A Glass Skyphos with a Gold Frame of the 2nd – 1st Centuries BC from the Western Caucasus, the Collection of the State Historical Museum

The article is devoted to the publication of a glass skyphos in a gold frame, originating from looting excavations on the territory of the Western Caucasus. It was received by the State Historical Museum with the assistance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The article describes the manufacturing technology of such vessels and expands their distribution area, already outlined by researchers. The almost complete absence of such vessels in the ancient centers of the Northern Black Sea region, contrasted with their significant presence in nomadic burials from the Kuban basin dating to the 2nd – 1st centuries BC and from the Volga-Don interfluves during the first half of the 1st century AD, indicates that these vessels influxed into the region due to direct contacts between the Sarmatians and Asia Minor territories. The published skyphos, which according to the typology of Zasetskaya/Marchenko belongs to body shape type IIb and handle configuration variant 1, is dated to the end of the 2nd – first half of the 1st century BC. It apparently came to the region as a war trophy or a diplomatic gift from Mithridates to one of the local leaders for participating in the war against Rome. The skyphos is made of natron glass of Eastern Mediterranean origin (possibly the Syro-Palestinian region or the island of Rhodes). The frame of the skyphos is made mainly of native gold but much later than the glass vessel itself, possibly in the first centuries AD. However, the high probability of a high-quality modern fake using parts of actual ancient jewelry cannot be ruled out.