Scythian Neapolis

Artikel auf Russisch (Übersetzung in Arbeit).

Once in Simferopol - it was 1827 - a native amateur of antiquity met a loaded with stones cart comming down from ravine Kermenchik where stone was quarried for building needs. By a pure chance the inquisitive man turned his attention to two flags: on the first flag there was carved a rider, and on the other one was inscription in anciant Greek. Soon the find was released to the scientists. After the excavations on the site of quarry they discovered a fragment of marble bas-relief with a picture of an elder and youth, Greek and Roman coins were also found. In one of the inscriptions Scythian tsar Scylur was mentioned who lived more than two thousand years ago. That name had been already known from accounts of the ancient Greek geographer and historian Strabone but also by coins of the town Olivia. Having compared the inscriptions of the coins and bas-relief the scientiests had made certain that on the flag was a portrait of the tsar Scylur.In such a way a sensation discovery of the capital of late scythian state - Scythian Neapolis or Napleus was made; (Napleus - from Greek means "new town.")

The site for the town was chosen highly successfully: the territory was a triangle turned into the North, from the noth - easten there was a natural protection - Petrovsky cliff, on the west there was a deep difficult of access ravine, the defensive wall took the cource along its precipice.

Following the archaeological researches in present time the main gates of the town and the South defencive wall are open. The Scythian Mausoleum is worth seeing including the history of its excavations. One of the residents took the clay out for household needs on the inside of the defencive wall and later there was found an ancient burial - a row of funeral sarcophagus lying one on the another. When researchers reached the rock they considered it to be the end of the excavations. But there turned out a hollow in the rock which was screened with a flat. There was the most burial place dating from the IIc B.C. and unlike the otheres being not plundered in ancient times. Later the mausoleum was erected for the man reposing in the stone tomb. Scythian used to bury their fellow-countrymen in burial mounds and vaults. By its values the burial place resembled the tombs of the greatest tumuluses. Well-known anthropologist M.M.Geracimov restored the departed's exterior with his skull. In this way the tomb of the tsar Scylur was found.

The mausoleum - is the only monument of this kind at Scythian villages. Its location proves once again the significance of Neapolis as economical and cultural centre of late scythian state, the capital of Scythian Minor.

The flats with reliefs, models of plastering with paintings, decorations, beads and articles of way of life were found in Neapolis, which are now in the museums of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Scythian Neapolis

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