Pages: 171-176

The article offers an interpretation of the Greek designation “αἱ στρογγὺλαι νῆες”, “round ships” on which, according to the “Chronography” of Theophanes Continuatus the Byzantine officer Petronas Camaterus sailed from Chersonesos to the site of the foundation of the Sarkel fortress on the river Don. According to two descriptions of this expedition in the texts of the 950-s, his route included coastal sailing in the Black Sea, sailing along the Azov Sea and boating along the Don. It is obvious that the “round ships” were cargo. Based on typological parallels, it can be assumed that these were round sail vehicles of the “coracle” type, widespread in different regions of Eurasia. The closest analogy of such round vessels for the carriage of goods is the Arab “quffas” used from the Old Babylonian period until the Modern Age on the rivers and lakes of Mesopotamia. Such round cargo ships on the river Euphrates were described in the “History” of Herodotus. It can be assumed that the watercrafts used on the rivers Euphrates and Tigris were isomorphic to the watercrafts used by the Chersonites or Chazars on the rivers Volga and Don.

Keywords: Crimea, Don river, 9th—10th centuries, Chersonites, Chazars, Petronas Camaterus, early medieval vessels, early medieval marine technique, round vessels, quffas, coracles

Information about author:

Aleksei Shchavelev (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences. Leninsky Ave., 32a, Moscow, 119334, Russian Federation; International Center of Anthropology of National Research University Higher School of Economics. Staraya Basmannaya St., 21/4, building 3, Moscow, 105066, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]