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A comparative analysis of specific and numerical composition of mammals from Upper Palaeolithic stations of south-western and central regions of the Russian Plain shows not only similarity but also some differences. This is explained both by geographic position of these stations and their belonging to some archaeological culture. The most remarkable similarity in the object of hunting of the Upper Palaeolithic man is noticed in the grotto Brinzeni 1 on the Middle Prut river and stations of the Gorodetskaya archaeological culture (Kostenki 14, layer II and III) on the Middle Don. The stations Lipa 6, layer V and Kostenki 8, layer IV are much related to each other by composition of the teriofauna and a relative number of species. The main game in the south-western region was Equus latipes, rarer Rangifer tarandus and Mammuthus primigenius. In the central Russian Plain on the stations of the Streletskaya archaeological culture predominant were Equus latipes and Mammuthus primigenius, on the stations of Gorodetskaya culture – Equus latipes, Lepus tanaiticus and Canis lupus, on the stations of Spitsynskaya culture - Canis lupus, Equus latipes, Rangifer tarandus. Periodical climatic fluctuations during the late Pleistocene contributing to warming and damping processes caused appearance of remains of typical forest inhabitants on the stations. This refers to a greater extent to the stations of south-western region, where influence of Carpathian forests is more pronounced. The same dependence is noticed in the central Russian Plain, where the forest biotopes were developing first of all in the valley of the old Don.
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The authors publish five bronze coins of Byzantine Emperors Anastasius I (491-518), Justine I (518-527), Justinian I (527-565) and Justine II (565-578). These coins were found separately near the village Korotnoe on the left bank of the Lower Dniester. Their concentration on a small territory, most likely, tells about existence here of a settlement at that time.
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History of military forces in the Crimea in 550 — early 7th centuries has been seldom subject of special research. Now we have sufficient sources, particularly archaeological evidence, which require study and analysis. Along with written accounts, these materials provide background for a new concept of Taurica's history in the early Byzantine period. The main postulate of this new concept consists in rejection of the fact that Byzantium lost its authority in the Crimean region in the mentioned period, when an Imperial Province appeared on the territory between the Crimean Peninsula between Chersonesos and Bosporus. It was divided into archontates, with Chersonesos as the main center. Mangoup was another large political center — the capital of “Dori country”.The armed forces of this province consisted of Chersonesos militia, irregular military units and allies of the Empire, their total number being 3000—4000 people. The core consisted of federates-espondoi — free wealthy landlords, peasants-soldiers from among the local population, the Alani and the Goths. They were under political and fiscal control of the central Byzantine authorities after 575, the lands of the Tauric province were transferred by the local archontes to the administration of the supreme military and civil governor, who was called 'dux'. Chersonesos and Bosporus transform into a Ducat structure.
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The article publishes and analyzes ceramic stamps from the “Nymphaeum”. This complex, which was located near the city gate of the 16th curtain in the south-eastern sector of Chersonesos, was excavated in 1957—1958 by S. F. Strzelecki. During the two years of excavation, epigraphic material consisting of 17 ceramic stamps (Thasos, Mende, Acanthus and Heraklea) was discovered there, 16 of which were on an amphorae and one on a tile. The time span of the stamps is wide enough: from the late 5th century BC till the 30s of the 4th century BC. Apparently, filling of the “Nymphaeum” was done simultaneously, for which purpose garbage from the city dump was used. On the basis of the two latest Herakleian stamps of the magistrate Σιλανός and manufacturer Αἰσίμιδας, the author assumes that both the filling of “Nymphaeum”, as well as the first phase of construction of the “Hellenistic” defensive wall, erected over “Nymphaeum”, are dated to the late 40s — early 30s of the 4th century BC.The article publishes and analyzes ceramic stamps from the “Nymphaeum”. This complex, which was located near the city gate of the 16th curtain in the south-eastern sector of Chersonesos, was excavated in 1957—1958 by S. F. Strzelecki. During the two years of excavation, epigraphic material consisting of 17 ceramic stamps (Thasos, Mende, Acanthus and Heraklea) was discovered there, 16 of which were on an amphorae and one on a tile. The time span of the stamps is wide enough: from the late 5th century BC till the 30s of the 4th century BC. Apparently, filling of the “Nymphaeum” was done simultaneously, for which purpose garbage from the city dump was used. On the basis of the two latest Herakleian stamps of the magistrate Σιλανός and manufacturer Αἰσίμιδας, the author assumes that both the filling of “Nymphaeum”, as well as the first phase of construction of the “Hellenistic” defensive wall, erected over “Nymphaeum”, are dated to the late 40s — early 30s of the 4th century BC.
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Coinage of Chersonesos in the time period between Mithridates and Emperor Tiberius is understudied. There are three copper issues that can be dated to the rule of King Pharnaces II. Only issues coined during the rule of this king in Chersonesos had such countermarks as monogram "ПАР", ‘star’ and ‘star and crescent’. Mithridates’s issues, with rarest exceptions, did not have any countermarks. Similarly, no countermarks are found on the issues dated by the first time the city was granted freedoms, nor on the subsequent issues. The two varieties of coins of the "first eleutheria" were not coined simultaneously, but rather one replaced the other. Such personal name as Apollonid did not belong to a monetary magistrate, but rather to a tyrant. It is known that Apollonid’s name was mechanically deleted from legends of some coins with the help of a file. Emperor Tiberius’s rule was marked by silver and gold Chersonesos coins with the Emperor’s head and maiden with a bow and a lance. The legend of such coins read: city name, monogram "ПАР" and year of the city era.
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Copper coins with the legend KAICAPOC CEBACTOY and Emperor's head on obverse have been known since the 19th century. Earlier it was assumed that the coins of Tyras were minted in one denomination. New finds have made it possible to talk about three denominations at least. Scholars unanimously believe that the aes in question were the first provincial type of coins of Tyras, minted in the early principate epoch. However, the precise attribution of the coins remains unsolved (Augustus, Claudius, Vespasianus). The author dates the anonymous copper to Nero’s times. The presence of Roman soldiers in Tyras conditioned circulation of Roman large aes in the local market. The first appearance of the Romans was a consequence of the Bosporan war in the 40s and/or of the annexation of Thrace. Some military contingent deployed in Tyras during Nero’s period. Under Nero — about 57 AD — an important event happened which signalized a new stage in relations between Rome and Tyras. This event became the beginning of a new chronology and it was commemorated in the “senatorial” emission (the legend IERAC CYNKΛHTOY). Simultaneously, or a little later, Tyras issued copper coins for Nero (KAICAPOC CEBACTOY). They were probably struck according to a monetary system into which Roman and Greek denominations were integrated (1 dupondius = 8 chalkoi, 1 as = 4 chalkoi, etc.).
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The author uses some earlier available data as well as new finds to analyze possible reasons for coinage of zlatniks and srebreniks in the last quarter of 10th — first half of 11th cc., as well as transition from dirhams and Anglo-Saxon coins to German coins in the second half of 11th c., and then to the coinless period in the 12th c. — 1330s-1340s. The author concludes that the emission by the Kievan knyazes seems to be an attempt to address the problem of insufficient money stock in the condition of the ‘crisis of eastern silver’.
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It is the first publication of findings of Serbian medieval coins in the Prut-Dniester region. Fifteen silver coins and imitations are presented in the paper. They were unearthed in Moldova (in Costesti settlement and near some villages in the south of the country), as well as in Orlovka (Odessa region, Ukraine). Most coins relate to issues of Stefan Uros IV Dusan (1331—1355). The author suggests that the Serbian coins entered in the Golden Horde settlements in this region from Dobrogea and circulated here together with the Bulgarian coins in 30—50s of the 14th century. This publication will serve as an additional source of information for reconstruction of historical context in the western periphery of the Golden Horde.
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This paper discusses the accepted scientific views on the primary penetration of the Slavs to the Ilmen and Volkhov regions which started in the 5th and first half of the 6th century AD. In the opinion of some of the leading historians, the beginning of the development of the Ladoga settlement was synchronous with the establishment of sea trade communications in the western Baltic area in the 6th and 7th centuries. During that period, propitious conditions were enabled for the progress of seaports, maritime settlements and rise of activities of industrious and military/merchant populations in Western and Northern Europe. Impulses induced by these processes reached the regions of the Neva River and North-Eastern Ladoga Lake region including the Ladoga centre. Interdisciplinary analysis of archaeological materials from the Zemlyanoye Gorodishche (Earthen Hillfort) in Staraya Ladoga conducted during recent years has discovered and confirmed the appearance of the early Slavs on the Lower Volkhov River in as early as the middle of the I Millennium AD.
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The author critically reviewed most popular hypotheses about the localization of the place of death of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich in the context of written and archaeological sources. Special attention is paid to hypotheses of the origin of swords found in 1928 in the pit of the DnieproHES dam, a sword found near Khortitsa island in 2011 and also to the Voznesenka archaeological complex unearthed in 1930, interpreted as “Svyatoslav’s grave” by M. A. Miller. The author states impossibility to establish the actual place of death of the prince and his warriors on the basis of available scientific data.
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The article focuses on archaeological excavations on Izhora Plateau carried out by S. A. Teplouhov — a scientific researcher at the Russian Museum, archaeologist and famous student of old sites in Minusinsk Basin, Tuva and Mongolia. He also excavated two medieval burial groups in the Leningrad Oblast in 1927—1928, but only one of his report (1928) on archaeological research in this region has been so far known. The unknown field report about his works in August 1927 near the village Dyatlitsy (now Lomonosov district of the Leningrad Oblast) was found in the archive of the Russian Museum of Ethnography. This document revealed new information about the time and history of settlements on Izhora Plateau and about details of the funerary rite spread among its medieval population.
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The Kuzebaevo hoard consisting of 1053 items attracts researchers owing to its content, which helps to correct, to a certain extent, our views on the past. This paper shows the results of its authentication study. Analyzed were the elements of a heraldic belt set, the main part of which is interpreted by the researchers as 'master model'. Proceeding from the chemical and technical analysis, it was shown that the items were cast into composite molds produced as impression of both matrices and finished products. Apparently, as many as 31 different matrix pieces were used in casting of 57 of the studied items. Some items, judging by some specific traces, could be later used as 'master models' (matrices) to produce an impression for casting of extensive series. The items of belt set subjected to X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) were produced from lead-tin alloy (30 items) with high concentration of tin (up to 44.61 %); 15 items showed content of cadmium (up to 0.26 %). Availability of cadmium in decertified samples typologically similar to the archaeological items suggest their attribution as forgery. The radioisotopic examination (based on 210Pb) aimed to detect this excessive radioactive isotope allowed to establish that lead in the studied samples is not modern.
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Unexpectedly a sympathetic exposition of Antinormanist hypothesis of treating Varangiams in Rus’ as Western Slavs appeared in professional archaeological press. This hypothesis is based on three arguments: 1) a guess on Lekhite borrowings in the language of medieval Novgorod population; 2) finds of West-Slavic ceramics in North-Western Rus’, and 3) absolutely obsolete manipulations with the ethnonim “Rus’”. Objections: 1. The lingual borrowings are not substantiated, they are simply archaisms present in other languages, too. 2. The alien (in Rus’) ceramics is not domestic, but made by craftsmen, so it cannot testify the coming of Lechite Varangians. In addition it is absent on the south part of the road from Varangians to Greeks. 3. Even if southern and western etymologies of the term “Rus’” were more professionally made, they could not resist the degree to wich the term is ingrained into the northern system of ethnonims.
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