Pages: 151-165 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.55086/sp224151165

The article considers the finds of golden lunulae amulets found in the burials of the Frontovoye 3 burial ground in the South-Western Crimea (late 1 th — early 5 th centuries). They come from female burials of the 1 st — early 3 rd centuries and find parallels on the sites of the Northern Black Sea region and the steppe zone of Eastern Europe. Lunulae amulets are particularly typical for the female constume and most likely had a magical protective role in it. Such amulets were widespread in Roman times among the population of the Mediterranean, especially in its eastern part (e. g. Egypt, Syria). This testifies to the strong influence of Roman civilization, which manifested itself in all areas of the life of the “barbarians” in Taurida, including women’s attire. The almost simultaneous distribution of the lunulae amulets among the barbarians of the Pontic region and on the territory of the Roman Empire indicates a significant integration between the culture of the Northern Black Sea region and the Roman Mediterranean. Of course, gold lunulae amulets are of Roman origin and reflect the Roman fashion, where they were not only decorations, but also had an apotropaic character. It was assumed that such amulets would ward off evil forces, the evil eye, diseases, and other misfortunes from their bearers. Of course, we cannot say how much local women perceived the symbolic meaning of these objects, attributed to them by the Romans. Perhaps they treated them only as beautiful decorations, copying the Roman fashion.

Keywords: South-Western Crimea, Roman time, Frontovoe 3 necropolis, lunulae amulets, Roman influence

Information about author:

Anna Mastykova (Moscow, Russian Federation). Doctor of Historical Sciences. Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dmitry Ulyanov St., 19, Moscow, 117292, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0001-7521-5071