Pages: 189-209

The article presents the materials of six Maeotian graves from the burial ground located on the Right Bank of the Kuban River, in which iron swords with a ring top and a bar-shaped crosshair were found. The length of the swords spans from 38.8 cm to 60 cm. Two kinds of swords are distinguished by their blade shape: straight, with parallel blades (graves no. 125, 133), and with an elongated-triangular blade (graves no. 98, 136, 143, 151). Bits of rotten wooden sheath and handle covers preserved on the swords. Except the swords, burials were accompanied by other types of weapons (arrowheads, spears and darts). Two graves contain imported items with a narrow chronology. The earliest is grave no. 136. Glass skyphos and pseudo-Koan amphora were found here. According to these finds, they date to the first half of the 1st century BC. Grave no. 133 with “Aucissa” fibula belongs to the first half of the 1st century AD. Dating of the other graves spans much wider: no. 98, 125 and 143 — 1st century AD, no. 151 — 1st century BC — 1st century AD.

Keywords: Kuban region, Maeotians, burial ground, swords with ring top, chronology

Information about authors:

Natalia Limberis (Krasnodar, Russian Federation). Kuban State University. Stavropolskaya St., 149, Krasnodar, 350040, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
Ivan Marchenko (Krasnodar, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Kuban State University. Stavropolskaya St., 149, Krasnodar, 350040, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]