![Д.С.Раевский, учёный и человек](/api/image/getissuecoverimage?id=picture_2009_38838.jpg)
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The work views Scythian sculptures on the territory from the Northern Caucasus to Dobruja. The author used the data from the research by V.S. Olkhovskyj (catalogue compiled in cooperation with H.L. Yevdokymov, dating, and typology) with little additions. The sculptures were analyzed within three large areas: Northern Caucasus, coast of the Sea of Azov, north coast of the Black Sea (Ольховский 1999). The attempt is made to analyze the finds in a wide archaeological context including the types of burial monuments, topography, communications, and the degree of vicinity of Scythian and Ancient Greek centres. The main goal of the research is to determine (by the relation to the burial monuments) the ethnical environment of Scythian sculptures and to define, as far as possible, the type and scales of social communities they belonged to. There are good reasons to beleive that the tradition of erecting anthropomorphic sculptures was originally inherent to specific nomad ethnos, with particular ideology, which consequently formed the core of the Scythian military and political union and was known as Royal Scythians. The territorial distribution of sculptures reflects the process of struggle by ethnos-hegemon for the priority economic zones.
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The earliest Greek apoikia on the Northern Black Sea region, Borysthenos, founded on the island of Berezan in the mouth of the Dnipro-Bug estuary, attracted and will further be attracting the scholars’ attention, since the solution of the whole range of problems connected with Greek colonization of the entire region much depends on the right answer to the question about its character.Recently the publications appeared where a number of questions, those concerning the characteristic features of the social and economic development of Borysthenos, its political organization, and ethnic membership of the population were raised, as well as fundamentally important conclusions were made. Thus in the article different aspects connected with the nature of development of Borysthenos are analyzed, and the author’s point of view on the peculiarities of Botysthenos’ development at the initial stage of settling the Lower Bug River region is stated.The analysis of the material available testifies that Boristhenos was a small typical Greek apoikia, and a polis in social and political terms, whose civil community arranged its life on the new place in late 7th – early 6th cc. BC. Basic source of existence of its members was agriculture. It was provided by families of first settlers on the lands situated close to the settlement and not traced archaeologically up to this date. There are no reasons yet to speak about significant property differentiation in civil body of Borysthenes on the initial stage of its history, about the exclusively trade direction of its economy, and any significant weight of non-Greek component in population. As a result, it should be stated that despite the ongoing excavations on Borysthenos and regardless of the long time after V.V. Lapin published his study (1966), his main conclusions about the character of Boryshtenos’ development are still valid. However, taking into consideration the new material, they need not the cardinal reconsideration, but some corrections and improvements.
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The article deals with the different forms of the dialogue of the art of steppe and civilizations of the Eastern and Western parts of the Eurasian steppe.D.S.Raevsky had perfectly described the cross-cultural contacts of the Scythian and Greek art it the North Pontic territory, where Greek artisans made gold items for Scythian chieftains. According to Raevsky, Greeks knew Scythian mythology and depicted on the traditionally nomadic items scenes of Scythian myths, working in their own artistic manner. Specimens of scythian art made by Greek craftsmen also have many features of Greek art.Looking for similar situation in the Eastern part of Eurasia, we see recently discovered Filippovka and Arzhan-2 with works of Scythian art in gold, part of them, of a high technical level, made by foreign craftsmen. Several items have inlays of glass, so nomadic craftsmen also could not make them.According to the recent studies by R.S.Minasian, iron daggers of Tagar culture were cast, not forged, the same about Arzhan iron weapon with gold. But casting iron in the Early Iron Age was known only in China, so these weapon could be made by Chinese craftsmen for the nomads because of purely nomadic forms and style of it.Eastern works of Scythian art made by non-nomadic artisans had no features of any foreign artistic tradition. We know that Chinese craftsmen made iron weapon, about other things we can say almost nothing but the fact that glass production is known only in the Near East and China.Comparing North Pontic and Eastern situations of cross-cultural dialogue, the similarity in the fact making gold items for nomads by foreign craftsmen, we see the main difference in the presence of absence of foreign features in the works of art. We may explain this difference not by technical level and knowledge of artisans, but by different cultural statements of the relations between masters and foreign craftsmen in the nomadic society.Though the results of our research are quite poor yet, we can put a question of the different models of the dialogue of the artistic traditions in the different parts of the Eurasian steppes.
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The East-Carpathian Getian tribes of 6th-4th centuries B.C. are commonly believed to have practiced two funerary rites: inhumation and cremation. The multilayered Danceni necropolis has always been referred to in support to this affirmation. Its horizon of the I millennium B.C. contains complexes of Scythian-Thracian appearance, used by some researchers to prove the existence of a Scythian-Thracian community in the area, and regarded by others as a symbiosis of traditions into a new archaeological culture. A detailed analysis of the information available to us on the Danceni necropolis allows us to separate its “early Getian” horizon into two layers attributed to different periods and ethnies – the Scythian layer with inhumations belonging to the middle period of the Scythian culture, and the classic Getian layer, with cremations.While recreating funerary rites of the Getae, this article also refers to other famous necropolises or solitary graves that are attributed to these antiquities of the Dniester-Prut territory. Our research confirms that the Getae practiced cremation as their traditional funerary ritual.
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The Priural’skaya expedition of the Institute of archaeology, (Russian Academy of Sciences) excavated seven kurgans of the world-famous cemetery at Filippovka settlement (Orenburg area) in 2004-2006. The wooden vessels ornamented with silver and golden details were found among other goods.One of the most interesting finds is a unique wooden cup founded in the burial 3 of the kurgan number 16 of the cemetery. It has no similarities with other cups and vessels which other kurgans contained. As the cup was made of wood it’s initial shape was lost. But small silver and golden plates which ornamented the cup, enabled us to fully reconstruct the cup. There were more than 30 of those plates we found in situ, some of them were produced in the traditions of the animal style. Other finds discovered in the kurgan – horse equipment, ornaments and weaponry – which date back to the second part of the 5-th – up to 4-th c. B.C., suggested that the cup was also produced at that time.When the excavations of those 7 kurgans were finished it became clear that wooden vessels covered with silver or golden plates were found both in individual male and female burials as well as in multiple burials. They were usually placed near the skull, on the right of it and were always made of precious metals. On the contrary, the details used to refurbish the vessel were made of bronze only.People (no matter if it was a male or a female found) buried with vessels of this type belonged to a high social class. This can be proved by the fact that warriors had a wide range of weaponry and female were buried with a set of cult goods.
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The article studies introduction of horse harness from the collection Á 28 of Ukraine National Museum of History. The passports of artefacts were lost, but they still arise interest. The finds are divided into main categories: horse-bits, cheek-pieces, clasps, plates and others. Chronological attribution is also suggested.
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The article considers the issue concerning the date of ending of Sakharna-Soloncheny and Chernoles II (the Middle Dniester region exactly) Cultures. The author suggests that Sakharna-Soloncheny Culture disappeared earlier than Chernoles II (the Middle Dniester region exactly). And Chernoles II (the Middle Dniester region exactly) coexisted with Basarabi Culture for a considerably long time.
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The author elucidates some events of the Hellenistic time on the northwestern Black Sea coast. Attention is given to the issue of transformation of the steppe (“classical”) Scythian culture in antiquity into the late Scythian culture, 3rd c. BC – 3rd c. AD. This process took place on the background of bright and dynamic events of political history that involved many peoples (Celts, Bastarns, Thracians, Sarmatians, Hellenes) and some historical personalities. The collapse of the “Great Scythia” on turn of 4-3 cc. BC led to formation of several regional zones of Scythian culture (Crimea, Dobrudja, Lower Dnieper and Lower Dniester). Presumably, emergence of these areas and their further history were interconnected during the whole Hellenistic epoch (3-1 cc. BC).
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The author reviews M. Očir-Gorjaeva’s monograph on a harness found hidden at Hosheutovo (the Low Volga region), which is the most interesting archaeological object.
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The article revises main benchmarks in the life of V.A. Galibin, known Russian scientist – analytical chemist and specialist in archaeological technology; it contains a detailed review of his monograph “Composition of Glass as Archaeological Source” (S.-Petersburg, 2001).
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As specification of methodology of metrological researches of antique numismatics the line of falling of the coins weight is offered. «I» – the weight of the primary monetary-gravimetric system; «II»– the weight of the coins that showed the standard of the weight; «III» – the previous standard was taken as a specimen of the weight in monetary system; «IV» – the middle weight of the coin, that was made; «V» – the individual weight of some coins, that leaved the money turnover; «VI» – weight directly investigated coins. In last weight it is necessary to distinguish weight «VIA», as much as possible approached owing to good condition of coins or calculations of losses from corrosion to weight «V» – and the other weight «VIB», that is differed from weight «V». In cases when the majority of coins have weight «VIB», – application «an average arithmetic» or a method «frequency table» at metrological calculations – is unaffected monitory. For revealing values and monetary-gravimetric systems – it is unique effective there is a method of the selective account of the heaviest copies as much as possible approached to weight «V», and through it – to normative weight «III». Such approach together with chronological and typological a research has allowed specifying system of younger face values of silver coins Bosporus VI-IV centuries up to A.D.. The role of the image of an ant as chronologically consecutive attribute of distinction of three face values the an became clear. The changing Aiginetic system to Persian weight system Bosporus from the 70th of the V century B.C. up to A.D. is proved. The denomination of the smallest face values took place with it. In the addition the electrum stater Kyzikos phenomenon is explored as a metrological co-ordinator of the monetary-gravimetric systems of Greece and Black sea region. The basis of gravimetric gradations of composition of the metal of the electrum stater Kyzikos was the reason of the appearing of the Aigina’s, Persian and Attic systems.
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The author considers the coins of Chersoneses in 6th – 2nd cc. B.C. in relation with some historiographic hypotheses, according to which appearance of coin types is explained by internal political developments, changes in international relations or in beliefs. The analysis of records convinces that many of these concepts are based on an erroneous chronology of minting or on speculative assumptions. At present, as a century ago, it seems more likely that images of the main Chersoneses divinities – Deva and Hercules – on the obverse of silver coins are indicative of their belonging to a certain monetary weight system.
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The article presents a publication of unknown and rare coins of such ancient towns as Tyras, Olbia, Cercinitis, Chersoneses and Panticapaeum (Pantikapaion).
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A new hoard of barbarian coins of Huşi-Vovrieşti type has been recently discovered in the Tabani village (northern Republic of Moldova): 32 silver tetra-drachms with notches and marks of over-minting were buried in a Getian hand-made ceramic cup. Such coins had been re-dated. Their emergence is determined within the third quarter of 4th c. B.C. They seem to represent the “national currency” of the East-Carpathian Getians. Going back to this issue we have established that the first Phillip’s tetra-drachms of barbarian coinage were minted using genuine matrices and silver of good quality. They used to be originals for some time.After the war of 339 with Atheas’s Scythians, while passing through Thracia’s hinterland on his way home Phillip was attacked by the Triballi. The Macedonians were defeated and Philip was severely wounded. Among other loot, the Triballi got Philip II’s field mint together with the silver tribute collected from Black Sea towns. The Getians were part of the Triballi’s Kingdom but they received coins of poor quality minted using worn-out matrices.
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In the present report two new bronze coins of Theodosiya Taurica of the beginning 4th century BC will be described. Both published coins belong to one group of coins. One side of these coins pictures a head of the bull, the other pictures six-pointed star with the legend ΘΕΟΔΟΣ between rays. One is unique coin was struck twice (a «double strike» coin). This coin shows a activity of Theodosiya Taurica mint. The obverse of other very rare coin bears the image of the bull’s head 3/4 to the left. This coin has the same reverse as previous. The author allocates a series of bronze coins of Theodosiya Taurica. The coin denominations in this bronze series are: the chalk, trihemichalk, trichalk, tetrachalk. These coins were struck during the last period of independent coinage before capture of city.
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The authors published the Greek coin (stater) of III-II c. B.C. with the image of Alexander the Great and Athene discovered in the sea near the North-Western coast of Crimea.The finding of uncommon for this region golden coin is connected with Chora of the town Kalos Limen which made the part of the State of Chersoneses.
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The author publishes two heraldic pendants found in Kelgynino grave yard (bank of the Chiush river in Mordovia, Russian Federation). On both objects cast of bronze in one mould there are paired signs of Old Russian Rurik dynasty. One belonged to the duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the other – to his elder son Vysheslav, the ruler of Novgorod. If appearance of these pendants in Middle Volga basin is connected with the trade agreement set between the Old Russia and the Volga Bulgaria then they can be dated by 1106-1110.
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(addition to the article of A. A. Begovatkin "Burials with Heraldic Pendants from Kelgynino Grave Yard in Mordovia")
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The monograph is an attempt to publish the results of archaeological research carried out in 1987-1999 at the Gorodishche village on the Syasi River (South-East Ladoga Region). The site yielded a unique for this region and quite rare for the South-West Russia existence on a small territory of a large quantity of different archaeological objects sharing some common features in their development. The researchers’ special attention was always focused on burial sites. The works carried out in 1987-1999 aimed at making some precisions to the research data obtained in late 19th – early 20th cc. as well as receiving new data about the burial rite.The author maintains that the unique nature of this site is determined not only by the system of already known burial antiquities but also by remains of medieval settlements present there. Settlements in other places of the South-East Ladoga region are not studied and are practically unknown. Research revealed remains of several settlements in this region. Works on the dig south to the Syasi Gorodishche documented its rather pronounced industrial and commercial activities. New evidence revealed on this site proves existence of a chronological proximity between the Syasi Gorodishche and Staraya Ladoga settlements, which are likely to have followed similar ways of development until the mid 10th c.
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