Settlement of the ancient Scythians. Late Scythians. They are not romantics at all

Scythian settlement near the village of Petropavlovka

Settlement located near the village of Petropavlovka in Olshansky rural settlement Chernyansky district Belgorod region. It was also discovered Scythian burial ground, similar to modern burials.

Historians suggest that here in the 6th-4th centuries BC there were fortifications of the ancient inhabitants of the region. According to the information of the Belgorod Archaeological Expertise, the found burial ground belongs to the ground. This is the first Scythian burial ground found on the territory of the Belgorod region.

Archaeological work on the site of this ancient settlement has been going on for several years. Ancient defensive system here it is represented by two ramparts and a ditch between them. So far, experts do not have a common opinion about the nature of the settlement here in ancient times and which tribes inhabited it: the Belgorod region was borderland in those days, so in the region there are traces of the presence of various Scythian tribes that came from the forests of the North and from the steppes of the South.

"During these excavations, we check the presence of a cultural layer, its thickness, saturation, after which we must draw a conclusion based on the nature of this settlement - was it residential or were they just hiding here in times of danger. After the first days of excavations, we can say that here during the construction of fortifications Burnt clay was widely used. In principle, there are not enough finds on the defensive rampart itself, which indicates that few people lived here. We also plan to excavate around the rampart in the hope of finding traces of ancient settlements, that is, unfortified settlements." Tatyana Sarapulkina consultant of the department of state protection of objects cultural heritage Belgorod region.

So far, the most common finds are ancient “bricks” (pieces of baked clay), fragments of ceramic dishes, and animal bones. The most memorable discovery was pieces of one vessel and part of a horse skull, which lay in one place, at the base of the shaft. Based on the nature of the occurrence, the excavation leaders assumed that this was part of a pagan ritual of a kind of consecration of an ancient structure.

The remains of a young woman and child were discovered in a unique Scythian burial ground. The age of the woman is 25-35 years, the child is 12-14 years old. A stud earring was found under the skull near the woman's ear. Experts suggest that the decoration was made in the 5th century BC.

According to chief archaeologist Andrei Bozhko, the Scythians usually left burial mounds, but the one found near Chernyanka is unpaved. The main difference between them is that ground ones do not have external identification marks on the surface of the earth. Therefore, the discovery of each such burial ground is a real success for specialists and a huge find for science.

Millions of you.
We are darkness, and darkness, and darkness.
Try to fight with us!
Yes, we are Scythians! Yes, we are Asians, -
With slanted and greedy eyes!

Who are the Scythians? This question has troubled the minds of historians for many centuries. Scythians - Greek word, with the help of which the Hellenes designated the nomadic peoples living in the Black Sea region between the flows of the Don and Danube rivers. The Scythians played an extremely important role in historical destinies many peoples of our country and made a huge contribution to the treasury of world culture. What do the Scythians have to do with the development of the culture of our region? Is there any connection at all or is it still a myth?

Interested in information about treasure hunting and archeology, I realized that the history of our region began much earlier than the formation of the Cossacks on the Don. Since childhood, we have seen mounds and heard legends. But now that I know that the Scythian and Sarmatian peoples lived in the North Caucasus, I look at the world differently. It is not known for certain who these people were, how they lived and what they did.

Belgorod region is the northeastern outskirts of Scythia. The Scythians are a nomadic people related to the Slavs in blood and culture. Living together with Slavic tribes. VI - III centuries. BC

Photo 1.

The Skoloty Slavs (west of the Belgorod region) were a sedentary people, engaged mainly in agriculture, mastered iron smelting, and built cities (fortified settlements). They traded grain, livestock, and furs with the Greeks in exchange for jewelry, wine, and expensive dishes. According to Herodotus, the neighbors of the Scythians living in the forest-steppe call themselves Skolots - “children of the Sun.” Border residence of the Slavic tribes Skolots, from whom the names of the rivers Oskol and Vorskla (Vorskol) have been preserved.

"Voronezh Scythians" (northeast of the Belgorod region) - an isolated part of the Scythians.

Sarmatians (southeast of the Belgorod region). Here was the leading edge of the pastures of the Sarmatians, tribes who came from the South Ural steppes in the 4th - 2nd centuries. BC e.

Photo 2.

The Saltovo-Mayak culture is an archaeological culture of the Iron Age in southern Russia. It dates back to the mid-8th - early 10th centuries, the period of domination of the Khazar Kaganate in this region. The name is given after two large monuments - a fortified settlement near the village of Verkhny Saltov on the left bank of the Seversky Donets and the Mayatsky fortified settlement near the confluence of the Tikhaya Sosna River with the Don.

Settlement near the village Koltunovka was discovered by G.E. Afanasyev in 1977 and studied by him in 1985. The fortress is located on the right bank of the river. Quiet Sosny, surrounded on all four sides by a rampart about 10m wide. Afanasiev's excavations in 1985 showed that the fortifications were based on a wall made of mud brick, without a foundation, about 3 m wide. The outer part of the wall was lined with chalk blocks, which increased the total width of the wall to 4.4 m. Judging by the preserved remains and the layer of collapse, the original height of the wall was no more than 1.6 m, i.e. the fortress was not completed.

An ancient settlement at the confluence of the river. Quiet Sosny in the Don has been known since the 17th century as Mayatskoye. Where the name came from is not known for certain; there is an opinion that in the old days there was a lighthouse on the hill, or these beacons were divas - the chalk pillars of Diva.

The fortress is located on the right high bank of the river. Quiet Sosna at its confluence with the river. Don. On the north-eastern side the site is surrounded by a narrow ravine, on the south-western and south-eastern sides by an artificial ditch 6-8m wide and 2.5-5.7m deep. The walls of the fort were built from chalk blocks using the double-shell masonry method with an internal backfill of crushed stone and large stones. The width of the walls was about 4m, the height was no more than 5m

Runic inscriptions were found on the walls of the fortress. Some of them have been read. One of them says: “Elchi and Ataach and Buka are three of them,” the other - “Uma and Angush are our names.” Most don't.

Reconstruction of the Mayatskaya fortress There was a settlement around the Mayatskaya fortress, where guard soldiers, cattle breeders, artisans and farmers who served the fortress lived in half-dugouts and yurts. 44 residential and outbuildings, 3 sanctuaries, catacomb burials, altars, funeral feasts and utility pits were discovered. Part of the village has been reconstructed on the same cape. In the Grand Canyon, on the southeastern outskirts of the settlement, a huge accumulation of ceramic fragments was discovered. A potters' farm was located here. Four pottery workshops with the remains of pottery kilns were discovered here. These were semi-dugout buildings with an area of 14 to 17 square meters. m with a pitched roof. The building was divided into two parts: the northern with potter's wheels and fireplaces for heating the building, the southern, in which the dishes were dried. Pottery kilns were built next to the workshops.

The necropolis was found during an expedition by accident. Local children brought the scientists bronze items and beads found in a growing ravine in the southeast of the village. A study of the site revealed a burial ground with an area of about 3 hectares with a large number of burials. The Alan burial structure was a rectangular pit (dromos) leading into a cave (catacomb). Male skeletons lie stretched out on their backs in the center of the catacomb. Female - crouched on the side, which indicates a subordinate

men's position. Several catacombs had previously been plundered; only in some of them were archaeologists found knives, belt buckles, arrowheads, bronze mirrors, beads, amulets, and other jewelry, including beautiful gold earrings with pearls. All burials belong to the Saltovo-Mayak culture.

Thus, research in 2008 discovered a ground burial ground on the territory of the archaeological complex.

Of the studied Scythian settlements, the Belgorod - Streletsk settlement stands out for its unique fortifications. With their outlines, these fortifications resemble a medieval fortress and have an impressive appearance. Residential buildings were above ground, rectangular in shape, based on a wicker frame, which was coated with clay.

The bulk of finds at Scythian settlements are pottery made by hand. Local craftsmen made jugs similar to Greek amphorae. Less common than ceramics are tools made of iron, bronze, bone and stone - knives, axes, awls, sickles, etc. Archaeologists have also discovered weapons (swords, iron and bone arrowheads) and women's jewelry. A special group of finds consists of items for religious purposes. Among them are unique stone figurines of people found at the Belgorod site of Krugloye.

Scythian burials are of great interest. The mound was filled, as a rule, for one buried person. An obligatory element in the funeral ritual was a funeral feast with fire pits in the graves and in the mound, and an indispensable provision of parting food in the form of parts of the carcasses of domestic and wild animals along with iron knives. Horse burials were replaced by placing bridle sets in the graves, symbolizing a riding horse.

Among the artistic items discovered in Scythian burials, the most interesting are items decorated in animal style: linings of quivers and sheaths, sword handles, parts of bridle sets, plaques (used to decorate horse harnesses, quivers, shells, and also as women’s jewelry), mirror handles, buckles, bracelets, hryvnias, etc.

Along with images of animal figures (deer, elk, goat, birds of prey, fantastic animals, etc.), they contain scenes of animals fighting (most often an eagle or other predator tormenting a herbivore). The images were made in low relief using forging, chasing, casting, embossing and carving, most often from gold, silver, iron and bronze. Going back to the images of totemic ancestors, in Scythian times they represented various spirits and played the role of magical amulets; in addition, they may have symbolized the strength, dexterity and courage of the warrior.

The burial structures were different great variety. The size of the grave and the height of the mound depended on the nobility of the buried person. And although the mounds in the Belgorod region are much smaller than the steppe ones, even after almost two and a half thousand years, taking into account the regular plowing of the fields on which the mounds are located, they even now reach 3-5 m.

And I believe that in places where there are large concentrations of mounds, there should be temporary settlements of the Scythians. No matter how nomadic they are, their wives and children will not go anywhere.

There are reliable facts that many women of the Scythian tribes were warriors. It is believed that the notorious Amazons were an offshoot of the Scythians. Perhaps they got tired of men and separated. It is not easy to find evidence of the life and way of life of the Scythian peoples; you need to find a settlement or site of the Scythians.

The first Scythian coins were bronze war arrows. They could be used to purchase household items.

The clothing of Scythian men consisted of short leather caftans (tightly belted) and long, tight-fitting leather pants or wide woolen trousers. Caftans were worn with the fur inside. There were patterns along their edges, and on the back there was an ornamental stripe. The caftans of noble Scythians were decorated with bright embroideries and various appliqués, and ceremonial clothing was embroidered with a variety of gold jewelry. The trousers were either worn loose or tucked into low, soft ankle boots (“Scythics”) tied with a strap near the ankle. Often leather pants were decorated with stripes and various embroideries. The leather belt served to hang a quiver (on the left side) and a sword or dagger (on the right side). The belts of noble Scythians and warriors were covered with metal plaques. Scythian women wore clothes made of wool, hemp plant fiber and leather. The outfit of Scythian women largely depended on their social status. The clothing of ordinary women most often consisted of a long dress, over which a cape was worn. The outfits of noble Scythian women were usually embroidered with many gold plates and plaques.

Scythian mythology is diverse, much was adopted from the Greeks. And from this it follows that the Scythians were pagans.

According to many historical sources, it is indicated that the Scythians are the Prorussians, our distant ancestors, who were both plowmen and sedentary hunters and fishermen. It was precisely such peace-loving peoples who lived on the territory of the Belgorod region. Most of the Scythian mounds were found in the Krasnensky and Alekseevsky regions.

Oskol is, according to one of the versions (one of the two most probable, the second after the grinning chalk banks) is in the Old Turkic dialect the river of wasps (Oskol and Kol-river) and wasps, these are Alans, are one of the Scythian-Sarmatian tribes, Iranian-speaking and from the fact that the northerners (the ancestors of the Chernigov Kuryans, Belgorodians and Kharkovians) are apparently a glorified tribe, but also have Iranian Scythian Sarmatian origin, for the very name of the northerners Sevura (hence the Kursk ethnonym Sevryuk) is also a Scythian word....

Traces of the Scythians have been preserved on the territory of our region. The center of the Scythians was the settlement of Gorodishche (not far from the Kirovo farm, Alekseevsky district). Of the 23 registered burial mounds, the main part (19) was located in a triangle formed by the villages of Repenka, Verbnoye, and the Kirovo farm. From 1964 to 1989, under the leadership of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Pyotr Dmitrievich Liberov, a group of Moscow archaeologists conducted excavations near the village of Verbnoye. The need for excavations was caused by the fact that many historians doubt the population that lived in our area in the 1st century BC. Some archaeologists believe that the Middle Don region was inhabited by Scythians. Others are of the opinion that the Budins - Gelons - the ancestors of the early Slavic peoples, who led a more sedentary lifestyle, lived here.

Thus, we can confidently say that in the early Iron Age, people lived in our region who established close trade ties with the Greek colonies of the Black Sea region, and archaeological finds this is evidenced.

We see many similar things in the life of the Slavs, in appearance dwellings, in household items.

The traditional artistic culture of the Oskol region has absorbed the cultural, economic, social, everyday, and ethnic phenomena of the large territory of the Kursk, Belgorod and Voronezh regions.

Housing is one of the most essential and extremely complex elements culture. According to archival data, log dwellings predominated on the territory of the modern Belgorod region. And earlier, in Slavic settlements, dwellings in the form of a rectangular dugout floor predominated. Floor dugouts with a fireplace inside are known.

Our region was famous for its abundance of crafts. This was facilitated by favorable natural and climatic conditions.

The main occupation of the residents of the county is agriculture. They sown winter rye, oats, millet, barley, buckwheat, and a small amount of wheat.

Thus, the following craft specialties are recorded in the region: turners, blacksmiths, potters, potters, coopers, carpenters, saddlers, fat makers, chebotari, etc.

Many crafts related to wood processing and processing, in their technology from ancient times, reached the beginning of the twentieth century. practically without any special changes.

Combs, axes, gimlets, scissors, knives, pokers, etc. were produced in large quantities.

An amazing phenomenon of Cossack pottery was a clay toy. They made it for the joy of children, themselves and for the fair. And even in ancient times, according to archaeologists, the toy was an accessory of pagan cult rituals. Clay rattles and whistles were used in burial rites. They made noise and whistled over the deceased, driving away evil spirits and calling on good ones.

Folk clothing is a bright, original and original phenomenon of traditional artistic culture.

The traditional costume of the region was quite diverse, primarily this applies to women's suit. Almost all major complexes existed in Oskolye women's clothing, identified by ethnographers on the territory of Russia: pneumatic and sarafan complexes, with a homespun skirt and a “couple” (jacket - skirt). They decorated clothes in different ways, with different colors, embroidery, lace, and patterned weaving.

Women's suit - a shirt, which served as both underwear and weekend wear. The main material for the shirt was home-made linen and hemp canvas.

Linen fabric has remarkable properties: it is hygienic, durable, pleasant to wear and therefore ideal for summer clothing. Well, in hot weather, linen clothing is simply irreplaceable, as it easily absorbs moisture (up to 80% of its own weight) and at the same time does not become wet to the touch and is highly breathable. From ancient times, Russian flax was called “northern chalk”. Egyptian priests wore clothes only made of linen. In ancient Greece, clothes made of linen fabrics trimmed with purple were highly valued. The art of flax cultivation originated almost 9 thousand years ago in the mountainous regions of India. Flax was known in Assyria and Babylon, from where it spread to Egypt. Well, how did a blade of grass with blue flowers come to us? This culture came from the Scythians, who knew how to cultivate flax. In Rus', flax has long been the subject of national craft and trade.

Men's clothing consisted of an archaic tunic-shaped shirt with long sleeves. It was sewn from thin canvas. The shirts of young men were decorated with embroidery. Shirts were worn with ports (pants) made of homemade canvas, painted black or dark blue.

In Stary Oskolye there were open outerwear: a vest, a caftan, a jacket, a zipun, a zipun, a sheepskin coat, a fur coat, a short fur coat, an armyak, a robe and others.

The ancient type of footwear of our ancestors were bast shoes woven from bast and rope bast shoes, and since the 19th century - leather boots. Shoes, boots here and there, and “a sign of prosperity—galoshes.” In winter they wore felted wire rods (felt boots). Peasant women, in addition to bast shoes and chuns, had boots, boots, slippers, and cats.

The funeral rite was a complex of ritual actions. They believed in the posthumous existence of the soul. Women were buried in headscarves, young boys and girls were dressed “as if for their wedding.” The grave is still being dug by 6 people, who are called kopochs only on the morning of the funeral. After burial, a wooden cross was placed at the feet.

Thus, having studied the sources, we can say that the Scythians who lived on our territory are not a myth, they are an objective reality. This means that they could not but have a significant influence on our Slavic everyday and military culture.

Links
1. Volnaya G.N., Narozhny E.I. Settlements of the Scythian time // Materials and research on the archeology of the North Caucasus. - Armavir, Vol. 3, 2004
2. Danilov A.A., Kosulina L.G. History of Russia: 6th grade. - M., 2007
Krupnov E.I. Ancient history North Caucasus. - M., 1960

Victory of the Greeks over the Scythians in the 2nd century. BC e. turned out to be ephemeral. The Scythians again captured the western Crimea. Excavations of recent decades in this area have revealed more and more new data on construction and economic activity Scythians A whole chain of their settlements stretched along the coast. Most of them are still awaiting research, and only the most significant last years Excavations are underway.

On the seashore, 7 km west of Yevpatoria, near the children's sanatorium "Chaika" there is a Scythian settlement. It arose on the site of a Greek settlement, which at the beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. tried to capture the Scythians.

In the II century. BC e. They built a small fortress here with a powerful defensive wall of a unique design. Since this area is sandy, it is impossible to dig a ditch here (the edges would crumble). The Scythians solved the problem of defending the city in a very ingenious way: they poured a sand rampart 6 m wide, which they then strengthened on the inside and outside with a wall of rubble stone. The wall was high - the surviving part of the external cladding reaches 3.5-4 m.

The construction of the fortress was carried out according to a strict plan. Apparently, the influence of the Greek builders, and the Scythians themselves, had an effect by the 2nd century. BC e. have already managed to acquire urban planning skills. From the east and south there were blocks of housing and utility complexes adjacent to each other. If the owner of the property changed the area of his building (added a barn or expanded the living space), this naturally led to a change in the layout of the entire block. Along with one-story houses, two-story houses were also built. We climbed up the stone stairs.

The streets, as a rule, were paved, their level was higher than the floors of the rooms, which were also reached by stairs.

Local population coastal strip engaged in fishing, farming, and trade. Apparently, it inherited the traditions of the Greeks who lived here earlier, using the trade connections they established with various cities.

The Chaika settlement existed for a relatively short time. In the 1st century n. e. life here has come to a standstill.

To the north of Yevpatoria, 28 km from it, on the seashore there is the South Dsiuzlavskoye settlement. It, like “The Seagull,” arose in the 2nd century. BC e. on the site of a Greek settlement. Having captured it, the Scythians erected a fortification in the central part, which had a rounded shape measuring 130 by 45 m. This small fortress was well protected by a rampart, on top of which there was a stone wall. In front of her was a deep ditch lined with stones. Outside the fortress walls there was a settlement.

Excavations at the site revealed buildings consisting of several rooms. Their walls are usually made of broken stone. The stone fences of the courtyards and numerous utility pits have been preserved. In addition to good-quality dwellings, there were also primitive ones. An example of this is the remains of a 1st century yurt. n. e., having an almost regular round shape measuring 2.7 by 3 m. Along the edge of the adobe floor were flat stones placed on edge. In the center there was a hole intended for the supporting pillar of the floor.

The South Donuzlav settlement ceased to exist, like “Chaika”, in the 1st century. n. e.

On the southern coast of the Tarkhankut Peninsula, near the village. Okunevki, on the site of a previously existing Greek settlement, in the 2nd century. BC e. The Scythian settlement of Tarpanchi arose. In plan, it had a rectangular shape, on three sides it was protected by a stone wall 2.8 m thick. At the top it gradually narrowed to 1.55 m. From the outside, the wall was coated with a thick layer of clay. This not only gave it a neater look, but also made it more durable. Along the wall, at a distance of 4 m from each other, there were combat towers. Two of them have been studied.

Square in plan, five meters in diameter, they, like the walls, were built from rubble. The towers protruded 4-4.4 m in front of the wall. It was possible to trace original design the base of the tower, which had not been found in Scythian fortifications before the excavations of the Tarpanchi settlement. The tower had a base made of large slabs, the front masonry of which, facing the floor side, was pyramidal. There was a vertical wall on the base. During the second construction period, the towers were strengthened with an additional anti-ram belt 1.75 m thick. In front of the wall there was a deep (4.5 m) ditch, the width of which at the top reached 11-12 m, and at the base - 5 m. The slope of the ditch facing city, lined with stone28.

Adjacent to the fortification from the west and east were settlements, the size of which was many times greater than the size of the fortification itself. To the north were the remains of a large ash pit.

Near the defensive wall, on its outer side, there is a canopy attached to it, under which wheat and barley were temporarily stored, and perhaps dried. The area under the canopy was made of adobe. The last time the floor was coated, someone walked on it, leaving fingerprints bare feet. Not the entire site was excavated, but only part of it, but more than 500 kg of charred grain was collected from it. The granary died suddenly at the turn of the 2nd-1st centuries. BC e. This probably happened during the second campaign of Diophantus’s troops against the Scythians, when Diophantus “being detained by bad weather” - as we learn from a decree in Chersonesos - unexpectedly turned to the coastal lands of northwestern Taurica. The attack was so sudden that the Scythians were unable to protect the harvest. The defensive wall also suffered from the enemy's attack. However, apparently, the Greeks failed to capture Tarpanchi. Life in the settlement continued.

In the II-III centuries. n. e. Various structures arise here, including the so-called house with buttresses. It consisted of three premises: residential and two utility rooms, as well as a courtyard with service buildings. This complex is typical for Scythian estates in northwestern Crimea.

In addition to farming, the local population was engaged in animal husbandry (they raised sheep, goats, pigs, horses, cows, dogs), and fishing (they caught mullet, flounder, and sturgeon).

In the 3rd century. n. e. the Tarpanchi settlement was destroyed. Life in him froze. The population left their homes, they began to quickly collapse. And in one of the rooms, archaeologists discovered the remains of a nest of birds of prey that once settled on the ruins of Tarpanchi. The predators raised the chicks and fed them small birds and also snakes. It was possible to establish 26 species of the latter.

Everything that has been said, firstly, directly indicates that this region remained deserted and uninhabited for a long time. And secondly, it allows us to judge the fauna that was here at the beginning of the 1st millennium AD. e.

The South Donuzlav settlement, “Chaika”, Tarpanchi were relatively small settlements, while at the mouth of the Alma the Scythians at the end of the 2nd century. BC e. erected Big city. They chose an exceptionally good place for it. Alma in ancient times was full of water and provided for the inhabitants fresh water. The left bank of the river was quite steep. Thirty-meter steep cliffs made the settlement impregnable from the sea. A gentler descent led to the river. And only the southwestern and southeastern sides remained unprotected. Here the Scythians created a reliable defensive system.

The settlement now has the shape of a triangle, with its apex facing the sea. Its area is about 6 hectares, but the sea continuously advances on it, washes away the shore, and huge masses of earth collapse onto the beach. About 60 cm of the coastline is destroyed annually. The remains of utility pits, stone buildings, and broken dishes are visible in the cliffs. We will never know what area was destroyed, what was in the unpreserved territory.

In ancient times, the settlement was connected by sea with Chersonesos and Kerkinitida, with nearby coastal Scythian settlements. Greek ships passed by it from Chersonesus to Kerkinitis and Olbia. Or maybe Greek merchants sailed from Olbia with goods for the Scythians directly to the mouth of the Alma.

Local residents were connected to Chersonesos and Naples by land roads, traces of which are revealed by aerial photography.

A huge settlement, many times larger than its size, adjoined the settlement from the southwest and southeast. On the floor side it was probably protected by an earthen rampart. The area of the settlement is now plowed and planted with vineyards, but the defensive line is recorded by aerial photography. To the east of it was a large necropolis. Not all of its boundaries have yet been identified. For example, the southern one is lost in a vineyard, where there are separate graves. In total, about 7000 m2 of the area of the ancient cemetery (about a quarter of it) were explored.

When the settlement arose, did the Greeks live here before it, who owned these lands before the appearance of the Scythians? These questions have faced archaeologists from the very beginning of the study of the monument. However, they are not easy to answer. After all, a significant part of the settlement was destroyed, and the cultural layers that could possibly provide an answer to these questions perished. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to the available materials. What are they talking about?

During excavations, fragments of Greek ceramics of the 4th-3rd centuries. BC e. are extremely rare, but they still exist, and their total number is gradually increasing. Fragments of Chersonese and Sinopian amphoras of the same time and fragments of black-glazed vessels were found. This means that life here was in the 4th-3rd centuries. BC e. was. The settlement that existed before the Scythians could most likely belong to the Greeks of the Chora of Chersonesus. Due to the advance of the sea and the destruction of the coastline, some part of this settlement (now we no longer know which one) was destroyed.

If our assumption is correct, and further studies of the Ust-Alminsky settlement can verify this, then the borders of the Chersonese chora in northwestern Crimea should be significantly moved south of the already known territory.

As for the Scythian settlement itself, it arose at the mouth of the Alma, as we have already said, at the end of the 2nd century. BC e.* (before the war with the Chersonese Greeks).

Exploratory excavations at the site were carried out by P. N. Shultz in 1946, and from 1968 to 1984, the site and necropolis were annually explored by the Alma team of the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.”

When starting systematic excavations of this monument, the Alminsky detachment set itself several tasks. First of all, it was necessary to find out how the Scythian city was protected. Now, going up to the settlement along a steep path from the Alma side or approaching it from the south from the village. On the corner, you can see a rather high grass-covered rampart and a ditch in front of it. What are these - earthen structures or ruins of adobe walls? What kind of residential and economic buildings did the Scythians have in Crimea, what did the population do, what rituals did they have, how did they bury the dead?

In addition to these questions, one more difficult one had to be resolved - what was this city called in ancient times?

Interested in information about treasure hunting and archeology, I realized that the history of our region began much earlier than the formation of the Cossacks on the Don. Since childhood, I have seen mounds and heard legends. But now that I know that the Scythian and Sarmatian peoples lived in the North Caucasus, I look at the world around me differently. It is not known for certain who these people were or how they lived.and what they were doing.

It is not clear why the Sarmatians had settlements, fortifications and fortresses, while the Scythians always wandered. What about the mounds? They buried their fellow tribesmen in the desert steppe, among wild grasses, creating huge hills. The mounds are compared to the Egyptian pyramids.

And I believe that in places with large concentrations of mounds, there should be temporary settlements of the Scythians. No matter how nomadic they are, their wives and children cannot be avoided.

If we take as a basis the presence in one area of a cluster of mounds and a peculiar landscape that supposedly existed in the Bronze Age (these are old, remote and to this day, places of river beds), it is there that it is necessary to closely conduct searches and archaeological excavations. I fully support the hypothesis that the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea were connected by a large strait. Perhaps, indeed, the Argonauts sailed to our region for fleece. It was here, in the steppes, that miracles of the distant ancient and pre-ancient past took place.

The first coins of the Scythians were war arrows from bronze bows. They could be used to purchase household items and, on the other hand, be used in battle.

In the photographs there are coins with arrows of the Scythian peoples of the 4th-1st centuries. BC.

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Yu. A. Kolovrat

Population of Zmievshchyna VII - III centuries BC e. historical science calls it Scythian, because almost the entire territory modern Ukraine The ancient Greeks called Scythia, and its population Scythians. However, the ethnic composition of the population of Scythia was not homogeneous.

The main written source in the study of the Scythian period of the history of Zmievshchina are archaeological materials and reports of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. In his “History” Herodotus mentions the Seversky Donets: “... the eighth river is Tanais. It ... flows ... into ... a lake called Meotida (it separates the royal Scythians from the Sauromatians). Another river flows into Tanais, named Sirgis."

At the same time, according to archeology, in the vast territory of forest-steppe Scythia, stretching from the basin of the middle and upper Dniester in the west to the middle Don in the east, people lived in the 7th - 3rd centuries. BC e. tribes of settled farmers. The culture of these tribes, in its origin, in the characteristics of their way of life, and religious beliefs, differed significantly from the culture of the steppe nomads of the Scythians.

The peculiar features of the tribes of the forest-steppe historical and ethnographic region developed gradually and mainly on a local basis, rooted in pre-Scythian times, in the Bronze Age. B.A. Shramko believes that on the Zmievsky lands the local basis was made up of the population of the Late Srub and Bondarikha cultures, into which they joined at the turn of the 7th - 3rd centuries. BC e. settlers from the Dnieper Right Bank, who were carriers of the Jabotin type culture. P.D. Liberov, studying Seversk-Donetsk stucco ceramics, came to the conclusion that similar types of ceramics were made by local tribes of the Bronze Age (Catacomb, Srubnaya, Bondarikha archaeological culture).

As a result of the complex interaction of different cultures belonging to different ethnic groups in the forest-steppe zone of Eastern Europe Even in pre-Scythian times, a unique historical and ethnographic region began to form. With the establishment of Scythian dominance in the steppes of the Northern Black Sea region, close cultural and economic ties were established between them and the forest-steppe farmers. The intertribal division of labor ensured mutually beneficial trade. As a result, both tribes are spreading common types weapons, horse harness and jewelry, which often have images designed in the so-called. animal style. At the same time, the specific features of the culture of the forest-steppe community are preserved throughout the Scythian era. Therefore, the Scythian monuments of the forest-steppe part of Ukraine are called forest-steppe culture. In the Seversky Donets basin, the Seversk-Donetsk (another incorrect name is Severnodonetsk) group of monuments of this culture was widespread. Fortifications, settlements and mounds of this period are concentrated mainly on the right bank of the Seversky Donets, along the Uda and Mzha rivers.

Monuments of the Scythian time on the Seversky Donets first attracted the attention of such experts of the region as N.V. Sibilev, S.A. Loktyushov and A.S. Fedorovsky at the beginning of the twentieth century. After 1917 . they were studied by N.M. Fuchs, S.A. Semenov-Zuser, I.I. Lyapushkin, I.F. Levitsky. The greatest achievements in the study of these monuments belong to B.A. Shramko and P.D. Liberov. Scythian settlements and settlements of the Seversky Donets basin were studied by A.A. Moruzhenko, V.P. Andrienko, V.E. Radzievskaya, V.G. Borodulin. A significant contribution to the discovery and study of monuments of the Scythian time was made by I.P. Kostyuchenko, E.V. Puzakov, Yu.N. Shkorbatov, V.Z. Fradkin, Ya.I. Krasyuk, T.I. Shchetinin and others. Lately it's been very interesting materials, relating to the history of the forest-steppe population of the Zmiev region in the 7th - 3rd centuries. were obtained during excavations carried out under the leadership of Yu.V.Buinov and A.V.Bandurovsky. Currently, V.V. Koloda, D.S. Grechko, G.E. Svistun, I.B. Shramko and others are studying Scythian antiquities in the Zmievsky region.

Chronologically, the Scythian forest-steppe culture is divided into three periods:

Early Scythian (mid 7th - mid 6th centuries BC);
Middle Scythian (second half of the 6th - 5th centuries BC);
Late Scythian (late 5th - early 3rd centuries BC).

The population of the Left Bank Forest-Steppe was concentrated in several groups along the main rivers. One of them inhabited the forest-steppe current of the Seversky Donets. Obviously, this placement reflected the natural division of these groups into tribes. Each of these territorial tribal formations had certain features of material culture, which constituted their ethnographic characteristics.

Characteristic feature population of the Left Bank Forest-Steppe of the Scythian time is that in the 4th century. BC, at the time of the highest aggression of the nomadic Scythians, the local ethnic group, its culture and economic life did not decline, as happened on the Right Bank. On the contrary, in the 4th century. BC. Here there is a growth and flourishing of economic and cultural activities. Apparently, the population of this territory was subjected to the devastating raids of the steppe people to a lesser extent than its western neighbors.

Researchers have made repeated attempts to identify the forest-steppe archaeological culture with a specific ethnonym, from those given by Herodotus in his list. In accordance with the hypothesis of A.I. Terenozhkin and V.A. Ilyinskaya, the Herodotus Scythian farmers should be localized in Left Bank Ukraine.

The authors of the ten-volume “History of the Ukrainian SSR” adhere to the same opinion (see figure on the front flyleaf). Herodotus calls the population living between the upper reaches of the Don and the Dnieper Gelons and reports the following about them: “Gelons... engage in farming, gardening and eat bread.” These Gelons are sharply contrasted with the Scythian nomads. B.A. Rybakov localized gelons on the Left Bank, incl. and along the Seversky Donets (see figure).

But, most likely, it is incorrect to identify the Gelons with the bearers of the forest-steppe culture, for a little earlier Herodotus reports: “The inhabitants of Gelon were Hellenes from ancient times. After being expelled from trading settlements, they settled among the Budins." It is also a mistake to consider the population of the forest-steppe culture as Budins, since their habitat is a forest: “... their whole land is covered with forest.”

Rice. 1.

Source: 1987 . - M.: Nauka, 2008. - P. 57

Rice. 2.

Source: Rybakov B. A. Paganism Ancient Rus'. - Reprint. ed. 1987 . - M.: Nauka, 2008. - P. 62

According to Kharkov scientists V.V. Skirda, B.P. Zaitsev and A.F. Paramonov, the tribes of the forest-steppe culture should be identified with the melanchlens. This point of view is also shared by B.A. Shramko, V.K. Mikheev and the author of these lines. The basis for this opinion is the following. Researchers have noted that in the formation East Slavic tribe northerners (Volyntsevo and Romny archaeological culture) a certain Iranian (Late Scythian and Sarmatian) element took part. For example, the ethnonym severo itself comes from the Iranian sēv - “black”. A striking parallel with the Melanchlens, whose name translates as “people in black robes”! V.V. Ivanov and V.N. Toporov believe that the ethnonym in question could be associated with the Indo-Iranian savya-, which has different spatial meanings. This suggests that the name of the northerners can be linked to the “black cloak” Melanchlen tribes described by Herodotus. In addition, the structure of the sanctuaries of the forest-steppe Scythian culture is in many ways similar to the sanctuaries of the northerners, as will be discussed below, in the third chapter. According to the assumption of V.V. Sedov, the northerners were originally called the tribal group of the Iranian-speaking population that lived in the Dnieper forest-steppe Left Bank. This population dissolved among the Slavs, who adopted the old ethnonym. The only thing that is unclear is the timing of this event.

Rice. 3.

I - antiquities from settlements (1, 6, 8 - Belskoye; 2-5, 7, 9 - Basovskoye); II - antiquities from mounds near the village. Aksyutintsy (10 - mound No. 3 in the Staikin Verkh locality; 11-15 - Elder Mogila).

Source: Vinokur I. S., Telegin D. Ya. Archeology of Ukraine: A handbook for students of historical specialties of general initial knowledge. - View. 2nd, add. and processed - Ternopil: Basic book; Bogdan, 2005. - P. 180

It should be noted that I.S. Vinokur and D.Ya. Telegin consider the Melanchlens to be the bearers of the Yukhnov archaeological culture and place them north of the forest-steppe culture. Judging by toponymy, the Yukhnovites belonged to the Baltic tribes in language, related in their ethnicity to modern Latvians and Latvians.

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Source: Great Scythia. - 1 6 500 000 // Ukraine. Historical atlas. 7th grade - K.: Mapa, 2008. - P. 5

Thus, the question of the ethnicity of the population of the Scythian forest-steppe culture of the Zmievshchina ser. VII-III centuries BC, remains open. However, taking into account the complexity and ambiguity of the ethnic identification of the population of our region at that time, in our further narrative we will call the local population of this period forest-steppe Scythians.

Rice. 5.

Source: History of the Ukrainian SSR: In 10 volumes - K.: Naukova Dumka, 1982. - T. 1. Primitive communal system and the emergence of class society, Kievan Rus/until the second half of the 13th century/

The forest-steppe part of the Seversky Donets basin was densely populated in the Scythian era. In total, more than 150 open settlements and settlements are known here. The settlements of the forest-steppe Scythians on the territory of the Zmievsky region are represented by fortifications and settlements. It is characteristic that in the Zmievshchina the settlements have been studied better than the burial mounds. Settlements of the forest-steppe culture are located mainly on the right bank of the Seversky Donets and along its right tributaries, in particular: on Mzhe, Udy, Gomolsha.

Today there are 18 settlements in the Seversky Donets basin. Some of them are located on the territory of the Zmievshchina: Vodyanoye, Mokhnach, Koropov Khutora, Blshaya Gomolsha, Seversky settlement, Taranovskoye and, probably, Sukhaya Gomolsha. It seems that Zmievo fortification should be added to this list. There is also information about the existence of a Scythian settlement on the territory of the village. Ostroverkhovka.

Rice. 6.

Source:

Traditionally, researchers believe that the emergence of ancient settlements in the Zmievshchina should be associated with the expansion of the Scythians and the disruption of stability in the Northern Black Sea region. In particular, D.S. Grechko and G.E. Svistun write: “It is unlikely that fortifications arose chaotically in the absence of any threat, since their construction required a huge amount of material and human resources. It is characteristic that the local tribal group strengthened the settlements located near the Muravsky Way." However, V.V. Koloda has a different view. In his opinion, the reason for the advancement of the Scythian population from the Vorskla, Psla and Sula basins to the territory of the Zmievshchina could be the need for economic development of new lands associated with extensive, and therefore environmentally risky, farming.

Rice. 7. Reconstruction of protective structures Scythian time at the Mokhnachan settlement

Source: Grechko D. S., Svistun G. E. Deeds of food cultivation of forest-steppe settlements of the Scythian hour on the Seversky Dentsi // Archaeology. - 2006. - No. 4. - P. 20

The technology for constructing protective structures of Scythian settlements was superbly reconstructed by D.S. Grechko and G.E. Svistun. At the heart of the fortification was a rampart, constructed as follows. First, a huge amount of wood was burned along the line of the future shaft. A layer of moistened clay mass was placed on top of the resulting hot ash cushion, into which the logs, notched at the top, were inserted. The clay layer was burned by the temperature of the ash bed and turned into a kind of brick. The clay core of the structure was then covered with a rampart embankment.

In 1953 . B.A. Shramko explored the Zmievo settlement, better known in archeology as Gaidary-1 (Bucer tract). The report noted featureless fragments of molded pottery, presumably from Scythian times. Lifting material collected in different time A.S. Fedorovsky, N.K. Fuks, M.I. Sayan and V.V. Didyk, testifies that in the early Iron Age there was a Scythian settlement of the forest-steppe culture. The presence of a Scythian-era defensive rampart at this monument, assumed by some researchers, remains unclear.

An ancient settlement located near the village. Sukhaya Gomolsha is multi-layered and also contains materials indicating the presence of forest-steppe Scythians in these areas. Presumably, it arose in the Scythian era, although doubts about this were expressed by D.S. Grechko and G.E. Svistun. total area fortifications 2 ha . It consists of a citadel and two suburbs.

On the territory of the village. Ostroverkhovka is a Scythian settlement of the 4th - 3rd centuries. BC e. During excavations, a surface dwelling was discovered here.

In the village Bolshaya Gomolsha on the cape of the left bank of the Gomolsha River is a Scythian settlement of the 5th - 3rd centuries. BC e., the area of which is about 7 ha . The fort is surrounded by a rampart and a ditch. In 1928 - 1929 In the vicinity of the settlement, a bronze cauldron of the Scythian type was found. Here, V.Z. Fradkin and V.P. Andrienko in 1968 . two villages were discovered. The first settlement is located in 1 kilometer to the east of the village, on arable land. It has an area of 150×70 m. The second is located in the Zasemenovo tract, on the cape of the right bank of the Gomolsha River, in 1 km south of the livestock farm, at the north-eastern outskirts of the village, with an area of 500x300 m.

There is a settlement between the villages of Vodyanoye and Krasnaya Polyana. It is located on a high cape on the right bank of the Uda River, in the Kholodny Yar tract. The cape on the floor side is fenced with ramparts and ditches. The area of the fort is 2. 54 hectares . Excavations carried out by B.A. Shramko in 1952 ., showed that the settlement is two-layered - with deposits of the Scythian era and Romny culture.

The most interesting monument to the history of our region is the settlement of Korobovy Khutor, located near the village. Korobovo, on the left bank of the Seversky Donets River, on sand dunes near the forest. Excavations carried out under the direction of B.A. Shramko in 1953-1954 and in 1970 showed that it is two-layered. Its lower layer dates back to the Scythian period. The area of the Korobovsky settlement is 1.5 ha . Its main courtyard is surrounded on three sides by a ditch and a rampart with the remains of masonry from the walls. Also, in the area with. Korobov, three antique Panticapaean coins were found. The shaft of the Scythian time was filled with sand, and on the side it was reinforced, obviously, by a number of notched logs. This shaft is dated by typical Scythian pottery and a fragment of a grinding stone with a hanging hole, characteristic of the Scythian era.

Among the archaeological monuments of Zmievshchina, special attention of researchers has always attracted the attention of the settlement, located within the modern village. Mokhnach. The monument area is approximately 12.5 ha located on a high cape on the right bank of the Seversky Donets between the swimming pool and one of the deep ravines facing it from the north-west side. The defensive structures of the Mokhnachan settlement began to be built in the early Iron Age, but, most likely, the Scythians did not complete the construction of the fortifications, which led to the destruction of the settlement. Near the ancient settlement, on both sides of the Donets there were 7 Scythian villages. These settlements occupied the first terrace above the left and the slopes of the right banks of the river.

At the village Kochetok (Chuguevsky district) two settlements of the Scythian era with ash pits and a fortified settlement were discovered. They are located on the high right bank of the Seversky Donets, near the mouth of its tributary - the Bolshaya Babka River. Another multi-layered settlement also has Scythian deposits.

One of the settlements of Scythian times is located in the village. Aksyutovka. Four bronze arrowheads were found here.

In 1950 . B.A. Rybakov discovered a Scythian village located near the village. Ostroverkhovka. This settlement and the associated burial ground are located on a flat hill at the headwaters of the Chernyavka River (the left tributary of the Mzhi). In 1951-1953. The study of this monument was carried out by Kharkov State University. On the territory of the settlement there are 60 ash pits, which are concentrated in 5 groups. Each of these groups represents an independent whole and is located at a considerable distance from the neighboring group. The first group includes 10 ash pans, the second - 15, the third - 11, the fourth - 21 and the fifth - 3. In the first, second and fourth groups, the ash pans were located approximately in a circle. Perhaps the same order was in the third group, but there it is less noticeable, since its area is intersected by a young ravine.

On the outskirts of the village Borovoe, a settlement of the Scythian period, V-III centuries, was identified. BC e. . Another such settlement was located on the territory of the village. Sokolovo.

In 1951 2 km north of the village. Birochok Ya.I. Krasyuk discovered a Scythian settlement located on the right bank of the Mzhi. Somewhat earlier, in 1948 ., Ya.I. Krasyuk discovered a multi-layered settlement of the Bronze Age and Scythian times. The village is located on the right bank of the Mzhi River, in 2 km north-east of the village. Pervomaisky, in the Birochok tract.

On the right bank of the Mzha River, on a hill southeast of the village. Grishkovka is another Scythian settlement. Its ash pits contain ceramics, a spindle whorl, clay buttons, an iron spear, a dagger and bronze arrowheads from the 5th-4th centuries. BC e. . Currently, these finds are exhibited in the Museum of Military Brotherhood in the village. Sokolovo.

Rice. 8. Pupils of Zmievskaya school No. 1 opened burial of a woman from early Scythian times. Tract Serdyukovo-2 (near the village of Liman)