Excavations of the necropolis of Phanagoria

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Photos

  • Раскопки некрополя Фанагория. Photo 1
  • Раскопки некрополя Фанагория. Photo 2
  • Раскопки некрополя Фанагория. Photo 3

Description

Phanagoria, located on the territory of the Asian Bosporus, impresses with its large historical necropolis, surrounding the city on three sides. This necropolis, which is the largest in the region, is divided into three main parts: Eastern, Western and Southern.

The eastern part begins at the city walls and extends along the coast of the Taman Bay and ancient roads for up to three kilometers. There were mounds here, some of which are located on flat plateaus, and some on hilly natural hills. Most of them are now practically invisible on the surface.

The Western Necropolis also extends along the sea coast, about three kilometers, to the village of Primorsky. Like the Eastern one, it consists of several chains of mounds located along old roads. Some of them are located on the salt marsh.

The southern necropolis extends south of the city along an ancient road for approximately three kilometers from the city walls. This part of the necropolis is often called the “Alley of Mounds”. All of these areas of the Phanagoria necropolis, as well as the space between the mounds, often called the "ground necropolis", are important archaeological sites.

Thousands of artifacts have been discovered in the necropolis of Phanagoria, among which rare items such as weapons are given out. Most of the swords and daggers found were found in robbed ancient burials and are in a poor state of preservation. Nevertheless, they are important evidence of the interaction between Hellenic and barbarian cultures.

Weapons are also found in burial complexes of the late antique era. An important discovery was a long, massive sword discovered in a robbed crypt in 2010. Its location at the entrance to the chamber indicates a possible protective function.

Finds in crypts from the 4th–5th centuries AD. include details of a belt set made of gold and silver, which indicates the diversity of crafts and trade figures in Phanagoria. Study of the mound has revealed its complex structure and history, including a central burial for one person in a sarcophagus, as well as ancient stone tombs.

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