Pages: 291-310

The article investigates probable routes of dissemination of Northern Black Sea products in the Trans-Volga and Southern Ural steppes and forest-steppes, as well as the possibility to link them with the “Herodotus path”. The distribution of finds indicating links to the Northern Black Sea Coast (details of bridle, mirrors, some types of ornaments and armor) suggests that there was a trade route in the area under consideration in the early Iron Age, which began in the Samara Luka area, followed into the Samara River valley, between Sakmara and Ural Rivers and into the Trans-Ural region. It is possible to interpret this route as a segment of the path to the lands of the Issedons and Argippeans, which was described by Herodotus. The possibility of the existence of this itinerary of the trade route is confirmed by the existence of caravan roads in the Middle Ages and New Times. The functioning of this route in antiquity could be ensured by the location of several crossings across the Volga, located on the section between the Samara Luka and the Akhtuba branch.

Keywords: Transvolga, Southern Urals, early Iron Age, Scythian time, nomads, trade, trade route, import, Herodotus, river crossings, Volga river

Information about author:

Vladimir Myshkin (Samara, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Samara State Social and Humanitarian University. Leninskaya St., 127, Samara, 443041, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]