Interethnic contacts in the Hellenistic Black Sea region: the northern borderlands of the chora of Tauric Chersonesos and the world of barbarians according to the archaeological sources

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of Greeks and barbarians contacts in the border areas of the Oecumene, which has not been finally resolved for a long time. The particular interest belongs to the northern outskirts of the Chersonesan polis, where, according to the archaeological sources, traced the direct contacts with the barbarians - the Scythians and the Tauri. During the Hellenistic period, the cultural and economic development of these policies was on the rise, which was ensured by a successful internal policy and by established ties with the local population, as well as with the barbarian tribes of the steppe and steppe zones. There are the opposite points of view on such connections in the Northwest Taurica at the Hellenistic period in a significant historiography: peaceful coexistence and military confrontation. The economic contacts of the Chersonesan police with the barbaric population on the Lower Dnipro also were controversial. They were mainly realized through the trade with centres of the Northwest Black Sea region, in particular with Olbia. However, it cannot be ruled out that there also could be exist the direct contacts between the population on the place, where Chersonesan and Olbian chorae bordered with the barbarian settlements. The archaeological complex of monuments of this region testifies to the close ties between the Scythian and Hellenic populations, which obviously benefited the economies of both ethnic communities. Of course, the northern part of Taurica needs additional field research, but we can already tell about the fact that the material culture of distant settlements of the Chersonesan chora retained the traditional ancient style. Thus, the area of Northern Taurica should be considered as a powerful site of cultural and economic ties of the ancient Black Sea region with the world of barbarians.