The territory of modern Kerch was inhabited by people from ancient times - information about the first settlements here has been lost for centuries. It is proved that on the top of Mount Mithridates and at its foot in the 7th century BC the city of Hellenic colonists with a defensive wall, stone houses, a port, crafts and crafts, and subsequently with a highly developed culture, mansions of the nobility, state and public institutions, a mint, temples and all other attributes of the policies of that era, arose. It is believed that since the occurrence of Panticapaeum, life here has never been interrupted, although eras, peoples and civilizations have been replaced. Kerch is therefore recognized in the scientific world as the most ancient city of Russia.
However, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern city, people lived before - it’s enough to mention the so-called Cimmerians (the conditional name of the pre-Scythian peoples of the Northern Black Sea region), the Crimean land preserved traces of their activity. Recall, at least, the well-known anthropomorphic statues - “stone women” dating from the millennium BC. Therefore, everywhere in Kerch, traces of ancient settlements and burials are hidden in the earth.
The Nizhny Solnechny district is not an exception, in the vicinity of which there are a lot of traces of ancient people. In the process of building auto-approaches from the Tavrida highway to the bridge, some sections of these historical monuments will inevitably be lost, and therefore archaeologists should extract all possible artifacts and document the finds. You can find out more about the configuration of the route and the terrain where it will take place in ours.
In August 2016, the “Crimean Regional Center for Archaeological Research” conducted an examination and identified the places of future construction where preliminary archaeological research is necessary, identifying 13 objects of cultural heritage that need to be circumvented, take measures to preserve or examine as thoroughly as possible before starting the construction of the road.
In this relatively small area on both sides of the Heroes of Stalingrad highway, there are a number of archaeological sites. On the western side - the settlement “Hospital”, the mounds “Forest I” and “Forest II”, Tiritaksky shaft with a length of more than 20 kilometers. From the east, at the summer residence “Bay”, there is the “Hospital” barrow, the “Hospital II” settlement and a group of 4 “Lower Sunny I” barrows with burials of the Bosporo-Scythian and Pantikapey nobility of the 4th-3rd centuries BC, and directly on the territory of personal plots turned out to be the mound “Nizhny Solnechny II”. Even closer to the bridge is a group of 8 mounds “Cement Slobodka I”.
Also, at the future Tavrida highway, 3 kilometers from the village of Oktyabrskoye, there is a group of 4 barrows, the surface of which is plowed up, and a little to the east - a group of two barrows, “Dzharzhdava Zapadnaya”. In the same area, but from the south of the future road junction, there is the Balkochny Zapadny mound, and closer to Kerch, the Balkochny mound.
The settlement “Hospital” (the name comes from a nearby tuberculosis dispensary) is located on the banks of the Dzhardzhava River, which undoubtedly was more full-flowing in ancient times, which attracted residents. Its area is estimated at 13,350 square meters. m, of which 8,890 sq. m. m. This does not mean that the historical monument throughout this area will be lost, but access to it will, of course, be terminated. Today, thanks to funding, scientists will be able to conduct the largest excavations in recent decades.
Extensive archaeological research of this area on an area of \u200b\u200b3 thousand square meters. m was carried out just before the partition of the country, in 1989-1991 under the leadership of Kerch experts Viktor Nikolaevich Zinko and Nikolai Fedorovich Fedoseyev, and a small area was additionally investigated in 1993. Excavations made during excavations made it possible to date the settlement to the end of V - the first quarter of the III century BC. Four rectangular half-dugouts for residential and household purposes were found, equipped with a sewage system and receiving pits; remnants of a manor with a courtyard, traces of fire, garbage pits and household items, including fragments of red-figure ceramics, amphora containers, ceramic stamps, Pantikapey coins and sling stones. Residents engaged in fishing and livestock.
The “Hospital” barrow is also noteworthy, which is seen every day by thousands of people passing by a tuberculosis dispensary: \u200b\u200bdue to its position on the road, it is clearly visible. With a diameter of 70 meters, the height of the burial reaches 7 m. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe security zone is set at 13.7 thousand square meters. m. The mound of the mound bears traces of digging, but some researchers believe that this burial may still remain unplanned, at least in recent history, no one has opened it. If these expectations are true and archaeologists decide to unearth the mound, then interesting discoveries await us. Most of these funerary structures were plundered both in ancient times and most recently. However, so far only the study of the mound territory of 4 thousand square meters has been planned. m, adjacent to the future highway.
For personal plots towards the bridge in an area of \u200b\u200b20.7 thousand square meters. m is a settlement of the Bronze Age “Hospital II”, dating back to about II millennium BC. and discovered in 1983. The task of archaeologists today includes the study of historical space on an area of \u200b\u200b8,280 square meters. m. The work is carried out by the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in conjunction with the East Crimean Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve.
During the expedition, which is attended by over 40 people, ordinary workers and specialists, thousands of fragments of stucco ceramics of the Bronze Age, household items made of stone and bone, agricultural tools have already been identified. There are also objects of ancient time.
Perhaps in the summer the Kerch Museum will demonstrate the most remarkable of these finds within the framework of the Crimean Bridge. There are plans to make it permanent and place it on the territory of the Kerch fortress, which preserved many magnificent casemated rooms. This will contribute to the preservation and development of the fortress itself as an object of Russian cultural heritage. Moreover, it is planned to erect a giant monument of “Reconciliation” on the territory of the fortress by the time the bridge is launched, by the centenary of the beginning of the revolution and civil war, as well as an extensive observation platform with the road leading up, that is, visiting museum exhibits and the fortress itself will be interesting and convenient.
In general, the front of archaeological work in Crimea is much wider due to active infrastructure construction. So, today about 50 objects of archaeological heritage are planned to be studied along the route of the future Tavrida route, while completely new monuments may be discovered during construction: contractors are obliged to inform scientists about all discovered historical objects, immediately stopping work on these sites.
Last year, when laying a gas pipeline through a ditch near the Cimmerian shaft, a find was found in the Northern Black Sea coast with excellent preservation with the remains of adjacent defensive fortifications. And the volume of ceramic fragments from the offshore sections of the Crimean bridge supports is absolutely stunning - in 2015 alone, 1200 sq. M. Were excavated in the area of \u200b\u200bCape Ak-Burun. m bottom and extracted more than 20 thousand finds. Work continued last year, and their scale is growing. In 2017, marine archaeologists are going to rob hundreds of thousands of ancient fragments from Poseidon on the bridge construction route. The most noteworthy examples of ancient culture found recently are the Kerch Museum.
Rescue archaeological site of the ancient mound "Cement Sloboda-1" (Barrow No. 4) completed in Kerch at the site of the future Tavrida highway. Excavations were carried out by employees of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences under the leadership of Ph.D. I.V. Rukavishnikova. Archaeologists have discovered the vaulted crypt of the Bosporus nobility IV-III centuries. BC. and several burials of the 2nd century BC - first centuries A.D. The crypt was moved to the territory of the Kerch fortress for use as a museum.Photos are clickable, with geographical coordinates and reference to the Yandex map, 06.2017.
1. Video interview of the head of the excavation Irina Rukavishnikova for the channel "Kerch-net." The sound is very bad due to strong wind, so you need to listen
2. View of the mound "Cement Sloboda-1" from the south. Crypt between gazelles and a bulldozer. It can be seen that the Tavrida highway passes right through the mound, the photographer stands on the future road
4. But the actual upper part of the crypt 
5. The vaulted crypt was repeatedly plundered and destroyed, moreover, it was reused 
6. The upper part of the crypt was destroyed by the fortifications of the Great Patriotic War, horse bones were found here. Many mounds were used for military purposes, as observation points and firing points 
7. The crypt of the end of IV - beginning of the III century BC, belonged to the Bosporus nobility. But like many, it was reused. In the photo, archaeologists reached the level of secondary burial, until the crypt owner still dig and dig. Pieces of South Pontic pseudo-Koss amphora of the second half of the 1st century were found here. BC, fragments of red varnish ceramics, single track lamp, red clay urn, two earthenware pendants in the form of a scarab and a demon 
8. Human bones and fragments of ceramics 
9. Far away at home 
10. View from the mound towards the Crimean bridge 
11. Industrial zone for bridge construction 
14. View of the dromos (entrance corridor) and stones at the entrance to the crypt 
15. Around the crypt were found six more burials of different eras, of which two cremation burials 
16. On the dromos staircase a children's burial of Roman time was found in the 1st century A.D. Near the remains there is a crushed vessel, a glass bottle, bronze bells and beads. There was also a pixid (a round jewelry box) and a funeral urn with ashes 
19. View from the crypt along the future Tavrida highway towards the excavations of the Bronze Age village Hospital-2, the barrow and the Hospital-1 village, about which there will be separate articles 
20. After the excavation was completed, the crypt was decided to be transferred to the territory of the Kerch fortress and museified. Further on the photo is a crypt in the process of transfer. Several rows of blocks have already been transported. Crypt marking is clearly visible for subsequent collection at a new location 
21. The crypt is completely cleaned and the floor tiles are clearly visible. You can compare with photo 18, the crypt is one block below 
22. View of the entrance to the crypt and dromos 
30. Drawing a marking for assembly. Subsequently, when the crypt was already transported to the fortress but not yet assembled, a funny incident happened with the markup. Heavy rain and hail rained in Kerch and the markings began to be smeared, archaeologists had to urgently take measures to protect and restore it 
The railway approach to the Crimean bridge will be redesigned after the ancient settlement of Manitra was discovered at the construction site in the vicinity of Kerch.
The railway will pass south of the planned route; work on a new project may take about 6 months. This was reported by the information center "Crimean bridge".
“To preserve the unique historical monument, the builders of the approach to the Crimean bridge will adjust the railway line on one of the sections in the vicinity of Kerch. The road will bypass and will not affect the buildings of a rich antique manor discovered during archaeological research prior to the construction of the route.
A complex of 40 rooms and 9 courtyards, dating from the end of V - the beginning of the III century BC. e., could belong to the family of the Bosporus aristocrat or representative of the dynasty of the kings of Bosporus. The transfer of the approach site will allow scientists to preserve this settlement, study it and save it for posterity, ”the information center said.
The press service of the construction emphasized that the transfer of the section of the route will not affect the deadline for the 18-km approach: it will work, as planned, in December 2019.
According to RBC, railway tracks can be moved 700–900 m to the south, where "archaeologists do not expect new finds."
“We know and respect history. We understand in which region we work. Therefore, the issue of preserving cultural heritage has been and remains a priority, ”said Leonid Ryzhenkin, deputy director for infrastructure projects at Stroygazmontazh.
Unique find
The found estate covers an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 5 thousand square meters. m and is characterized by continuous building, characteristic of ancient rural complexes.
About 80% of the found settlement is now discovered. The upper layers are open practically over the entire area, but the lowest horizon has not yet been excavated everywhere.
“To understand who the first owner of this estate was, you need to open the earliest level. But it’s obvious that this was a representative of the aristocratic elite of the Bosporan kingdom, ”said Sergey Vnukov, head of the expedition, doctor of historical sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
“There are no analogues of a rural estate of such an area, complexity and such good preservation not only in the territory of Crimea, but also in the entire Black Sea region.
The uniqueness of this settlement is in a very high level of construction. The monument is located on the Kerch Peninsula, in the western part of the Bosporus Kingdom. This is the far outskirts of the Hellenic world, but here we see in the best manifestation the experience of ancient urban planning.
The one who built this estate had not only great, but very great material opportunities. Presumably, this is not even a representative of the social property elite, but rather a member of the ruling tsarist dynasty or Tsar of Bosporus himself, ”agrees Alexander Maslennikov, doctor of historical sciences, head of the field research department of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
At the fortress of Kerch, volunteers of the Archeology Foundation began clearing the so-called Blue Gate located on Cape Ak-Burun. Why blue ones? Previously, they were painted blue to distinguish from all others. In general, the fortress had more than 20 fortified passages. In the event of a siege, the besieged could exit through the Blue Gate in order to strike the flank of an advancing enemy on the northern part of the fortress. Nearby was the redoubt of a covered path from which fire was fired, preventing the besiegers from breaking into the gate.
At present, we are engaged in the excavation of the earth masses accumulated on this site over the last two centuries of the fortress’s existence, ”said Oleg Markov, Director for Development of the Archeology Fund. - Before starting work, the territory was examined by sappers from the Leader center of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. Clearing showed that the thickness of the influx of soil in the gate area is from 20 cm to one and a half meters. Research participants expect to find interesting finds. Thanks to the excavations, previously unknown elements of the architecture of the Kerch fortress can be discovered.
In parallel, work is underway to fix graffiti left by the "artists" on the walls of the fortress. But this, as they say, is women's work, and therefore it fell on the shoulders of female volunteers. During the existence of the outpost, both builders and defenders of the fortress and foreign invaders visited its territory. During the Great Patriotic War, the fortress of Kerch changed hands several times.
As specified in the Fund, all work is supervised by the head of the research department of the Kerch Fortress, Ph.D. Yuri Beylik, volunteers of the Archeology Foundation in the Kerch fortress are led by Alexander Okhremenko.
Cape Ak-Burun (translated from the Crimean Tatar “White Cape”), where the Blue Gate is located, is a separate fortified defense area of \u200b\u200bthe Kerch fortress, the internal structure of which remains to be explored, ”said Oleg Markov.
By the way, it is interesting not only for its fortifications of the 19th century, but also for the archaeological remains of ancient times. There is a hypothesis that the ancient city of Hermisius, mentioned by Pomponius Mela and Pliny, is located on Ak-Burun.
In principle, this is possible, although in the list of names of ancient settlements preserved by the written tradition for the stretch of the coast of the Eastern Crimea from Nymphaeum to Panticapaeum, there is another possible ancient city - Diya, ”said the director of the Fund. - In any case, only systematic archaeological excavations will be able to determine which city is located on Cape Ak-Burun. At the moment, we know for sure that the “father of Bosporus archeology,” Paul Dubrucks, in his description of the area repeatedly drew attention to the rapid destruction of the remains of ancient walls and buildings that he had fixed, which literally disappeared from the surface before our eyes. According to his calculations, 500 cubic meters of stone (4900 m3) of stone were removed from only one such point for construction purposes, and the lime kiln probably destroyed twice as much.
According to his observations, only the fortress wall with towers and gates extended over a length of two kilometers. Later, when Cape Ak-Burun firmly entered the jurisdiction of the military authorities, these antiquities became almost inaccessible to researchers and gradually began to be forgotten about them.
Interestingly, in 1858, Pavlovsky barrow was excavated at Cape Ak-Burun, in which a burial dating from the 4th century BC was discovered. The gold jewelry found there suggested that this was the burial place of the priestess of the temple of Demeter, the Fund emphasized. - Our volunteers already had to take part in the excavations of the temple of Demeter, however, on the other side of the Cimmerian Bosporus in the village of Vestnik (Anapsky District). Now they may have the opportunity to study the worshipers of the cult of this goddess already in Crimea.
On Friday, July 14, in the fortress of Kerch, celebrations will be held dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the start of construction. Scientists claim that the fortress of Kerch is one of the most mysterious fortifications built in the 19th century. Few people know about its existence. Meanwhile, at one time it was the most powerful fortress in the south of Russia and the second most important after Kronstadt.
Since this unique monument is located in close proximity to the future bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula with the mainland, after restoration and partial reconstruction it can become one of the main attractions on the way of tourists.
BTW
Anyone can become a volunteer and take part in the work of the Archeology Fund. Everyone who is interested in the military history of Russia is invited to come to Kerch. The work of volunteers on the Kerch Peninsula will last until September 1, 2017.
Excavations of the ancient settlement of Gleika-2 continue in the village of Podmayachnoye in the area of \u200b\u200bGolubinaya Bay. Last year, this expedition was already carried out. The expedition is led by a professor, doctor of historical sciences, head of the department of primitive traditional society of the Institute of Crimean Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Evgenievich Sour. Gleika-2 is one of the oldest settlements in the Crimea. During the excavation there were discovered many artifacts. So, for example, back in 2016, a burial place of a young warrior with a large shovel on his shoulder was discovered in the settlement, and last year an archaeologist managed to find elements of three boats of different models. Read: “The uniqueness of this settlement is that we do not know such a different culture in Crimea. There is a set of artifacts that make up the cultural foundation. These are ceramics, products and from such a material cultural layer we do not know. Nowhere else, in any settlement do we know in Crimea such ceramics with such a culture, with such a shape, ”Alexander Evgenievich said in an interview. This year, the expedition is trying to find even more structures that could remain from ancient times.