In 2008 the excavations on the Tauric Chersonesos Chora (Heracleian peninsula) were carried out at the ancient area No. 347 of a fortified complex of buildings located in the Berman gulch (discovered by K.E.Hrinevich in 1928-1929) and on the territory of a fortified settlement (the isthmus of Mayakovyj peninsula).
In the Berman gulch the archaeologists continued researching wine-making complexes. The plan of wine making complex BK-3 (excavated in 1928-1929) was drawn up, and excavation continued at wine-making complex BK-2 (excavated in 2005-2007). In the western corner of the winery, behind the wine-pressing area ВП-2, a fragmented Hellenistic Sinop pithos was found inside a pit. After the removal of the pithos fragments and clearing up the pit, pits for two pithoi turn out to have been carved into the rock. The material inside the finds relates to the Late Hellenistic Age.
While investigating the wine-pressing area ВП-2 two tesserae were found. They were coined in late III – early II cent. BC. in dedication to Dionysus. These artifacts signify that by the end of the Hellenistic period at the winery there was a reconstruction, possibly associated with changes in wine production technology. From the northwest exterior of the winery ВК-2 the excavators discovered a room. The major part of the building was destroyed during further construction works. The material includes fragments of amphorae and tiles of the Hellenistic Period.
In order to clarify the frontiers of the fortified complex of buildings outside the northwest wall, made of reused large stone blocks the scientists uncovered the leftover material of the excavations held in 1928-1929. Along the fence, on the newly-cleared area, they laid a trench. Inside the trench another finding was made: the bottom of the arch or entrance masonry and a fragment of a wall that was part of the building tangential to the fence. Here the material attributed to the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods was found, along with several fragments of the Medieval glassware. Among theHellenistic findings a limestone anthropomorphic headstone with a pointed top, a terracotta fragment – part of a hand with an open palm, a Megarian cup (with a bust of the goddess wearing a crown and a seal KIRVEI depicted on its bottom) are particularly interesting. Among the items related to the I cent. BC. – II cent. AD there debris of Kolchis amphorae and a light-clay amphorae with double handles. Fragments of red- lacquered plates, cups, bowls, tile debris and ridge tiles are attributed to the first centuries AD. Other finds: several fragments of channeled round-bottom amphorae (V-VII centuries), jar-amphorae with flat handles and irrigation basins.
The architectural reconstruction of the wineries ВК-2 and ВК-3 (architect N.P.Andrushchenko) showed that these complexes are identical and belong to the last quarter of the IVth century BC.
Discoveries also include walls of the room, from the upper layers of which the archaeologists extracted medieval material and items related to the Crimean War. The lower layer was burnt, full of ancient pottery. In the upper boundary of the burnt layer the archaeologists found a copper coin with a monogrammed “RO”, which is interpreted as an abbreviation of the name of the Byzantine Emperor Roman IV (1067-1071).