Preview

Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia

Advanced search
Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Artifacts from the Necropolises of Chersonesos as a Historical and Cultural Source: An Interpretation of Cultural Meanings

https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2026.54.3.053-059

Abstract

This article describes archaeological artifacts from the necropolises of Chersonesos with regard to their historical and cultural relevance. Based on an extensive sample, the authors classify the principal groups of fi nds, explore the semantics of grave goods, and reconstruct the system of funerary ritual practices within the context of cultural values and the related worldview. Focus is made on the cultural meaning of the most numerous and informative artifacts, the most typical of which are coins, ceramic oil lamps, bronze mirrors, and golden wreaths. Using semiotic and hermeneutic approaches, related images and ideas as parts of the ancient culture are reconstructed. The fi ndings offer insight into the system of beliefs shared by people of the Northern Pontic from 400 BC to 300 AD.

About the Authors

L. V. Dmitrieva
Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia
Russian Federation

Dmitrieva L.V., Associate Professor

Naberezhnaya reki Moiki 48, St. Petersburg, 191186



A. D. Chistova
Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia
Russian Federation

Chistova A.D., Doctoral Student, Teaching Assistant 

Naberezhnaya reki Moiki 48, St. Petersburg, 191186



References

1. Akimova L.I. 2012 Ritualniy pir v antichnom iskusstve: Lektsiya. GMII im. A.S. Pushkina. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HnQvSDjyAw (Accessed November 1, 2025).

2. Arsenieva T.M. 1984 Pogrebalniy obryad. In Antichniye gosudarstva Severnogo Prichernomorya. Moscow: Nauka, pp. 222–224. (Arkheologiya SSSR; vol. 9).

3. Doroshko V.V. 2013–2014 Antichniye bronzoviye svetilniki iz Khersonesa Tavricheskogo. In Khersonesskiy sbornik, iss. 18. Sevastopol: SPD Arefiev M.E., pp. 35–49.

4. Flier A.Y. 2000 Kulturologiya dlya kulturologov: Uchebnoye posobiye dlya magistrantov i aspirantov, doktorantov i soiskateley, a takzhe prepodavateley kulturologii. Moscow: Akademicheskiy proyekt. 496 p.

5. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich K.K. 1901 Izvlecheniye iz otcheta o raskopkakh v Khersonese Tavricheskom v 1899 g. Izvestiya Imperatorskoi arkheologicheskoi komissii, iss. 1: 1–55.

6. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich K.K. 1902 Izvlecheniye iz otcheta o raskopkakh v Khersonese Tavricheskom v 1900 g. Izvestiya Imperatorskoi arkheologicheskoi komissii, iss. 2: 1–39.

7. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich K.K. 1906 Izvlecheniye iz otcheta o raskopkakh v Khersonese Tavricheskom v 1904 g. Izvestiya Imperatorskoi arkheologicheskoi komissii, iss. 20: 17–95.

8. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich K.K., Skubetov M.I. 1911 Izvlecheniye iz otcheta o raskopkakh v Khersonese Tavricheskom v 1907 g. Izvestiya Imperatorskoi arkheologicheskoi komissii, iss. 42: 1–91.

9. Kosyanenko V.M. 1994 K voprosu o khronologii i ritualno-magicheskoy roli bronzovykh zerkal iz nekropolya Kobyakova gorodishcha. In Istoriko-arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v Azove i na Nizhnem Donu v 1993 g., iss. 13. Azov: Izd. Azov. krayeved. muzeya, pp. 70–83.

10. Krasnoglazov A.B. 1995 Funktsionirovaniye artefakta v kulturno-semanticheskom prostranstve. D. Sc. (Philosophy) Dissertation. Moscow. 290 p.

11. Kropotov V.V., Vakhoneev V.V. 2025 Krematsionnaya ploshchadka 7 (raskop 4.1) yuzhnogo prigoroda Khersonesa Tavricheskogo. Nizhnevolzhskiy arkheologicheskiy vestnik, vol. 24 (1): 173–188.

12. Leper R.K. 1927 Dnevnik raskopok khersonesskogo nekropolya. Khersonesskiy sbornik, iss. 2: 187–256.

13. Molok D.Y. 1988 Cherty implitsitnoy mifologii v nadgrobiyakh grecheskoy klassiki. In Zhizn mifa v antichnosti, pt. 1. Moscow: Sov. khudozhnik, pp. 147–156.

14. Nersesyants V.S. 1984 Sokrat. Moscow: Nauka. 192 p.

15. Papanova V.A. 2006 Urochishche Sto mogil – nekropol Olvii Pontiyskoy. Kiev: Znaniya Ukrainy. 278 p.

16. Rogov E.Y. 2000 Stoletiye otkrytiya podstennogo sklepa 1012 v Khersonese. Stratum plus, No. 3: 88–97.

17. Savostina E.A. 1988 Mif i kult geroya. In Zhizn mifa v antichnosti (Vipperovskiye chteniya – 1985), pt. 2. Moscow: Sov. khudozhnik, pp. 98–115.

18. Shavyrina T.G. 2013 Bronzovoye zerkalo s relyefnym ornamentom iz Fanagorii. Problemy istorii, filologii, kultury, No. 2: 106–122.

19. Skrzhinskaya M.V. 2010 Drevnegrecheskiye prazdniki v Ellade i Severnom Prichernomorye. St. Petersburg: Aleteiya. 464 p.

20. Skrzhinskaya M.V. 2016 Zolotiye venki i ikh rol na Bospore i v drugikh antichnykh gosudarstvakh Severnogo Prichernomorya. In Bosporskiye issledovaniya, V.N. Zinko (ed.), iss. XXXII. Kerch: [Kerch. gor. tip.], pp. 33–49.

21. Stoyanov R.V. 2002 Noviy tip pogrebalnykh venkov iz nekropolya Khersonesa Tavricheskogo. Antichniy mir i arkheologiya, vol. 11 (11): 187–195.

22. Stoyanov R.V. 2024 Nekropol Khersonesa Tavricheskogo V–I vv. do n.e.: Po materialam raskopok Imperatorskoy Arkheologicheskoy komissii (1891–1914). Moscow: Izd. Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki. 336 p.

23. Suprun N.O. 2013 Ob ispolzovanii balzamariyev kak elementa pogrebalnoy traditsii antichnogo Khersonesa – vizantiyskogo Khersona. Nauchniye vedomosti Belgorodskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ser.: Istoriya. Politologiya. Ekonomika. Informatika, No. 15 (158), iss. 27: 23–28. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ob-ispolzovanii-balzamariev-kak-elementa-pogrebalnoy-traditsii-antichnogo-hersonesa-vizantiyskogo-hersona (Accessed June 30, 2026).

24. Trufanov A.A., Mordvintseva V.I. 2016 Voinskoye pogrebeniye serediny I v. n.e. iz Ust-Alminskogo nekropolya (Yugo-Zapadniy Krym). Problemy istorii, filologii, kultury, No. 2: 196–212.

25. Tylor E.B. 1897 Pervobytnaya kultura, vol. 2. St. Petersburg: Izd. I.N. Skorokhodova. 472 p.

26. Vinnichuk L. 1988 Lyudi, nravy i obychai Drevney Gretsii i Rima. Moscow: Vyssh. shk. 496 p.

27. Zubar V.M. 2005 Bogi i geroi antichnogo Khersonesa. Kiev: Stilos. 188 p.


Review

For citations:


Dmitrieva L.V., Chistova A.D. Artifacts from the Necropolises of Chersonesos as a Historical and Cultural Source: An Interpretation of Cultural Meanings. Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia. 2026;54(3):53-59. https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2026.54.3.053-059

Views: 42

JATS XML

ISSN 1563-0110 (Print)