Archaeologists have established a connection between the site of cremation and burials in Chersonesos

Archaeologists conducting excavations in Chersonesos Tauricheskiy, on the territory of modern Sevastopol, found in the necropolis finds of the Roman period, thanks to which they were able to reveal new data on burial rituals adopted 2 thousand years ago. As said on December 5, senior researcher at the Institute of History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Sevastopol State University Victor Vakhoneev, experts for the first time were able to compare data on the place of cremation with the place of subsequent burial of ashes.

Scientists analyzed the finds made in 2020-2023 on the territory of the southern suburb of Chersonesos. In the process of excavation, they found sections of the necropolis of different centuries, associated with religious cults of the place. Thus, in the soil layers of the Roman period (first centuries AD), they found many cremation sites - this way of burial was quite common then.

"On one of the sites were found gold jewelry, analyzing which we, with a high degree of certainty, can say that here was a farewell to a man who then received a very great honor - was buried in a crypt on the outside of the city wall. The case is unique for Russian antiquities: to find and compare the place of cremation and the place of burial of a person in the Northern Black Sea coast has not yet succeeded", - quotes Vakhoneev TASS.

Among the finds from the cremation site were masterfully made fibulae (metal clasp), patches and pendants. Almost exactly the same, included in the set of one piece of jewelry, were also found in the crypt near the Chersonesos gate.

"But in the crypt the ashes together with a part of the objects were placed after cremation. And we, 120 years after the opening of the crypt, discovered 70 meters away from it the place of this cremation, where the second part of the ashes rested - it is obvious that not everything was collected and transferred to the crypt. In archaeological terms, these two objects are considered to be one complex," said the specialist.

About the man buried in the crypt, revealed a little data. Judging by the cremation on the elite part of the necropolis and a particularly honorable place of burial, we can say that he was from the top of social society, lived in the second half of the I century AD and also had some merit or special status to be buried with special honors.

The research, which allowed to trace the connection between the objects of the complex, was conducted under the grant of the Russian Science Foundation "Features of funerary practices of the elite part of the society of Chersonesos Tauric in Roman times".

Before that, on August 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov invited UNESCO representatives to come to Crimea and see for themselves how the Chersonesos Tauride has changed. Thus, he reacted to the attempts of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine to get the Chersonesos Tavrichesky included in the list of UNESCO sites threatened with destruction.

Earlier, on July 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview for the documentary "New Chersonese" noted that the history of Russia, its traditions and pride in the exploits of ancestors to strengthen the state create the basis for victory, which is very necessary in the modern period of development of the state. Speaking about the museum and temple complex "New Chersonese" in Crimea, the Russian leader pointed to the landmark significance of the monument: it is a symbol of identity, deep roots, the victory of development and a symbol of Russia's blossoming. On July 30, the New Chersonese museum complex in Crimea opened its doors to visitors.