Near Sevastopol, archaeologists have found “Scythian gold. How archaeological excavations are carried out During archaeological excavations in

Numerous gold and silver jewelry was discovered during excavations of a unique necropolis of the late Roman period.

During excavations at the Sevastopol site for the construction of the federal highway "Tavrida" near the village of Frontovoye, archaeologists of the Crimean new-building expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered a unique object - a burial ground untouched by modern marauders of the 2nd-4th centuries AD.

The necropolis located on the left bank of the Belbek River was named Front-3. The head of the expedition, Sergei Vnukov, emphasized that this find is a great success, because similar excavations of burial grounds in this region of Crimea were carried out only in the 50s – 70s of the XX century. But unlike the necropolis discovered in 2018, they have not been fully explored and have now been plundered.

“The Frontovoye-3 necropolis, discovered during the construction of the highway, has been completely preserved and therefore is of particular interest to scientists who have had the opportunity to study untouched burials at a modern scientific level.

The necropolis dates back to the 2nd – 4th centuries AD. He was at the junction of influences, on the one hand, Chersonesus, which was an outpost of the Roman Empire in the Crimea, and on the other, the so-called Crimean Scythia, a barbarian public education, which took shape in the II century BC and existed until the first half of the III century AD, ”said the head of the expedition.

Many earrings, necklaces, bracelets, glass vessels, buckles, and ceramics were found in early burials.

Among the finds, a gold thread and a teardrop-shaped pendant with a red insert and beaded edging stand out. Similar items were previously found in the necropolis of Chersonesos. Also stands out is the ring with the carnelian insert cut out. The scale on the ruler is 1 centimeter.

During excavations, scientists found that the necropolis was expanding to the south and east. Most of the graves, which date back to the second half of the 3rd century and the 4th century, are undercut (a well with a large grave pit). But among them there are also other burial structures - earthen graves with ledges on which they relied stone slabs or other overlaps. Most of the underground crypts date back to the 4th century. These are rectangular underground burial chambers with a narrow corridor-dromos with steps leading to the surface. The entrance to the cell was laid with a stone. Several people were buried in such crypts.

Burial, top view

In later burials, many weapons were found, including swords, pole arms, and fragments of shields. An ax was found in one of the graves.

Archaeologists have found vessels in the skulls. In some of them, the remains of the funeral food have been preserved.

Untouched burials allowed scientists to accurately reproduce the details of the funeral rite.

“So, in one of the crypts where an adult man was buried, there were several ceramic and one glass vessels lying near the skull, eggshells and bird bones were left in the bowl, a blade was lying at the right shoulder, probably from a polearm, on the left side at the feet - sword. A shield was leaned against the wall, from which the handle and umbon (an overlay on the central part) were preserved, ”Vnukov said.

Pontic red-lacquered dishes, glass jugs, many buckles and brooches (metal fasteners for clothes) were also found in later burials. Even now, the archaeologist notes, we can say that the collection of "Inkerman" fibulas from the excavations of Front-3 is one of the most expressive in terms of both the number of specimens and the number of different variants.

During the research of the necropolis, scientists use modern techniques- geomagnetic research (to search for iron objects and clarify the zone of distribution of burials) and photogrammetry (to create a three-dimensional model of burial complexes and refine them architectural features). Anthropological and osteological research is also carried out at the necropolis along with archaeological research. Samples were taken for radiocarbon analysis. All this allows you to obtain additional information and clarify the dating of the monument.

Now scientists are completing excavations in the southeastern site and continue research in the northwest, where earlier burials may be located. After the completion of the work, the site will be handed over to the builders, and the excavation materials will be transferred to the Chersonesos Museum-Reserve (Sevastopol).

“During the excavations, more than 200 graves were examined, where at least 300 burials were made. The burial ground is of exceptional interest for studying the culture of the barbarians - the closest neighbors of Chersonesos. The excavation of the Front-3 burial ground is a vivid example of the successful organization of rescue archaeological research at large new buildings in Crimea, evidence of a responsible attitude to preserving heritage in the implementation of large projects that create a new transport infrastructure, "Vnukov emphasized.

The scientist noted that the research, which began in the spring of 2017, has become the largest in the archaeological history of Crimea: an almost 300-kilometer section of the future route has been examined and more than 60 historical monuments have been discovered that go back 10 thousand years - from the Mesolithic era to the 19th century.

The artifacts found during excavations will make it possible to clarify the history of the Crimea of ​​the Roman period and to recreate many aspects of the culture of the population of the region of that time.

I am a student of history faculty, and we have such a practice - to go to archaeological excavations. Many people think that this is romance: nature, a fire, unique finds. Now I will try to open the curtain of secrecy.

We went in 2015 to the village of Borisovka, Belgorod region... There is Borisov settlement (Scythian, about 2.5 thousand years ago), about 200x300 in size.

Borisov settlement was found in 1948. Settlement 5-4 centuries BC had three lines of fortification, which protected its inhabitants from the raids of the Scythian nomads.
The first day of practice is the most difficult. It is necessary to put up tents, a kitchen, a "refrigerator", a host of tents:

It's a kitchen. According to rumors, one student did not want to either work out the practice, or did it badly, and her father cooked such a kitchen for us. There were three meals - at 7.30, at 14.30, at 19.00. The attendants (boy and girl) stay at the camp all day. Diet - cereals, stew, pasta, tea, cookies, condensed milk. The hardest thing is to melt it in the morning - it's damp outside and you want to sleep.

This is a utility tent. Dishes and food are stored in it. Not visible in the photo, but behind it there is a "refrigerator".

A "refrigerator" is a pit a few meters deep where perishable food is stored. Speaking of temperatures - in the daytime under the sun it reached 35 degrees, in the rains it dropped to 20-25.

I do not know what is the correct name for this tent. It weighs about 400 kg, the frame is metal. We collected it for several hours out of inexperience. It was planned that there would be a headquarters, but because of the heat, we used it to store tools, finds, and brought our belongings into it during the rain.

Now about the excavations themselves. We started to work at 8.00, finished at 14.00 (we were digging in the forest, and the heat was not so bad). Every hour - a break for 10 minutes to rest, and one break for 20 minutes - "second breakfast" - a sandwich with mayonnaise and saury:

In the early days, we dug and immediately recognized all the subtleties. Excavations are carried out in accordance with the documentation, we were taught to use the level.

A 5x5 square with a depth of 20-25 cm is dug (1 shovel bayonet). Then the layer is cleaned - an even, neat cut is made so that the "earth shines". Finds are being looked for in a heap of earth:

These are mainly ceramics and bones. The first days are indescribable delight, then it gets sick of it. But! All finds are added up and taken to the camp, where they are subsequently washed and sorted.

To make the earth "shine", cleaning is done with bare feet. in the second photo, because of the rains, the excavation was flooded (:. Two shovels are mainly used - a bayonet (for digging) and a sharp shovel "bison (for stripping).

Sometimes they stumbled upon hearths. They are dug out carefully with a small shovel under the supervision of a scientific hand. All layers are photographed and sketched, the foci too. Finds from the hearth - in a separate package.

The depth of our excavation was 50-90 cm, we are digging to the natural layer, i.e. to clay in our case.

We were on the dig for three weeks. One day off a week, Saturday was shortened. regarding the bathroom - we were lucky, and our camp was located on the territory of the reserve administration - washbasins 200 m away, shower, toilet. The second luck - we got to the excavation site by car through the village, on foot to the village - about 20 minutes. Fresh chicken was for lunch, if the duty officer was not lazy. And in general, stocks could be easily replenished.

"Subtleties":

1) At the end of the excavation, all the pits are covered with the same earth, as if we were not here.
2) During archaeological exploration, I found ceramics of the 18th century, and the patrons of the Second World War. Where found - there and left. These items will have their own excavations.

Finally, freshmen have a dedication. It is kept secret, but at the end I looked like this:

All the clothes had to be thrown away (yes, right down to the panties), and in a pool nearby they were washed for half an hour.

Whether it is worth going on an expedition is up to everyone to decide. If you are ready to be without communication, conveniences, to see the same faces all the time (there were 12 students in total) ... But by the way, decide for yourself.

But I'm glad that I have such an experience behind me)
Thanks to all!

The Japanese name for Japan, Nihon (日本), has two parts, ni (日) and hon (本), both of which are Chinese. The first word (日) in modern Chinese is pronounced rì and, as in Japanese, denotes "sun" (written in its ideogram). The second word (本) in modern Chinese is pronounced bӗn. Its original meaning is "root", and the ideogram that conveys it is the ideogram of the tree mù (木) with a dash added at the bottom denoting the root. From the meaning “root” the meaning “origin” developed, and it was in this meaning that it entered the name of Japan Nihon (日本) - “origin of the sun”> “land of the rising sun” (modern Chinese rì bӗn). In ancient Chinese, the word bӗn (本) also had the meaning of “scroll, book”. In modern Chinese, it has been supplanted in this sense by the word shū (書), but remains in it as a counting word for books. The Chinese word bӗn (本) has been borrowed into Japanese for both root, origin and scroll, book, and hon (本) means book in modern Japanese as well. The same Chinese word bӗn (本) in the meaning of “scroll, book” was also borrowed into the ancient Türkic language, where, after adding the Türkic suffix -ig to it, it acquired the form * küjnig. The Türks brought this word to Europe, where from the language of the Danube Türkic-speaking Bulgars in the form of K'nig it got into the language of the Slavic-speaking Bulgarians and through the Church Slavonic it spread to other Slavic languages, including Russian.

In this way, Russian word book and the Japanese word hon "book" have a common root of Chinese origin, and the same root appears as a second component in the Japanese name Nihon of Japan.

I hope everything is clear?)))

Among the main finds is a 100-year-old raisin cake, oldest man modern look, many skulls and gold, several drawings, two inscriptions, one sword and a cruiser.

The popular scientific journal Archeology (published by the Archaeological Institute of America) has published its annual list of the main finds of the outgoing year. Science and Life traditionally supplements this rating with the most important Russian discoveries.

I. Skulls of the "Pot-bellied Hill".
Göbekli Tepe ("Pot-bellied Hill") is not only one of the most famous archaeological sites, but also one of the most mysterious. 10-12 thousand years ago, the inhabitants of Anatolia (modern Turkey) built there ring structures from large stones. In these buildings, they were collected for some kind of religious or social needs.

Fragment of a skull from Göbekli Tepe. Photo: Julia Gresky/ Archeology.

In the past year, researchers found that in ancient times, human skulls were suspended in such structures. Fragments found during excavations refer to skulls three people... They were separated after death, cut in a special way, engraved on them, they were painted. There is (forgive the involuntary pun) some kind of ritual unknown to us. But whose skulls deserved such attention - especially revered people or, conversely, enemies - is still unclear.

II. Lost cruiser.
At the bottom The Pacific discovered the sunken American heavy cruiser "Indianapolis" during the Second World War. He is infamous for several reasons. The cruiser was the last major U.S. Navy ship to be sunk during that war. Its crash went down in the history of the American fleet as the most massive death of personnel (883 people) as a result of one flooding. In addition, it was Indianapolis that delivered critical parts of the first atomic bomb(she was later dropped on Hiroshima).

Heavy cruiser "Indianapolis". Photo: U.S. Navy/ Archeology.

The ship died shortly after completing this controversial mission. He was sunk by a Japanese submarine. In recent decades, the exact location of the remains of the cruiser was unknown, and all attempts to find it were in vain. By comparing the location of another ship, the crew of which was the last to see the Indianapolis, with the route of the latter, historians have calculated the likely area of ​​the wreck. Surveys with an autonomous underwater vehicle confirmed their assumptions.

III. Antarctic cake.
The raisin muffin has been lying in a rusty jar at the end of the world (in Antarctica) for 106 years. He was found in a hut at Cape Adair. The house was built in 1899 and was abandoned, apparently, in 1911. The cupcake was left by one of the members of the expedition, Robert Scott. Modern researchers say the cake looks good on the outside and even smells good. Only if you smell the cake very close, it becomes clear that it is not worth eating. It is probably so well preserved because of the cold and dry air.

Cupcake from Antarctica. Photo:Antarctic Heritage Trust/ Archeology.

IV. Aztec "golden" wolf
In Mexico City, during excavations at the foot of the Aztec Templo Major ("big temple"), they discovered a large number of gold objects and the skeleton of a young wolf sacrificed. The finds include jewelry for the ears and nose, as well as a bib. The latter is usually part of a warrior's equipment, and in an open complex, it was used to decorate a wolf. The head of the beast looks to the west, which symbolizes its following the sun, into another world. The sacrifice was made during the reign of Auisotl (1486–1502), during the wars and expansion of the Aztec empire. Found in 2017, the complex is the richest in 40 years of excavations of the temple.

Wolf and Gold from Mexico City. Photo: Mirsa Islas / Templo Mayor Project / Archeology.

V. The Dawn of Egyptian Writing
A large inscription carved into the rock north of the ancient Egyptian city of El-Kab sheds light on the development of the writing of this civilization. Four hieroglyphs appeared around 3250 BC, during the so-called Zero Dynasty, when the Nile Valley was divided into several kingdoms, and writing was just in its infancy.

Pre-dynastic inscription from Egypt. Photo: Alberto Urcia, Elkab Desert Survey Project / Archeology.

The researchers saw four symbols: the head of a bull on a pole, two storks and an ibis. In later inscriptions, this sequence was associated with the solar cycle. She could also express the power of the pharaoh over an ordered space. The inscriptions of the Zero Dynasty period known until 2017 were of an exclusively business nature and were small in size (no more than 2.5 cm). The height of the newly discovered signs is about half a meter.

Vi. "Cave" genetics
The remains of early Homo, such as the Neanderthals and Denisovans, have only been discovered at a limited number of sites in Europe and Asia. For a long time, this fact brought archaeologists sheer disappointment: there are much more sites without human bones than with them.

Denisova cave. Photo: Sergey Zelensky / Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences /Archeology.

In the past year, a group of researchers gave their colleagues new hope: they were able to trace genetic markers of the presence of ancient Homo in ordinary-looking cave sediments. A team of geneticists studied soil samples from seven sites from France, Belgium, Spain, Croatia and Russia. They managed to find DNA of Neanderthals at three sites up to 60 thousand years old, and in Denisova cave - DNA not only of Neanderthals, but also of Denisovans.

The samples from this monument are about 100 thousand years old. In most cases, genetic traces come from layers where no human remains have been found before. Interesting that new technique even works with soil samples that were excavated decades ago. Thus, in order to obtain new samples, it is not at all necessary to carry out new excavations.

Vii. Gold of the era of "unmercenaries"
In Likfreet (North Staffordshire, England), four torques were found - neck torcs. The jewelry dates back to 400 to 250 AD. BC, making them the oldest early Iron Age gold objects ever found in Britain. The find is interesting not by the very fact of its antiquity, but by the fact that it was not at all typical for its time.

Gold hryvnia from Lykfrit. Photo: Joe Giddens / PA Archive / PA Images /Archeology.

For people of the Bronze Age, gold jewelry was not something unusual, but with the development of iron, they (jewelry, not people) for some reason disappear. It is not known exactly why this happened. Perhaps the fact is that trade ties with the places where gold came from were interrupted. If earlier the inhabitants of Britain imported tin and copper necessary for the smelting of bronze, then with the transition to ferrous metallurgy, the need for imports disappeared (iron on the islands has its own).

When the trade in raw materials for bronze died out, other trade with the continent could have ceased. In addition, the social factor could play a role: people began to pay more attention to the preservation of their communities, and not to their own status (why, it is not very clear).

The torques, which most likely came to Lykfrit from the continent, show the return of fashion for personal jewelry. It is likely that the hryvnia ended up in Britain as gifts or goods. But it cannot be ruled out that the hostess brought them with her (most likely a woman wore torques from Lykfrit).

It should be noted that the items were found by amateurs with metal detectors. Because of this, there are so many assumptions: the context of the find (in which structure they were lying) remained unknown, and the date was established by the style of the items. Science, as always in such cases, has lost a significant amount of information.

VIII. The oldest Roman aqueduct
Metro builders have discovered part of the ancient Roman aqueduct. Most likely, this is the site of Aqua Appia, the oldest aqueduct we know of. It was built in 312 BC. The remains of the structure were found not far from the Colosseum, at a depth of 17–18 meters, which is usually unattainable for archaeologists (primarily because of the danger of collapse of the sides of the excavation site).

The aqueduct is composed of blocks of gray tuff; it has survived to a height of about 2 meters. The length of the open area is about 30 meters. The construction, most likely, continues outside the construction site, but there is no way to fully explore it yet. The fact that no limestone was used during the construction of the aqueduct, according to experts, means that the structure did not "live" for long.

It was previously believed that Avebury was built from the outer rings to the inner ones. Now it turns out that this is not the case. In the very center of the monument, according to the authors of the discovery, there was a house. When the dwelling was abandoned for some unknown reason, the place where it was was marked with a giant stone, and the shape and orientation of the house were marked with a square structure. And already around her there were rings, like circles on water. From the moment the house was abandoned, it could take up to 300 years. And only after that people decided to turn it into a monument. Probably, this was the place of departure of some kind of clan cults.
Needless to say, only excavations can confirm or deny this beautiful theory.

X. Sapiens was hiding under the mask of a Neanderthal (?)
For the first time, the remains of ancient people were dug up in Jebel Irhud back in 1962. The jaw found then was considered Neanderthal, and then it was transferred several times. The range of dates was quite large: from 30 to 190 thousand years. Now the layers, in which both the jaw and several new bones were found, have become much older - up to 240-378 thousand years. Moreover, researchers believe that these are not Neanderthals at all, but real sapiens, that is, our ancestors.

Jaw from Jebel Irhud. Photo: Jean-Jacques Hublin / MPI EVA Leipzig /Archeology.

The authors of the discovery decided to name them, although, according to their Russian colleague, people from Jebel Irhud stand exactly in the middle between “modern us” and our ancestors and relatives. So these are more "proto-sapiens" than the most ancient representatives of our species.

The inhabitants of Jebel Irhud had flat and short faces, like modern people but the teeth are larger and the skull is longer. That is, the facial part of the skull of the Irkhuds was much more progressive than the cerebral part. “We see that appearance at all times was more important than mind,” S.V. Drobyshevsky (Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Anthropology, Moscow State University).

Now that (and if) we have overcome the list of the main world finds according to the version of the American edition, it's time to turn to the list major discoveries Russian archaeologists:

1. "Cave" camel
An image of a camel was cleared in the Kapova Cave. It was part of a drawing known since the late 1980s as Horses and Signs, but has only now been cleared away. The camel was painted with ocher and charcoal paint. The most likely date of the drawing is from 13 to 26 thousand years. Experts from the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences believe that the harsh climate of that time could have contributed to the spread of camels in the South Urals.

Clearing the drawing in the Kapova cave. Photo: Press Service of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Vladislav Zhitenev, head of the Moscow State University expedition, which has been working in the Kapova Cave for many years, thinks differently. In his opinion, in the Upper Paleolithic

Supported by SIBUR. Unique artifacts were discovered there, and archaeologists are already reporting on new fundamentally important results for the Amur early medieval archeology.

It is reported that the dwellings studied by specialists make it possible to revise the traditions of housebuilding in the era early middle ages... In semi-dugouts, peculiar exits from the dwellings are recorded in one of the walls in the form of a small tunnel, whereas it was previously believed that the exit was through a smoke hole in the roof.

“A large array of information was provided by artifacts found in the inter-dwelling space, on the periphery of the ancient settlement. These are fragments of a vessel with traces of repair by fastening the walls with metal staples, and objects of art. For the first time on the Amur early medieval, Mikhailovsky monuments, small sculptural plastic was found, represented by figurines of animals - a bear and a pig - made of clay burnt in a fire. A significant series of bone products was also obtained - arrowheads of various shapes, punctures, a kochedyk - a sharp bone stick for untying knots, a pendant made of a bird's claw, which served as an ornament. An important find is a bronze patch on clothes of a claw-like type, "says the head of the expedition, director of the Center for the Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Amur Region, Denis Volkov.

Scientists told about each of the unique finds separately on their Instagram page.

“We often found fragments of vessels, and even whole forms with parallel holes, and even it seemed like everyone agreed that these were holes for repairing a burst vessel. But it was always believed that the repair was carried out with belts or ropes threaded through the holes. Ha! The Mikhailovites did this with metal staples. This have not happened before! The most interesting thing is that we would never have found this fragment and would not have made this discovery if it had not been for the excavations large area organized by SIBUR, ”the Center said.

Bear figurine

“Well, this find blew up our emotions and spurred the tired guys to work. This is a bear. Small clay bear, mini-sculpture. Small plastic. I saw such things only in books and could not even believe that such things would ever be at my excavation site. I am happy and glad. Emotions are overwhelming. Yes, I forgot to say, it was most likely worn around the neck on a string (there are holes there). If I am not mistaken, such things have been found for the first time in Amur archeology, especially in an early medieval monument, ”wrote Denis Volkov with delight.

Guinea pig

The finds became possible thanks to the study of the monument with a large area within the boundaries of the entire ancient village.

This made it possible to find a series of artifacts and collect complete information about a specific stage in the life of an ancient man.

Bone arrowhead

Archaeological excavations of the monument continue. They will be completed in the 2018 field season. Approximately until the end of September or mid-October, said Denis Volkov. According to him, after the excavations, the archaeological object will cease to exist, and the found archaeological material will be processed and transferred to the Amur Regional Museum of Local Lore, as required by law.

Bone arrowhead

The Center for the Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Amur Region attracted students from the history department of the BSPU.

The expedition has become one of the most ambitious archaeological projects in the Amur Region. The area of ​​work is 1,675 square meters.

The archaeological monument "Chernigovka, settlement-5", presumably of the 2nd-6th centuries AD, belongs to the Mikhailovskoy archaeological culture, widespread on the territory of the western Amur region. It was opened by the staff of the Center for the Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Amur Region in 2016 during the archaeological survey of the site for the possible construction of the Amur Gas Chemical Complex. The study was ordered by SIBUR with the participation of NIPIGAZ, which is the general designer of the project. This is reported by SIBUR.