Layouts of settlements in Northwestern Crimea in the second half of I c. bc – first quarter of I c. ad

The paper is one in a series exploring the layout of late Scythian settlements in northwestern Crimea. It is aimed to identify key characteristics of late Scythian buildings in the region, test the working hypothesis on continuity of layouts throughout the entire ‘late Scythian’ period, and compare the look of settlements in northwestern Crimea with that of contemporaneous sites in the neighboring regions. This paper focuses on settlement layout in the second half of the 1st century BC – first quarter of the 1st century AD. Settlements of that period reached peak in their development. Settlements reached maximum size, with trading quarters (suburbs) appearing around fortified settlements. The layout of a settlement appears to follow a regular pattern. Housing units are buildings with many rooms constructed in residential quarters. Settlement development is characterized by use of Greek constructions. Early in the period settlements were fortified with various defensive structures which lost their importance partly or completely.