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Excavation

  • Kara-Tobe
  • AR Krym, Saks`kyy rayon, misto Saky, misto Yevpatoriya, Muzey-zapovidnyk Kara-Tobe
  •  
  • Ukraine
  • Crimea
  • Yevpatoriiskyi Raion

Tools

Credits

  • The Italian Database is the result of a collaboration between:

    MIBAC (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Generale per i Beni Archeologici),

    ICCD (Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione) and

    AIAC (Associazione Internazionale di Archeologia Classica).

  • AIAC_logo logo

Summary (English)

  • In 2008 the expedition initiated by the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Federation continued investigation of Greek-Scythian hillfort of Kara-Tobe located in the western outskirts of Saki river in north-western Crimea. Excavations were conducted on two main areas: to the south and southwest of the Central Tower of the hillfort, and to the east and north-east of it.
    The overall area under investigation in 2008 was about 312 sq.meters.
    As a result of excavations held to the south and southwest of the Central Tower a southwestern corner of the outer wall of the Scythian citadel was fully unclosed, and archaeologists proceeded with investigating the structures which were adjacent to it internally. These structures included rooms which were revealed earlier (35, 51, 56), and a yard between the rooms 56 and 17, dated to the IInd construction period (Scythian). Here the archaeologists discovered early residential levels, attributed to the beginning of this period (horizon 2a, the second half of the Ist century BC.). The levels are marked by signs on the floor, while in the yard the levels can be traced by the remnants of initial pavement, which has poorly preserved. In the adjacent rooms 35 and 51 there are traces of heavy local fire which happened there in the late Ist century BC. There are not any distinctive finds in this layer. The work carried out southwest of the tower made it possible to identify more precisely and verify periods when this building was constructed.
    On the additionally uncovered space in southern areas of the site, particularly in the upper layers, some fragments of walls and stones dated to the IV-IIIrd construction periods were identified. Along the eastern premises of the Central Construction Complex, as they stretched to the south, the researchers partially excavated two round Scythian dugouts dated to the third quarter of the Ist century BC (the dugouts cross each other). Within one of them there is a rectangular projection; probably it served as an entrance.
    In the southern plot three new intake graves were revealed. They contained no funeral wares and are attributed to the Late Medieval graveyard which had been located here.
    To the east of the Central Tower archaeologists studied the floor within the room 60, as well as in the northern part – within the room 57. The rooms are related to different horizons of the Central Construction Complex (Ist construction period: late IInd – first third of the Ist century BC). There are many pits and dugouts covering this area. The northern part of the eastern facade of the Central Tower eastern wall was fully uncovered, and thus this wall was completely studied.
    On the newly uncovered areas located northeast of the Central Tower no traces of the northern wall of the Scythian citadel were found. In the north the citadel’s border is located further from the tower than from any other side. Moreover, on the newly uncovered area researchers partially excavated a new Scythian room 64, which is adjacent to the room 61 on the north. The occupation level of room 64 is marked by a clay floor and it is dated to the construction horizon 2b (first quarter of the Ist century). In one corner of the room there is a semicircular stone fence, in the center – a clay table, and near one of the walls – the body of a Sinop amphora, which was dug into earth. On another area, where excavations were carried to the northeast of the Central Tower, no stone construction remains were found. Apparently, they were completely dismantled in ancient times.
    Also, in 2008 on the territory of the hillfort 16 grain pits were investigated. They are attributed to different periods and their depth reached 2.5 m. Ceramic fragments dominated among finds. Of special interest are: three bronze wire bracelets, a bronze fibula (Middle-La Tène culture pattern), several iron and bronze arrows, including a two-blade arrow with a creeper, which accidently appeared to be here, and a large three-blade arrow, perhaps, from the catapult. Other finds are: a bronze coin (poorly preserved), four stamps on amphora handles, and a few blurry graffiti.

Director

  • Внуков Сергій Юрійович — доктор історичних наук, провідний науковий співробітник Інституту археології Російської академії наук / Serhii Yu. Vnukov — Doctor of History, Senior Scientific Worker of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Інститут археології Російської академії наук (Москва) / Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow)

Team

Research Body

  • Інститут археології Російської академії наук (Москва) / Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow)

Funding Body

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