Meetings of Cultures in the Black Sea Region : Between Conflicts and Coexistence

As a theme, Meetings of Cultures in the Black Sea Region: Between Conflict and Coexistence arouses strong feelings. From the remotest Antiquity, the indigenous and nomadic non-Greek populations of the Pontic region were persistently viewed as one of the major Others, first of all by Mediterranean Greeks. And because the region geographically was located as a bridge between Europe and Asia it was, and still is, also part of a Europe/Asia discourse of dichotomy. As far back in time as Antiquity Western self-understanding and identity formation has been shaped not least through its colonial experiences. Until recently, such colonial experience has led to a very static picture in our analysis of colonial encounters. However, as a result of post-colonialism, post-modernism and now globalization our conception of colonization has undergone a rapid and far-reaching conceptual change. Gone are the days when the Black Sea region was seen as a sea of barbarian wilds enlightened by small flicks of Greek civilization along the coast. Settling the Black Sea region was a challenge for the Greeks. Compared with the Mediterranean, this happened relatively late, and the attempt of settling the land was not always equally successful. In fact, frequently the power balance was in favour of the indigenous population. Nevertheless, the cultivation of the land and the establishment of exchange systems must have been beneficial for all participants in the exchange network. In this volume, the acts of an international, interdisciplinary conference held at Sandbjerg Manor House, Denmark in January 2006 are published. 19 contributions by scholars from Denmark, France, Georgia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine give a profound discussion of various topics such as the physical arena of the colonial encounters as spaces of identity; the layout of land and protection of cities; the dynamics of the cultural exchange; the perception of how it was to be Greek in the Pontic realm, and finally the reciprocal strategies exerted by the Greeks and Scythians in Olbia as described in Herodotos' Fourth Book of his Histories. Through the many-sided contributions it is also revealed, how self and other is two sides of the same coin - yesterday, today and, tomorrow. Front Matter 1 Front Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Preface 9 Bibliography 12 Rhythms of Eurasia and the Main Historical Stages of the Kimmerian Bosporos in Pre-Roman Times 13 Stage 1. Settling the region (600‐480 BC) 14 Stage 2. The rule of the Archaianaktids (480/79‐438/7 BC) 15 Stage 3. The early rule of the Spartokids and the Golden Age of Bosporos and Scythia (438/7-c. 300 BC) 16 Stage 4. A time of crisis (first half of the 3rd century BC) 17 Stage 5. A Bosporan renaissance (c. 250‐c. 150 BC) 18 Stage 6. A new period of instability (mid‐ to late 2nd century BC) 19 Stage 7. Bosporos under Pontic influence (late 2nd century‐63 BC) 19 Conclusion 20 Notes 21 Bibliography 23 Some reflections on eschatological currents, Diasporic experience, and group identity in the northwestern Black Sea region 29 Eschatological thinking in the Black Sea region and beyond 30 Eschatological thinking as expression of diasporic consciousness? 33 Diaspora models 34 Diaspora and pagan Antiquity? 36 Diaspora and religious responses 37 Culture change through hybridization? 39 Conclusion 40 Notes 41 Bibliography 42 Phalerae of Horse Harnesses in Votive Depositions of the 2nd-1st Century BC in the North Pontic Region and the Sarmatian Paradigm 47 Research history 47 Two groups of phalerae 49 “Sarmatians”, “Sarmatian culture”, and the “Sarmatian Paradigm” 53 Rostovcev and the Sarmatians 56 P. Rau and his followers 59 Conclusion 61 Notes 62 Bibliography 64 Abbreviations 65 Conflict or Coexistence? Remarks on Indigenous Settlement and Greek Colonization in the Foothills and Hinterland of the Sibaritide (Northern Calabria, Italy) 67 Meeting of cultures East and West: an introduction 67 Aim and content of paper 69 Settling in the margins of Oinotrian society 71 Meeting of cultures in the sanctuary on Timpone Motta 78 Meeting of cultures, the Iron Age and Archaic settlement of Timpone Motta 87 What can landscape archaeology add? 89 Conclusion 93 Notes 94 Bibliography 96 The Chora Formation of the Greek Cities of Aegean Thrace. Towards a Chronological Approach to the Colonization Process 101 Greek colonization in context: Aegean Thrace before the arrival of the first Greek settlers 101 The development of the early Iron Age settlement pattern 102 The cultural diversity of the Aegean Thracian societies 105 The controversial question of pre‐colonial contacts 107 The late Bronze Age commercial networks 108 The Geometric and Archaic period: the doubtful identification of the traders 110 The early phase of colonization and the installation of the colonists: an unexpected complexity 112 The question of the territory and the first stage of its formation 115 The classical period and the expansion of the city‐state 117 Conclusion 122 Notes 122 Bibliography 126 Abbreviations 130 A Kolchian and Greek Settlement: Excavations at Pičvnari 1967 to 2005 131 The settlement 133 The Kolchian cemetery 134 The “Greek” necropolis 137 Necropolis of the 4th century AD 145 Notes 146 Bibliography 146 The Cities that Never Were. Failed Attempts at Colonization in the Black Sea 149 Introduction 149 Characteristics of the settlement pattern 150 Greek‐barbarian relations 151 The white spots on the map 152 Who was wearing the pants in the Black Sea Region? 153 The barbarian point of view 154 Failed attempts 155 Sinope 156 Kalpe Limen 156 Chalkedon 158 The settlements that disappeared 159 Conclusion 159 Notes 159 Bibliography 161 Abbreviations 162 The Defense Wall in the Northern Part of the Lower City of Olbia Pontike 163 Notes 179 Bibliography 180 The Demarcation System of the Agricultural Environment of Olbia Pontike 181 Notes 192 Bibliography 192 The First Results of the Archaeological Surveys Near Cape Čauda and Lake Kačik on the Kerch Peninsula 193 Notes 205 Bibliography 206 Archaeological Sites of the Southwestern Part of Bosporos and their Connection to the Landscape 207 Notes 212 Bibliography 213 Kurgan Burials from Nymphaion – A New Approach 215 Introduction 215 The kurgans of the 5th century 218 The kurgans of the 4th century 223 Conclusion 228 Notes 229 Bibliography 232 Abbreviations 235 Social and Economic Stratification of the Scythians from the Steppe Region Based on Black-glazed Pottery from Burials 237 Kylikes and skyphoi 239 Heavy walled cup-skyphoi 241 Light walled cup-skyphoi 242 Cup-kantharoi 243 Kantharoi 247 Saltcellars 250 Summary 252 On the role of the ancient centers of the northern Black Sea coast 253 Function of black-glazed vessels in the life of the Scythians of the steppe region 254 Social and economic stratification of Scythian burials with black-glazed pottery 254 Conclusion 255 Notes 256 Bibliography 258 Indigenous Responses to Encounters with the Greeks in Northern Anatolia: The Reception of Architectural Terracottas in the Iron Age Settlements of the Halys Basin 263 Introduction 263 Written Sources 263 Archaeological evidence 265 Local pottery in Sinope and Amisos 265 Greek pottery from the indigenous settlements 266 Architectural terracottas from the Iron Age settlements 267 Akalan 267 Köyiçi Tepesi 270 Pazarlı 272 Conclusion 277 Notes 278 Bibliography 282 Mountainous Crimea: A Frontier Zone of Ancient Civilization 287 The sanctuary near the Gurzuf Saddle Pass 288 Coin votives 293 Roman objects in the sanctuary and Roman activity in the Crimea 295 Conclusion 298 Notes 300 Bibliography 300 Abbreviations 301 Apsaros: A Roman Fort in Southwestern Georgia 303 The historical context 304 The archaeological evidence 314 Notes 326 Bibliography 329 Abbreviations 332 Reciprocal Strategies: Imperialism, Barbarism and Trade in Archaic and Classical Olbia 333 Religious texts and the role of Dionysos in Olbia 335 Decrees: ateleia and proxeny 337 Coin issues 339 Conclusion 341 Notes 343 Bibliography 345 Abbreviations 346 Scythian Laughter: Conversations in the Northern Black Sea Region in the 5th Century BC 347 Notes 363 Bibliography 365 Abbreviations 367 Dionysos and Herakles in Scythia – The Eschatological String of Herodotos’ Book 4 369 The Scythian king in ecstasy 369 Orphic mythology and Herodotos’ vow of silence 372 Mother mysteries in disguise: Herakles and the demanding cave woman 375 Anacharsis’ devotion to Meter: chthonic mysteries in Scythian Hylaia 378 Pythagorean sages in Scythia and beyond: Aristeas, Abaris, and Salmoxis 380 The meaning of life according to Herodotos 383 Greek shamanism and Scythian criticism of religion 386 Conclusion 388 Notes 389 Bibliography 394 Abbreviations 397 Indices 399 Contributors 421 Meetings of cultures arouse strong feelings. In this volume, nineteen scholars from Denmark, France, Georgia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine present a profound discussion covering various topics from the physical arena of the colonial encounters, to the layout of land and protection of cities, to the dynamics of the cultural exchange, to the perception of how it was to be Greek in the Pontic realm, and finally, to be reciprocal strategies exerted by the Greeks and Scythians in the Olbia as described in Herodotos's Skythian Tale. Through the many-sided contributions it is r