Archaeologia Polona

Book Review: Olena Fialko, Amazons: Myths and Reality, 2023. Kyiv: Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 434 p., ill. [in Ukrainian: Олена Фіалко, Амазонки: міф або реальність, Київ: Інститут археології Національної академії наук України, 2023, 434 с., іл.], ISBN 978-617-7810-35-2

Evelina Kravchenko — 2024-12-17

The Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has published Olena Fialko’s book Amazons: Myths and Reality. Actually, it is a publication of the author’s thesis for the degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences, which she successfully defended in 2020 at the Institute in Kyiv.

Book Review: Matthew J. Walsh, Sean O’Neill and Lasse Sørensen (eds), In the Darkest of Days. Exploring Human Sacrifice and Value in Southern Scandinavian Prehistory. 2024, Oxford and Philadelphia: Oxbow Books, 144 pp., 41 plates

Piotr Włodarczak — 2024-12-17

The titular darkest of days is a moment that inevitably affects every society from the Stone Age to the present. Then comes the time for desperate behaviour. It is also a time for sacrifices, including of humans. The subject of human sacrifices is closely linked to Scandinavian archaeology – considering the spectacular finds from the bogs. In recent years, studies on them have been conducted as part of the project “Human Sacrifice and Value: The Limits of Sacred Violence”, financed by the Norwegian Research Council. The project manager was Rane Willerslev, the author of the foreword to the presented book. An essential part of this publication are papers presented at a National Museum of Denmark conference in 2018.

Archaeology and Commerce: Olbia Dolphins on the Global Antiquities Market

Paul Barford — 2024-12-17

The original promise of the internet was that it could have served as a tool whereby the general public could access, a single mouse-click away, unlimited amounts of reliable open access archaeological information supplied by academia or the museum world. This vision is in practice frustrated by the current form of that resource. Since changes that started taking place from 2015, the internet has increasingly been developing primarily as a commercial tool of modern capitalist trade. The casual searcher for information on a large range of archaeological phenomena will therefore primarily be faced with page after page of adverts offering examples of archaeological artefacts for sale and texts about their private collection.

The 4th European Conference “Europa Postmediaevalis 2024: Patterns and Inspirations”, Warsaw, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of Sciences, Faculty of Archaeology Warsaw University, 23-25.04.2024

Magdalena Bis — 2024-12-17

An report on this year's "Europa Postmediaevalis 2024: Patterns & Inspirations" conference on post-medieval and modern ceramics, held in Warsaw in April 2024. The conference was the fourth in a series of meetings organised in various European countries in the last six years under the common title Europa Postmediaevalis (2018 in Prague, 2020 – cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 in Coimbra), on the initiative of the international association ‘Europa Postmediaevalis Research Group’ (see: https://www.europapostmed.eu/en/).

Editorial

Alfred Twardecki — 2024-12-17

We are presenting to readers a volume of Archaeologia Polona containing a collection of articles resulting from excavations conducted by a Ukrainian-Polish team in the years 2018–2021 in the ancient centre of Olbia Pontica on the north coast of the Black Sea. The excavations were a joint initiative of both the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of Sciences. The aim of this volume is to present the results of the recent archaeological campaign led by prof. Dr. Alla Buiskykh and Dr. Alfred Twardecki in the broader context of our knowledge about the areas neighbouring Olbia.

Ceramic Complex of the Post-Antiquity Horizon of Trench R-23 of Olbia (based on material from excavations from 2016–2018, 2021)

Serhii Didenko — 2024-12-17

The excavations in 2016–2018 and 2021 in the southeastern part of the Olbia citadel (Trench R-23), carried out within the Ukrainian–Polish project of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Museum of Warsaw, and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, revealed interesting contexts related to the latest horizon of this site. The ceramic complex of this horizon includes fragments of amphorae, red-slip wares, wheel-thrown greyware pottery and handmade pottery from the 4th to the first half of the 5th centuries. These categories of material are most characteristic of the sites of the Cherniakhiv culture of the North-Western Black Sea region.

Glassware from the Excavations at the Sector R-23 of Pontic Olbia

Olga Puklina — 2024-12-17

As part of research on site R-23 of the Roman citadel of Olbia in 2016–2018 and 2021, more than 100 fragments of glass vessels of Roman and Late Roman times have been found. The article analyses the most informative forms and also considers the technological methods for manufacturing vessels. The finds are divided into two chronological groups. The first group are the tableware of the Roman time (1st – the middle of the 3rd centuries), the second group includes vessels of the period of Late Antiquity (4th–5th centuries), which can be correlated with the residential and utility complex of the culture discovered at this site.

Composite Antler Combs from Olbia Pontica

Alisa Semenova — 2024-12-17

In this paper, for the first time are presented the full selection of finds of antler composite combs with a single row of teeth from Olbia Pontica. All of them belong to the Cherniakhiv culture and are related to the time of the last settlement of the territory of the ancient city. From a typological point of view, all of them can be divided into two groups: combs with semicircular or trapezoidal handle and, slightly older than them, comb handles of a complex shape, which is based on a rectangle with a semicircular middle part.

Recent Finds of the Latest Lamps from Olbia

Iryna Sheiko — 2024-12-17

In the paper there are presented the chronologically latest ceramic lamps that have been found in the Olbia Pontica collection while studying the whole range of these devices from the end of the 7th century BC till the 5th century AD. The items considered here are mostly imported types and are dated to the middle of the 3rd–beginning of the 5th centuries AD. The study includes recently found lighting devices in the R-23 and R-25 excavation sectors in Olbia that are connected with the latest historical events at the settlement. A brief history of research, a catalogue of lamps and discussion of local and imported ceramic lamps are provided.

The Fortifications of the Late Scythian Settlement at Konsulivske

Marcin Matera — 2024-12-17

Konsulivske belongs to the group of Late Scythian hillforts located in the lower Dnipro area. Since 2015, a Ukrainian–Polish archaeological team has been carrying out the investigation of the site. The article presents the results of these studies focused on fortifications of the citadel and the main line of defence.

Roman Coins in the Northern Black Sea Littoral Region: the Cherniakhiv Culture Perspective

Kyrylo Myzgin — 2024-12-17

The article analyses the finds of Roman coins, and their imitations and copies found in the Cherniakhiv culture area in the Northern Black Sea Littoral region. There are several peculiarities of their distribution: the almost complete absence of hoards of Roman denarii or their copies and imitations; a small number of finds of antoniniani, Roman provincial coins, aurei, gold and gold-plated imitations and solidi; a considerable spread of single finds of Roman Imperial denarii and late Roman bronze issues, the presence of siliqua finds. All of these distinguish this region from other areas of the Cherniakhiv culture, which may be due to several different reasons.

Glass-production Workshop of the Hunnic Times Near Komariv on the Dnister River

Oleg Petrauskas — 2024-12-17

The article presents materials from the glass-production workshop of the Hunnic times found near Komariv on the middle Dnister, which was the only such workshop on the territory of European Barbaricum. In 2021, we investigated a buried structure, where remains of mostly semi-finished glass products, production waste, and finished vessels were found. Fragments of Cherniakhiv culture wheel-made pottery and hand-made vessels; Roman amphorae; coins; fibulae; a mirror; an arrowhead, etc. also come from the building. The nature of the glass finds indicates that the structure, dated to the mid-5th century AD, was associated with glass production. The workshop, built in the same period as a building on a stone foundation, could have formed a single complex. The finds and the object’s dating are evidence that glass processing was practiced also in the Hunnic times in the Cherniakhiv culture.

Tyras in Late Antiquity

Oleh Saveliev — 2024-12-17

The article presents materials related to the existence of Tyras in the late Roman period. Based on the available data, it is assumed that there were two phases in the existence of the city in Late Antiquity. In the first phase (second half of the 3rd to the third quarter of the 4th century AD), life in the city was restored after the barbarian raids. The Goths became the main military and political force in the steppe area of the Northwestern Black Sea region. Tyras was still receiving imported goods. However, its life was completely included in the orbit of barbarian interests. Cherniakhiv-tradition artefacts appeared in their material culture. Tyras was also receiving imported goods from Asia Minor, the Bosporus, Greece, and the Danube region. Amphoras of the Gaza type were imported in small quantities. In the second phase (last quarter of the 4th to the beginning of the 5th century AD), Tyras was still inhabited by the people who had not left the city during the Hun invasion. A few dishes of the Late Roman C / Phocaean Red Slip Ware group were delivered there, and glass dishes of Middle Eastern production and lamps with Christian symbols were used. Eastern imperial coins were in circulation. It is not known how the relations of the inhabitants of Tyras with the Huns developed. Obviously, the population was small and soon left the city forever.

Building Activity in Olbia in the Late Roman Time

Alla Buiskykh — 2024-12-17

This paper is devoted to the publication of two newly excavated building structures consisting of underground and ground constructions that are attributed to the latest period of Olbia’s existence. Archaeological artefacts found inside them are presented, including trading amphoras and ceramic pottery that are diagnostic for the final stage of the Cherniakhiv culture dating the last third of the 4th – the first quarter of 5th century AD. Separate attention is paid to a speculative idea about the fortified city, settled by Goths on the territory of the former Roman fortress of Olbia. The results of the recent archaeological excavations give the possibility of refuting this idea. The urban structure of the latest period, its status, and its spatial development are not yet clear and must be studied in depth.

The Last Period of the History of Olbia: the First Gothic Town

Boris Magomedov — 2024-12-17

Olbia’s archaeological materials show that after the departure of the Roman garrison and local residents, the city was briefly abandoned (270s – early 280s AD). Then a new barbarian population appeared. It had clear signs of the Cherniakhiv culture, the ethnic basis of which were the Germanic Goths. Probably, at the beginning the only interest of barbarians was the seaport. The last prosperity of the city occurred in the Hunnic period, and it came to the end together with the Cherniakhiv culture in the first third of the 5th century. Olbia was reborn as a small fortified city, a craft and trade centre. The Goths restored the Roman Citadel, as well as several forts on the borders of the former Olbian state. Perhaps here was the military-administrative centre of one of the early kingdoms, which arose after the collapse of the Ostrogothic “power of Ermanaric”, and was dependent on the Hun leaders.

The Dnipro Left Bank Forest-Steppe Region in the Hunnic Period

Roman M. Reida — 2024-12-17

The article deals with the ethno-cultural situation in the Dnipro Left Bank Forest-Steppe region during the Hunnic period based on a consideration of material from the sites discovered in this region, primarily burial sites, that contain finds from the last quarter of the 4th – the first half of the 5th century B.C.
The sites were divided into three groups: 1) burials of nomads with some elements of Cherniakhiv culture; 2) “syncretic” burials of the Cherniakhiv culture with nomadic elements; 3) sites of Cherniakhiv culture. The existence of these sites is caused by contacts between the nomadic world and the Cherniakhiv population, who may be classified as farmers. These active contacts demonstrate different degrees of incorporation of nomads into the Cherniakhiv environment.
The description of the burials that belong to these groups is presented in the article. Among them, burial 124 of the Shyshaky cemetery can be mentioned here. Due to the size of the grave and individual finds, this burial complex stands out among the sites of the Cherniakhiv culture and should be classified as belonging to the burials of princes.
Based on archaeological finds, it can be stated that the arrival of the Huns did not cause catastrophic consequences for the population of the Dnipro Left Bank Forest-Steppe region. At that time, it was not a decline, but a development of the culture of the nomads (the Alans) and also the settled population of the Cherniakhiv culture.

Olbia in the Hunnic Time. A Historical Perspective

Alfred Twardecki — 2024-12-17

In this paper, the author presents the historical background of the period of functioning of the site of Olbia in the Gothic and Hunnic periods. He presents the most important studies on the Goths and Huns in recent decades, reconstructs the course of the Gothic wars (third to sixth centuries) and analyses selected sagas of Germanic mythology. On the basis of this and using the results of the recent archaeological excavations, he formulates the thesis that Olbia, functioning in the Gothic period from the 3rd/4th centuries to the beginning of the 5th century AD, could have been an important administrative centre of pagan Goths who actively fought against their Christianized brethren. He also hypothesizes that it can be identified with the land of Oium (Olbium) and with the Árheimar á Danparstoeðum, the capital of Reiðgotaland, mentioned in the oldest Germanic sagas.

Lviv Classical Archaeology Before World War II

Natalia Bulyk — 2024-12-17

At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, Europe experienced a period of scientific advances in various fields. This is associated with the results of numerous surveys, discoveries, accidental finds, and scientific research, contributing to the appearance of scientific societies and new disciplines. In the field of history, the incredibly rich but little-known ancient architectural, archaeological, and written heritage attracted the attention of many researchers. This resulted in the collection of ancient antiquities, gradually forming a whole direction of scientific research – classical archaeology. The Department of Classical Archaeology and Prehistory of Lviv University (1905) became the main centre of the development of classical archaeology in Eastern Galicia (Eastern Halychyna, now – western Ukraine). The first classical archaeologist from Lviv was Professor Karol Hadaczek. After his tragic death and the beginning of World War I, the Department of Classical Archaeology and Prehistory was divided into two independent departments. Classical archaeology was headed by Edmund Bulanda, with whom the entire development of interwar Lviv classical archaeology is inseparably linked. E. Bulanda’s greatest legacy was his students (K. Michałowski, K. Majewski, I. Starchuk, E. Kulczycki), who, after the war, led entire areas of scientific research in Polish universities and made a significant contribution to the study and increasing public awareness of the classical heritage.

Under the Shadow of Conflict: Understanding the Belligerent Landscapes of the Kyiv Triangle

Oleksandra Ivanova — 2024-12-17

The article examines the defence system of the city of Kyiv in different historical periods, focusing on the territory of the immediate outskirts of Kyiv – the Kyiv triangle – the northern part of the Kyiv Plateau. From the moment the city of Kyiv was founded until the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war of the 21st century, the unique topography of the microregion was used to build the city’s defence systems. Today, in the region covered by this study, there are the remains of the ancient “Serpent Ramparts”, fortifications of hillforts and cities, the remains of Cossack, Polish and Moscovian forts, redoubts and outposts, pillboxes from the time of the Second World War, modern military fortifications. All these different types of archaeological monuments form a unique belligerent landscapes that require comprehensive research and protection.