Abstract
The article discusses the main findings in the studies of the chora of Chersonesus Taurica with regard to Strabo’s “ancient Chersonesus”. It is argued that this site was a phrourion of the polis of Chersonesus. The article describes maps of the Heracleian Peninsula made in 1786; the map according to Clarke and Dubois de Montperreux published by Neumann; materials of Kościuszko-Waluszyński and Berthier-Delagarde; map and plan made by N.M. Pechenkin; studies by A.N. Shcheglov. The main conclusion is that the land division of the Mayachny and Heracleian Peninsulas does not spread onto the isthmus of the Mayachny Peninsula, where the phrourion, i.e. the “ancient Chersonesus” was located. The isthmus was not used as an agricultural area, its main purpose was fortification-related. The elevated (southern) part of the phrourion is explained as an acropolis (in this regard we follow Pechenkin and Shcheglov); there a temple was situated. This temple was built next to the western fortification wall and was excavated by Kościuszko-Waluszyński. The lower (central and northern) part was probably an industrial and residential area. The phrourion was therefore divided into two zones; reliable evidence of division into more parts is not available. The status of “ancient Chersonesus” was probably unclear in Strabo’s time. He does not characterize it as a city or a stronghold. This may be due to the fact that when the adjacent territories of the Heracleian and Mayachny Peninsulas were divided and built over, the fortification structures on the isthmus became unnecessary, because of which they were decrepit or dismantled a long time before Strabo. This may explain why he describes them as παλαιά and κατεσκαμμένη.
Keywords
Strabo’s Chersonesus, archaeological maps, polis, chora, phrourion.
Angelina A. Zedgenidze
National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Moscow, Russia
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