The new treasure of the beginning of the early iron age from the right bank of the don

The paper is devoted to the publication of new treasure’s items of the later pre-Scythian period found in the Podgorensky district of the Voronezh region and transferred for permanent storage to the funds of the Voronezh regional museum of local lore. The treasure consists of 10 bronze items (psalia, bracelet-like rings, horse harness plaques, socketed axe, ring) and 1 iron item (spearhead). These items can also be divided into two groups by the functional criterium - the elements of horse harness and weapons. The paper studies in detail the chronology of the items and the place of their production. The psalia, slotted plaques of horse harness and bracelet-like rings date from the Novocherkassk’s time; the spear dates from the Chernogorovka’s time; and the socketed axe dates from the Belozersk’s time. Following the conception of S.V. Makhortykh about the dating of the Novocherkassk complex, we make conclusion on the possible coexistence of all objects and date the treasure at the 8th century BC (approx. 714-700 BC). It’s been noted that this treasure is time-synchronous to the majority of burials and random finds of the later pre-Scythian period from the territory of the Don region. Based on the correlation analysis of open antiquities with materials of the known later pre-Scythian complexes, the conclusion has been made about the cultural belonging of the ethnos that left the treasure. Probably, they were Cimmerians of ancient authors. Special attention is paid to the Cimmerian issue in Russian and Ukrainian archaeological studies. We find it possible to preserve the ethnonym ‘Cimmerians’ for nominating the most ancient nomads of the Northern Black Sea Coast or some of their groups.