In the Crimean mountains, archaeologists will study a large city of the late Scythians of the 2nd century BC. e.

Thanks to the support of the Russian Science Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute of Archeology of Crimea of ​​the Russian Academy of Sciences, we will explore new archaeological sites of Kubalach. One of them is located in the northwestern part of the mountain range. This is a large city with an adjacent settlement, its total area is larger than Scythian Naples on the territory of present-day Simferopol— said Shkriblyak.

According to her, traders were believed to live there and sell agricultural products, primarily grain, in exchange for handicraft goods.

Research of the Kubalach mountain range was carried out in 2015-2018 and 2021. Archaeologists have identified about 10 small and large settlements of the late Scythians. The settlements were founded in the 2nd century BC. e. and existed for 600 years, until the 4th century AD. e. It is possible that excavations of settlements can radically change ideas about the Scythian and Late Scythian periods of the history of the peninsula.

Ceramics from Italy

The largest settlement of Kubalacha is located on Mount Kara-Tau; the city was built on a terraced principle. The area ranges from 60 to 90 hectares. Fruit trees may have been planted on the terraces and houses were built.

Several levels of the settlement complex were opened. On the mountain itself there was a citadel with a defensive wall. Below is a settlement with a sanctuary, a necropolis with crypts, — Shkribljak reported.

Despite the fact that the archaeological sites in the vicinity of Kara-Tau were looted in the early 1990s, archaeologists were able to discover more than 5 thousand artifacts in the sanctuary alone: ​​bronze and iron brooches, beads, arrowheads, parts of boxes, fragments of terracotta masks, figurines and bronze mirror, incense burner, coins.

The most striking find, according to Shkribljak, was a fragmented terracotta mask depicting a man’s face with a narrow beard and curled mustache.

Residents of the city conducted a brisk trade, as evidenced by non-locally produced items, including large quantities of imports from ancient cities. There you can find amphora containers from the Black Sea coast, rare Roman glassware, and ceramic plates made in Italy with the marks of the masters.

source: TASS