Abstract
This paper publishes a fourth-century AD burial assemblage from the Necropolis of Opushki located about 15 km east of modern Simferopol, in the centre of Crimean foothill area. This necropolis’ excavation has been being conducted, with intervals, since 2003. During this period, 318 graves of different types have been uncovered (vaults, shaft-and-chambers graves, slabbed graves, underground graves and stone box). Judging by excavated sites, the necropolis was continuously used from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. Among the researched burial constructions, there are vaults typical for the Late Scythian period, burials attributed to Middle and Late Sarmatian cultures, vaults the construction of which indicates to appearance of ancestors of the Alans from the Northern Caucasus, and the cremations by German tradition. The construction, funeral rite, and grave goods of burial vault no. 287 meet with analogies among other synchronous sites in the foothill area of the Crimea. A glass beaker is of special interest, decorating with polished ovals (type Eggers 230). Such vessels have been discovered in many areas of North, Central and East Europe. For a long time, there was no common opinion regarding the time when Eggers 230 beakers appeared. Now one can state that vessel appeared in the second half of the 3rd century AD, though the main period of their use was the 4th century AD. So far, we know fi nds of six complete and fourth fragmented beakers of Eggers 230 type in the Crimean foothill area. Now this group can be enlarged with glass vessel with polished ovals from the Opushki Necropolis. Appearance of this glass beakers in the Crimea was possibly related to the intensifi cation of contacts between the population of the peninsula and the Germans, people of the Chernyakhov culture in particular in 4th century AD.
Keywords
Crimea, Late Rman period, Necropolis, Opushki, vault, glass vessel.
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