New archival documents for the biography of the finder of antique artifacts A. Ashik

Abstract

The article highlights the role and significance of the form list as an important historical source in the study of the biography and intellectual heritage of the famous seeker and keeper of ancient artifacts in the Northern Black Sea region in the second quarter of the nineteenth century – Anton Ashik (1892–1854). In the Russian Empire, form lists were the main form of accounting for officials and provided information on the major milestones of their biographies and achievements in employment. Thanks to the document found, it was possible to confirm that A. Ashik, being an official in the civil service, became interested in the search for archeological finds in the Northern Black Sea and left a significant contribution to the development of world archeology in the XIXth century, when the process of institutionalization of archeology took place. The purpose of this publication is to highlight the information potential of a document found in the State Archives of the Odesa region, which allows to expand the information field on the facts of the life of A. Ashik. Using the historical comparative method, he was able to supplement some of the gaps in his biography, to find out some points about his family, to find out about the salaries of officials depending on their position, and to establish some moments about the material incentives and rewards of officials for their search and publishing activities. during the formation of archeology as a science during the first half of the XIXth century. The issue of established benefits that his children could enjoy when entering school (even in the case of his father's death) was also clarified. Thanks to archival sources, it became possible to supplement the biography of the famous in the XIXth century and the new facts of A. Ashik's biography open the field for new historical research and the writing of a synthetic scientific essay.