«Квартал гончаров» (участок «ГШ») в системе застройки и в экономике архаического Борисфена

Abstract

The paper contains a comprehensive analysis of the results of excavations of “ГШ” sector in the central part of the archaic Berezan Island site conducted by IA NASU archaeological team in 2006—2016. The uncovered structures, apparently, belonged to one household, which had an area of ca. 300 sq. m., which, in turn, was located in the territory of a city quarter of irregular shape. In the third quarter of the 6th century BC this household was a pottery workshop: during the excavations, five kilns were discovered, with grayware lamps and tableware of various shapes, imitating waveline East Greek pottery. The workshop was focused on small-scale production of a wide range of tableware, intended mainly for the local market, which probably had a very limited capacity in the third quarter of the 6th century BC. This complex is the oldest evidence of the commercial pottery production among the North Pontic ancient Greek sites. It is important both for understanding the economic growth of the first apoikia in this region and in the context of the Berezan settlement development. The time of its appearance coincides with the alleged re-foundation of Borysthenes — the emergence of a large group of Ionian colonists in the 540s BC, which led to the rapid urbanization of the settlement, the development of crafts and monetary circulation. The arrived craftsmen set up various handicraft industries in a new place, but the metallurgical workshops located on the territory of the early dugout settlement ceased to function or were transferred to the outskirts of the city’s new quarters.