was possible to record also much later human activity. At the beginning of the Common Era the ruins of the settlement were used as a graveyard of the local community. Several graves dated on that period were unexpectedly recorded. Among the burial goods on special attention doubtlessly deserved a high quality glass objects, as well as the glass jewelry manufactured in the western parts of the Middle East.
Библиографический свод литературы по античному Северному Причерноморью: BCOSPE III
Библиографический свод литературы по античному Северному Причерноморью: BCOSPE III
(Bibliography of the Northern Black Sea Area in Antiquity: BCOSPE III)
- Author(s):V. Cojocaru, Lavinia Grumeza
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:277-290
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Black Sea; bibliography; historiography; Greek cities; art; religion; mythology; iranica
- Summary/Abstract:Bibliographia classica orae septentrionalis Ponti Euxini. Ars, res sacrae & mythologica is the third of a planned series of six volumes dedicated to the bibliography of the northern Black Sea shore in antiquity. An up-to-date bibliographic guide to studies in the ancient history of the northern Black Sea has long been a desideratum, both for Western and Eastern scholars. With the publication of the first and second volumes – Epigraphica, numismatica, onomastica & prosopographica (BCOSPE I, 2014) and Archaeologica (BCOSPE II, 2018) – it became obvious that the importance of BCOSPE, its scope, originality and the diligence of its implementation does not leave any room for doubt that this book series will become a standard tool for everyone working on the ancient Black Sea region. This article provides the opportunity to expand on the topic, by discussing the following issues related to the project BCOSPE III: a brief introduction to the status quaestionis, innovative elements and the estimated impact, overall structure of the third volume and some methodological difficulties. At the same time, the authors focus on the historiographic debate on the Greeks and Non-Greeks (especially Scythians and Sarmatians) from the perspective of the publications on art, religion and mythology.
Archaeological research of the Roman fort of Resculum in the light of the LiDAR scanning
Archaeological research of the Roman fort of Resculum in the light of the LiDAR scanning
(Archaeological research of the Roman fort of Resculum in the light of the LiDAR scanning)
- Author(s):Jacek Rakoczy
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:291-298
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:LiDAR; Roman period; limes; remote sensing; landscape archaeology
- Summary/Abstract:Located north of the Danube, Dacia Porolissensis was an area in which the Roman world met with the lands of the Sarmatians and the eastern Germanic tribes. The north-western border of the province is one of the least known parts of the limes. Limes Dacicus had an extensive infrastructure consisting of earthworks and stone and wood constructions that varied in chronology. The soil properties in the sites located on the limes can be used to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of geophysical surveys used in archaeology. The aim of the article is to present digital data collected utilizing both the ground based and aerial based laser scanning. In 2017 MGGP Aero Sp. z o.o. [Polish limited liability company] conducted a LiDAR scanning (using remote sensing methods) of the site for the project „The Roman fort of Resculum. Functions, significance and chronology of Roman settlements on the south-western part of the limes in Dacia Porolissensis ”funded by the Polish National Science Centre. For the surface of approximately 50 sq. m a full-waveform scanner was used to obtain a 4 pts/m 2 cloud, with a vertical accuracy of 0,15 m and a 30% lateral cover. The area is being researched by the Institute of Archaeology of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in cooperation with the National Museum of Transylvanian History in Cluj-Napoca. During field surveys the company Leica Geosystem conducted scanning of selected, documented archaeological sites. The aim of the research in Romania is to establish the character of Roman settlement in the Resculum region. Roman auxiliary forces had been stationed in that area, and their purpose was to keep watch over the bordering areas from watchtowers located in the mountains. Field research had yielded a considerable amount of well preserved ancient structures. The effects of aerial laser scanning are a useful tool in the demarcation of borders, especially helpful in identifying earthworks, moats, signal towers and other structures connected with the safeguarding of the border.
К вопросу об импорте критского вина в Причерноморье (I–II вв. н.э.)
К вопросу об импорте критского вина в Причерноморье (I–II вв. н.э.)
(On the Issue of Cretan Wine Import in the Black Sea Region (1st – 2nd centuries AD))
- Author(s):Denis Masuta
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:301-309
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Crete; passum; АС4 amphorae; Roman period; Black Sea area; Tyras; Chersones
- Summary/Abstract:One of the most famous and quite expensive kinds of wine produced on the territory of the Roman Empire in the 1st–2nd centuries AD was a Cretan passum. For its high-rate taste and medicinal properties, it was in great demand among the wealthy segments of the capital and provinces population. The amphorae of type AC4, produced in Crete from the first quarter of 1st century AD till the late 2nd century AD, were used for its transportation. Their production peaked in the second half of 1st – first half of 2nd centuries AD, when they entered the markets of Rome in large numbers and reached the most remote parts of the Empire. These amphorae are considered to have been distributed in the Western Black Sea region – in the territory of Moesia Inferior province. However, the fragments of transport containers from Novae, Troesmis, Tomis, Tropaeum Trajani, attributed to this type by researches, are morphologically different from Cretan amphorae and date to the 2nd – first half of 3rd centuries AD. These vessels are the products of another not yet localized center and are attributed to type Samoylova 1 (І). As a result of the archaeological research of recent decades, single finds of АС4 amphorae are known in Chersonesus and Tyras, which allows us to expand the distribution area of this variety of transport containers to the Northern and North-Western Black Sea region. Their arrival dates to the late 2nd century AD, when the producers were forced to search for new markets for their products, due to the falling demand for Cretan wine and a reduction of its consumption in the western Roman provinces and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Бораны Зосима, Боспорское царство и поход на Трапезунд
Бораны Зосима, Боспорское царство и поход на Трапезунд
(Borani of Zosimus, the Bosporan Kingdom and the Raid against Trebizond/Trapezous)
- Author(s):Kyrylo V. Myzgin, Serghei V. Didenko
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:311-336
- No. of Pages:26
- Keywords:coins; Trebizond/Trapezous; Gothic wars; Zosimus; Pharsanzes; amphorae; Boromlia horizon
- Summary/Abstract:There is a fragment in Zosimus’ New History (Zos. I.32–33) about two naval raids of barbarians to the south-eastern and southern coasts of the Black Sea, which calls the Borani the organizers and principal participants. Ethnic identity and origin of this people remains unclear, being a subject of discussion among the experts. According to the account by Zosimus, the Borani together with other barbarians came to the Bosporan kingdom from the Danube area, and they appeared when Pharsanzes usurped the power 253/254 AD. The Borani used the Bosporan fleet to start their first naval raid from the Bosporan territory, against the city of Pituous. However, their attack was repelled by the vexillatio of legio XV Apollinaris stationed in the city under the commandment of Valerianus Successianus. In course of their second raid in 257/258 AD, which was also organized with support from the Bosporan fleet, the Borani succeeded in plundering Pituous and Trebizond/Trapezous. According to Zosimus, the barbarians took from Trebizond/Trapezous a great deal of money. Later on, the Borani disappeared from the pages of the New History, so their future remained unknown. From the most recent archaeological finds from the Roman period documented in the Eastern Barbaricum area, there are good reasons to suppose that, after the naval raids, the Borani settled in the region between the Dnieper and the Sivers’kyi Donets’ rivers. All the bronze coins minted in Trebizond/Trapezous and discovered to the north of the Black Sea so far originate from this place. Moreover, the finds of staters of King Pharsanzes, also concentrated in the area of interest, supply another argument for the relation to the events in the Bosporan kingdom in the 250s AD. Finally, the accumulation of the finds of amphorae of the type Shelov D in the said area suggests its stable commercial relations with the Black Sea emporia. Archaeological development of the forest-steppe zone between the Dnieper and the Sivers’kyi Donets’ in the middle and the second half of the third century AD is related to the sites of the Boromlia horizon discovered there. However, it would be still too early to attribute these sites to Zosimus’ Borani without any doubts.
Bust "Thymiateria" Most Spread in Pontic Region
Bust "Thymiateria" Most Spread in Pontic Region
(Bust "Thymiateria" Most Spread in Pontic Region)
- Author(s):T. Shevchenko
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:337-347
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Olbia Pontica; Ancient Greek religion; temenos; botros; terracotta; bust thymiaterion; goddess’ image
- Summary/Abstract:Bust thymiateria, or images of goddesses with almost half a figure and with cups on their heads, are quite common in the Ancient Greek centres of the Black Sea area in the Hellenistic period. Despite their origin in other regions, large number of them were found in Pontic cities, such as in Olbia Pontica, Gordion, Amisos, Tauric Chersonesos, Myrmekion, Odesos, and Callatis, while in Gorgippia and Hermonassa, such items were found one in each. Thymiateria depicted Aphrodite or the participants of Dionysiac cult, rarely Mother of the Gods or Isis. In Olbia, there are several variants of bust thymiateria depicting a goddess without any attributes necessary for cultic image attribution. Terracottas of one of such variants are published and analyzed in this paper. They find their precise analogies among the materials of Callatis and Myrmekion. They are the images of a goddess wearing stephane, which is shown already in the mould, and earrings, with long strands of hair put on the shoulders and without clothes shown. They were found in a single context of the botros at the Eastern (Central) Temenos. This botros was situated not far from the coroplast’s workshop. This fact leads to the assumption that most of them were moved into the botros directly from the workshop and were never used. Peculiarities of the production technology, namely, manually shaped back and similar manner of processing the inner surface and the lower edge evidence that all of them were made by the same coroplast in the mould, perhaps imported, of which only one, the facial, side was available. The question whom the bust thymiateria serially produced in Olbia and known in other Ancient Greek centres of the Black Sea area depicted cannot be flatly answered. It can be only presupposed that considering the finds of bust thymiateria depicting Aphrodite found in the same botros, the lack of clothes, and the attention paid to the jewellery in the image, the terracottas analyzed here also could be related to this cult.
Again, New Discoveries of Early East Greek Pottery from Native Sites of the Northern Black Sea Hinterland
Again, New Discoveries of Early East Greek Pottery from Native Sites of the Northern Black Sea Hinterland
(Again, New Discoveries of Early East Greek Pottery from Native Sites of the Northern Black Sea Hinterland)
- Author(s):Gocha R. Tsetskhladze
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:349-360
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Northern Black Sea; hinterland; local population; early Greek pottery; Scythians; Kuban region; Tarasova Balka; Razmennye
- Summary/Abstract:The paper presents new discoveries of early East Greek pottery at local sites in the hinterland of the northern Black Sea – on this occasion in the Kuban area during excavation of the Tarasova Balka settlement and the Razmennye tombs. Tableware dates from the last quarter of the 7th century BC; South Ionian amphora fragments, found in abundance, to the end of the 7th–first half of the 6th century BC. Once again, these items demonstrate gift-giving by Greeks from the very beginning of their arrival in the region in the last quarter of the 7th century BC.
A Pontic connection
A Pontic connection
(A Pontic connection)
- Author(s):Adam Łukaszewicz
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:363-368
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Golden fleece; Jason; Argonauts; Black Sea; Medea; Colchis; Egypt
- Summary/Abstract:The myth of the Argonauts is a story which involves a supposed early contact of Greece with the Colchis. Even if the value of the myth as a written source concerning the early Greek penetration of the Black Sea coasts is questionable, it shows a vivid interest of the Greeks in exploring the area. In this paper the story of the Argonauts is retold in a concise way. The impact of the story and some ancient literary echoes are discussed. The ancient interpretation of the name of the ship Argo as an indication of a connection of the crew with the city of Argos is mentioned. The author discusses briefly a possible reflection of that idea in a papyrus which concerns a visit to the Fayum of a Bosporan embassy together with a delegation from Argos.
Clearchus of Pontica and Philip II of Macedon – a comparison of the ways and methods leading to the establishment of a divine cult of personality
Clearchus of Pontica and Philip II of Macedon – a comparison of the ways and methods leading to the establishment of a divine cult of personality
(Clearchus of Pontica and Philip II of Macedon – a comparison of the ways and methods leading to the establishment of a divine cult of personality)
- Author(s):P. Jagła
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:369-388
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:Klearchus of Pontica; Philip of Macedon; religion; ruler cult; deification
- Summary/Abstract:The aim of my article is to compare how sources describe the actions of Clearchus, tyrant of Heraclea Pontica (365/4–353/2 BC), and those of Philip II of Macedonia (360/59/58–336 BC) that may appear as attempts to create religious cults of themselves. With regard to Philip, I have founded my work here on interpretation of the sources and results of my research, which I included in my PhD thesis „Religion in the policy of Philip II of Macedonia”. They primarily refer to events in the final period of his life: from his participation in the Fourth Sacred War and Battle of Chaeronea until his assassination in Aegae/Aegae. The comparison will reveal: – significant similarities (eg. both statesmen referred to the same gods: Zeus, Dionysus and Heracles); – the possibility that Clearchus influenced Philip (eg. in the year preceding the outbreak of the Fourth Sacred War, Philip carried out military operations in the area of Scythia and eastern Thrace as well as Propontis). These similarities were not necessarily the result of influence and/or inspiration, but rather a kind of signum temporis, which was reflected in the way in which ancient historians wrote about Clearchus and Philip.
Some remarks on the chronology of Laterculus Veronensis – a special case of the diocese of Pontus
Some remarks on the chronology of Laterculus Veronensis – a special case of the diocese of Pontus
(Some remarks on the chronology of Laterculus Veronensis – a special case of the diocese of Pontus)
- Author(s):Łukasz Smorczewski
- Language:English, Russian
- Subject(s):Archaeology
- Page Range:389-402
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Pontus; Verona List; Roman Anatolia; diocese; Paphlagonia; Diocletian; Armenia Maior
- Summary/Abstract:Chronology of introducing diocese as a territorial department in the Later Roman Empire is still a subject of discussions among scholars. The main source that describes early stages of diocesan structures establishment is an Incipit eiusdem nomina provinciarum omnium, also called the Laterculus Veronensis or the Verona List. Document from the seventh century is a part of manuscripts collection located in Biblioteca Capitolare in Verona. Laterculus shows partition of the Roman Empire on twelve administrative units which had assembled lesser provincials. The first critical edition of the Verona List was composed by Theodor Mommsen in 1863. German scholar proposed as the chronological framework of list’s origin a reign of Diocletian. In his view manuscript showed Roman Empire at about 297 AD. Nowadays modern historian dated information’s contained in the Verona List more accurately to 314 AD. However, some parts of the Verona List are still controversial in dating. In the case of diocese of Pontus, two gloss from the Laterculus Veronensis were dated as interpolation from 5th or 6th century AD. In Mommsen’s interpretation the first one informed about division of Paphlagonia as well as the second one shows annexation of Armenian Kingdom. So far the question of Pontus diocese in the Verona List wasn’t actually evaluated in much broader context of epigraphic sources. Analysis of governors inscriptions from Pontic region allows us to reconsider chronology of the Verona List once again.
