Материалы по археологии и истории античного и средневекового Причерноморья @maiask
Статьи журнала - Материалы по археологии и истории античного и средневекового Причерноморья
Все статьи: 447
Статья научная
The article is devoted to the scientific systematization and digital inventory of Turkic-period stone sculptures discovered in the Jetisu and Saryarka (Kazakhstan). It examines their landscape localization, as well as the iconographic and semantic characteristics of these monuments. The authors propose a methodological model for a unified digital registry, incorporating geographic coordinates, typology, dimensions, iconography, archaeological context, and the preservation of each object. A structured data scheme has been developed with fields for comprehensive documentation attributes, including: monument name, discoverer or expedition, administrative location (region, district), year of discovery, precise coordinates, sculpture dimensions, typology, iconographic elements (presence of vessels, weapons, ornaments, clothing elements), connections with other components of the memorial complex (enclosures, burial mounds, stone sculptures, balbals), chronology, and references to publications. This systematic approach allows data to be standardized, facilitating creation of cartographic visualizations and conducting a typological and chronological comparative analyses of the monuments. GIS modeling has revealed spatial patterns: the majority of sculptures are concentrated at the foot of mountains and in river valleys, and nearly all figures are oriented east ward. The proposed digital registry contributes to the preservation of cultural heritage and promotes interdisciplinary research. It can be integrated into national and international monument registries, employed for visualization (interactive maps, virtual museums) and support the development of conservation measures. This work is essential for the further Turkic era, the sacred geography of the region and the reconstruction of the social and religious practices of ancient Turkic communities.
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Статья научная
Syrian and Armenian influence has been felt in the Old Bulgarian culture by different scholars, such as archaeologists and architecture historians as well as historians of the earliest Bulgarian writing and manuscripts. Some of them, looking for a possible source of this influence, pointed to resettling a large Syrian and Armenian population from the former Roman Armenia's lands in the Caliphate to northern Macedonia in the 750s. An exhaustive overview of the literary sources related to this resettlement (in Greek, Syriac, Arabic, and Armenian) demonstrates that took place a translatio urbis of Theodosiopolis/Karin (modern Erzurum) together with a great part of Christian population of the Great Armenia and Melitene. The immigrants created new cities where preserved and developed their local cults, including the famous cult of the Fifteen Martyrs of Theodosiopolis/Strumica.
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Tayk in the 16th–17th centuries: demographic and religious transformation of the Armenian population
Статья научная
This study examines the demographic and religious transformations that occurred among the Armenian population in the historical province of Tayk in the 16th and 17th centuries. Utilizing primary sources and Ottoman tax registers, it provides a detailed analysis of population dynamics, the complex structure of both rural and urban households, and shifts in the ethno-confessional landscape under conditions of sustained political and military pressure. The evidence indicates that Tayk underwent a profound demographic crisis in this period, marked by a sharp decline in total population, the depopulation of numerous villages, and the growing influence of Muslim settlers. These events were accompanied by deep religious change, culminating in the gradual Islamization of part of the Armenian population and the transformation of the Christian majority into a minority. The factors that led to these processes, including wars, resettlements and the tax policy of the Ottoman Empire, have been studied.
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Статья научная
The subject of this study is a sarcophagus discovered during illegal excavations in the village of Alkayaoglu (Elbistan District) and subsequently transferred to the Elbistan City Museum following a report by the local gendarmerie. Carved from local limestone, the sarcophagus represents a hand-crafted provincial type reflecting regional features of funerary sculpture. In terms of morphology and ornamental design, it closely parallels sarcophagi from Olba in the region of Cilicia and is dated to the Roman Imperial period. Archaeological excavations are currently being conducted in Elbistan at the Kece Cave, Kayahoyuk, and Hamzatepe sites; however, no systematic research has yet been undertaken in Alkayaoglu village, where the sarcophagus was found. As in many areas of Kahramanmaraş Province, this territory possesses considerable potential for future archaeological investigation. Each new discovery contributes to expanding the source base and refining the historical and cultural profile of the region.
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The coins of Central Building A at Anemurium
Статья научная
Located in the center of Anemurium, one of the port cities of the Cilicia Trakheia Region, the structure known as “Central Building A” due to its complex use for various purposes, presents a characteristic example of the residential-workshop function buildings of the city from the Late Roman and Early Byzantine periods. The documentation of residential-workshop type buildings with similar plan features in other areas of the city indicates that production and daily life were integrated in the same regions of Anemurium. Archaeological and numismatic data documented by excavations in 2023 show that the building was built in the late 4th century CE and remained in use until at least the late 7th century CE. The coins uncovered during the excavations play a crucial role in clarifying both the construction process and the phases of use of the building. In addition, the abundance of examples from the reigns of Heraclius and Constans II suggests that the building’s abandonment may have been directly related to the Sasanian and Arab raids that affected the Eastern Mediterranean. In conclusion, the numismatic findings from Central Building A are highly significant not only for presenting information about the building’s phases of use but also for providing new data on the impact of the Sasanian and Arab raids that were influential in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 7th century CE on Cilicia and Anemurium.
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Статья научная
Amisos, situated in the Pontic region of northern Anatolia, was one of the most significant ancient urban centers of the Black Sea basin. Owing to its strategic position on the southern coast of the Black Sea, the city maintained continuous commercial, cultural, and religious interactions with both Anatolian inland communities and the wider Pontic world throughout antiquity. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that the territory corresponding to modern Samsun witnessed uninterrupted settlement from prehistoric periods onward, gradually developing into an important harbor city and regional center of exchange. Within this historical and cultural framework, the cult of Aphrodite occupied a noteworthy position in the religious life of the region. Aphrodite, identified with Venus in the Roman period as the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and desire, was represented through numerous coroplastic productions distributed across the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Among these productions, terracotta figurines constitute one of the most significant categories of archaeological material reflecting both domestic religious practices and broader cultic traditions. The Samsun Archaeology and Ethnography Museum preserves a considerable group of Aphrodite figurines acquired through purchases from various locations within the provincial boundaries of Samsun. These artifacts provide important evidence for understanding the diffusion, reception, and local adaptation of Aphrodite imagery within the Black Sea cultural sphere. This study presents a comprehensive examination of the Aphrodite figurines housed in the Samsun Archaeology and Ethnography Museum. The figurines are analyzed typologically, stylistically, and iconographically, while comparable examples from different Black Sea centers are evaluated in order to contextualize their cultural and religious significance. Particular attention is given to the role of these terracotta representations within the religious networks of the Pontic world and to their contribution to the understanding of regional cult practices and artistic interaction in antiquity.
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The cultures of the early iron age in China as a part of the Scythian world
Статья научная
Based on archaeological and written sources, the authors characterizes the two ethno cultural regions of the 9th - 3rd centuries BCE that developed in the east of the Scythian world - in Xinjiang and North China. In the 9th - 8th centuries BCE there, in local cultures of transitional appearance, burial complexes with “Scythian triad” individual elements in the Animal style in a horse bridle are recorded. It is obvious that both of these areas were the early Scythian cultures formation centers like the center in Tyva. At the same time, according to all sources, the Animal style was brought to the China territory from Mongolia. Due to natural factors, in these areas up to the 2nd century BCE Scythian cultures developed almost in isolation from each other in contact with the adjacent Kazakhstan, Southern Siberia and Mongolia regions. In the second half of the 4th century BCE the northern part of Xinjiang (including the Tien Shan) get closed culturally with Pazyryk culture of Altai, and then to the Sakas and Wusuns of Kazakhstan. At this time the North China cultures were in close contact with South Siberia population. At the same time, some Scythian-like features were preserved in them until 3rd - 2nd centuries BCE, even after the Han and Xiongnu empires formation at the end of the 3rd century BCE.
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The image of antelope (saiga) in the early iron age art of Kazakhstan
Статья научная
The aim of the study was to analyze images of antelope, specifically Saiga tatarica , among Early Iron Age artworks in Kazakhstan. The research is based on archaeological record from the so-called ‘Zhalauly hoard’, as well as from Taldy-2, Tasmola-5, Baike-2, Tagisken, and Issyk barrows to mention but a few. Antelope-shaped motifs appear on artifacts such as headdress, belt, bone case, weapons, and horse harness. It is Saryarka, the most spacious region of Kazakhstan, which provides the biggest sample of antelope representations. The widespread occurrence of saiga images lasted from the 8th to 5th century BCE, with some cases, like Issyk and Tasaryk, dating back to the 4th century BCE.
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The impact of the Crimean question on Georgian–Russian relations (1783–1784)
Статья научная
This paper considers the reasons for drafting an additional article to the Treaty of Georgievsk, which concerns the issue of consecrating Georgian monarchs as kings. As it is evidenced from archive materials, in May-June 1783, King Erekle II of Kartl-Kakheti (Eastern Georgia) suspended the process of signing the Russian-Georgian agreement for almost a month and a half. He gave his consent to formalize the treaty at the end of June, although at the same time, he requested that the right of coronation of Georgian monarchs be reflected in the treaty. Prior to signing the treaty, Georgian ambassadors also made the same proposal, but it was turned down by Russia. Erekle II soon sent his representative to the imperial court and again insisted on having his conditions taken into consideration. The Russian empress finally approved the Georgian king’s proposition in September 1783.Erekle II’s appeals make it clear that he linked the right to the coronation of the king in the treaty with the factor of the inviolability of the existence of the kingdom. With this request, he wanted to receive an additional guarantee from the empire that his kingdom would not be abolished in the future. Such a proposition has never been made by the king of Georgia. In our opinion, the developments taking place in the Crimean Khanate had an impact on Erekle II’s cautious policy. He put forward this new demand at a time when the news about the annexation of Crimea was widely spread.
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The import of gun barrels and their price in Georgia in 17th - 18th cc.
Статья научная
Firearms were manufactured in Georgia from the 17th-18th centuries, as a result of which they were widespread among the population. In the 17th and especially the 18th centuries, Georgians, in large part, used firearms. In addition, the products manufactured in Tbilisi were distributed to neighboring countries. Flintlock rifles had three main components: the gun barrel, the flintlock and the stock. According to sources, in Tbilisi, shock-flint locks and butts were produced locally. When it comes to gun barrels, the picture is different. Typically, imported weapons barrels from Crimea were used to manufacture firearms in Tbilisi and the rest of Georgia. It is because of the Crimean barrels in Georgia that the most common name for firearms was "Kirimi" / "Hirimi". The Weapon Fund of Ethnology and Modern History of the National Museum of Georgia (Museum of Georgia named after Simon Janashia) contains hundreds of rifles with weapon barrels imported from Crimea. The import of gun barrels was well documented in the Georgian tax tariff, which allowed scientists to determine the prices of weapons at the time.
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Статья научная
The current migration routes may represent an excellent record while studying nomadic populations in the past. And although we can only extrapolate the current situation or the results of comparative studies to the past without equating them, migration routes may be used as research contexts of high reliability. The slopes of Sabalan Mountain in the northwest of Iran is among principal summer pastures used by the herders of the Shahseven tribes. Here, the vast majority of Iron Age sites are cemeteries not associated with settlements, so in the past the area was used by the nomads for their summer camps. During the research of migration routes of the modern-day Shahseven leading to the summer pastures, multiple Iron Age cemeteries, as well as fortified settlements and campsites, were discovered. In large-scale field investigations, archaeological sites were thoroughly surveyed to locate them in relation to current migration routes and to verify possible relationship between them. In the research area, sites were studied both by number and by categories, and the sought-for relationship has been established. It is obvious that the sites are concentrated along migration routes. Both on the mountain slopes and adjacent plains, traces of ten pathways of primary and secondary importance were recovered, and Iron Age sites are found throughout along them. Hence, some modern migration routes appeared to have been in use during the Iron Age, although the traditional ancient pathways may not have been entirely the same as modern ones.
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The issue of Georgian captives in the Crimea in the 18th century
Статья научная
Dagestani mountaineers were engaged in kidnapping people from eastern Georgia throughout the 16th - 18th сenturies. Part of the population kidnapped by the Dagestani mountaineers was dispatched to Istanbul by Turk merchants and part was transported to the North Caucasus, but most often, to the Crimea. In the course of time, the number of Georgian captives for slavery in the Crimea reached several thousand. According to King of Kartl-Kakheti Erekle II, in the 70s of the 18th century, their number made 32 thousand. After the end of the Russo-Ottoman war of 1768-1774, Georgian captives gained their freedom. At the end of 1771, Erekle II sent his envoys to Russia. One of the purposes of this mission was to settle the question of Georgian captives liberated in Crimea. Thanks to direct involvement of King Erekle II and Georgian diplomats, a significant part of Georgian captives managed to return to their homeland. Some of them stayed in Russia that was in the interests of the Russian state. The data on the captives who returned from Crimea to their homeland are reflected in Georgian historical documents.
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Статья научная
The rock art site of Durdana in Kyrgyzstan (Bakaiyr, Talas Region) was discovered in May 2024 and prospected in June and July 2024. A systematic prospection of the site permitted the documentation of 593 petroglyphs but also of two Sogdian inscriptions. 45% of the engravings are dated back to the Medieval period, some of them of very small dimensions and executed by thin lines in the so-called “graffiti” technic. Furthermore, ten tamgas corresponding to eight different types were discovered, seven medieval and three from the 18th -19th centuries. Among these tamgas, three types were documented for the first time in the Talas Region. After a brief presentation of the petroglyphs of every period, the paper will focus on the Sogdian inscriptions and on the tamgas. The two late Sogdian inscriptions belong to the group of the Turko-Sogdian vertical rock inscriptions and can be dated between the 9 th and the early 11 th century with the presence of the Uyghur letter l. The main value of the inscriptions of Durdana is the presence of the title sarθang within the social or military stratification of the Turko-Sogdian milieux.
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The political heartland of Chagatai khan in Zhetysu
Статья научная
The article examines the history of Zhetysu, during the period when this historical region was part of the Chagatai’s ulus. Special attention is paid to the Kegen-Narynkol district, which was the political center of this Ulus. The historical significance of this region is insufficiently covered in historical research. Kegen-Narynkol district is considered the seasonal political center of Chagatai and his descendants, their summer pastures were located here. It also describes the artificial ponds (reservoirs) preserved to this day in the Kegen-Narynkol steppes, the construction of which is associated with the rulers of the Chagatai Ulus. At the end of the article, the political situation in Kegen-Narynkol during the existence of the Kazakh Khanate under the rule of Yesim and Zhangir, as well as the general history of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz peoples, is investigated. The article uses information from written sources, as well as historical legends, pedigrees preserved by the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz.
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The role of Henry Martyn, a Christian priest, in confronting Iranian Shiite clerics
Статья научная
Henry Martyn (1781-1812), an English priest, during his tenure in India, decided to introduce Christianity not only among the Hinduists, but also among the Arabs and Persians, so he began translating the New Testament into Arabic and Persian to this end. In 1811, being a little familiar with Persian language and literature, he came to Iran and showed his translation to Iranian scholars who found it rather childish. Martyn resumed translating and had another trip to Shiraz to improve his Persian language skills. While in Shiraz, he confronted and challenged the Shiite clerics. His intention was to propagate Christianity, and he thus aimed more to invite and challenge the youth. Meanwhile, several treatises were written in response to his questions and doubts about Islam, and he also tried to refute these treatises in due course. The research was based on the archival record, and its main goal was to reveal and interpret the content of the messages of the Shiite clerics in response to Martyn's judgments as well as the content of Martyn's own responses to them. It turns out that during these religious debates and the opinion exchange between Islamic treatises and Martyn's writings, the missioner's utterances became less and less valuable to the Iranians, and especially to those who accepted his views, but he did not give up until Mohammad Reza Ibn Mohammad Amin Hamedani wrote the treatise “Guidance of the Misguided” to dispel Martyn's doubts. This treatise was the culmination of Martyn's anti-Islamic rhetoric in Iran. Failing to fulfill his religious mission, he left Iran without achieving his main goal of meeting Fath Ali Shah and Abbas Mirza to present the Persian version of the New Testament to them with his own hands, and soon after, on his way back home, he died in Turkey.
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Статья научная
In 451, after the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon, Chalcedonism spread in Armenia, especially in Tayk. With its spread, Georgian penetrated there having an impact on the historic and cultural life and the ethnic image of the region. A part of the Armenians, breaking away from the Armenian Church, became Georgian-speaking. The study aims to analyze the process and the ethno-religious environment resulted from the impact of the new confession. In Tayk, a bishop’s seat was founded as early as the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator, and it continued to be a diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is testified by the fact that the names of the bishops of Tayk have been remembered at church meetings etc. until the 9th - 10th centuries. Chalcedonism and Georgian writing and literature rooted in the region as late as the 9th - 10th centuries, when the Bagratunis, the local ruling elite, accepted the Chalcedonian confession. As a result, the population of Tayk and their rulers were called ‘Georgians’ or ‘Iberians’ in both Armenian and foreign records. In Tayk, even church ceremonies were performed in Georgian, though Armenian was also used.
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The stone-cutting tradition of Saryarka and the cultural continuity of stone sculptures
Статья научная
This article presents a detailed analysis of a complex of stone sculptures dating to the Early Iron Age discovered in the Saryarka region. The morphological and iconographic features of the sculptures are described using newly obtained archaeological data, while the context of their placement and the cultural and chronological scope of the finds are also clarified. Two main groups have been identified according to the manner in which the stone statues were installed: sculptures directly associated with funerary monuments, and those used for ritual purposes. The results of radiocarbon dating and typological studies date these sculptures to the 8th-5th centuries BCE. This artistic style is distinguished by simplicity, symbolic precision, and the presence of iconographic details such as the “topknot” (kaz. aidar ). It is further noted that the tradition of stone carving originated in the Late Bronze Age and continued into the Kipchak period. The research highlights the continuity of the artistic tradition that developed in the Saryarka within the Tasmola cultural horizon (8th-5th centuries BCE) as a distinctive regional phenomenon, identifying stone carving as an indigenous cultural trend. The stone sculptures of Saryarka, characteristic of the Saka period, represent not only an element of funerary rites but also a complex cultural and ideological phenomenon that reflects the social structure, religious worldview, and artistic ideals of early society.
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Статья научная
The study of Hebrew inscriptions from Çufut-Qal‘eh is a central topic of Hebrew epigraphy in Russia. For a long time, the central controversial question was whether Jews or Karaites could live in the Crimean castle cities, such as Çufut-Qal‘eh and Mangup, before the Tatar invasion of the 1230s. The almost two-century long study of the inscriptions included the analysis of chronological systems, naming patterns, lexical content, comparison with historical sources, archival data, statistical, topographical and architectural analysis, as well as many other approaches. Studying the structure of the inscriptions and viewing Hebrew epitaphs as a literary genre can provide additional insights on the attitudes towards life and death reflected in these inscriptions.
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Статья научная
The article is devoted to the study, restoration, and reconstruction of a poplar box originating from kurgan No. 13 of the Urysay-2 burial site. This box contained a set of ritual objects associated with a female “priestess”. The box was positioned behind the head of the deceased and was a low, square container with straight sides and a separate flat lid. The specific set of objects found in the box included a mirror, a cedar block, a “spoon” with traces of paint, a small organic vessel (leather? felt?), and silk fabric, supplemented by a small stone altar and a set of tools found nearby. During fieldwork, the box was removed in one block. Subsequently, an MRI scan was performed; a comprehensive set of procedures was conducted to identify the material of the finds, their physicochemical composition, conservation, and restoration; a 3D reconstruction of the box and the items was carried out.
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Статья научная
Three Greek inscriptions found in Mtskheta reveal interesting information about Ancient Iberian royal court. However, identification of each of the persons, especially the king, is quite problematic. Still, there are some possibilities to deal. King of Iberia is mentioned in all three inscriptions, one of them reveals his name fully, another one partially, while king’s name is lost in the third one, however, one passage may still give us some hints about his identity or at least about Roman aspirations of Iberian court. Queen Dracontis is known only from one inscription. As for the royal official - commander in-chief and the only minister of Iberian king Anagranes, he is mentioned in all three inscriptions, being himself the sponsor of all the constructions. The paper focuses more on the issue of identification of King Amazasp mentioned in these inscriptions and some other issues connected with the major topic.
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