Abstract
In the South-West Crimea there are about 200 specialized wine-making complexes that functioned in the Middle Ages. For a long time, these archaeological sites did not become the object of separate studies. The main purpose of this research is to calculate the productivity of grape pressures and to determine the economic orientation of winemaking in this region of Crimea in the 9–10th centuries. For the analysis, we used data on 62 rock-cut wine presses located in the district of the Syuiren fortress, in the South-Western part of the Heraclean Peninsula, within the boundaries of the «cave cities» – Kyz-Kermen, Mangup, Eski-Kermen, directly under the control of the Byzantine administration. Taking into account the different degree of preservation of these objects, it was found that about 45 thousand kilograms of grapes are needed to fill 57 containers for collecting grape must. The number of grape pressures is directly related to the area of cultivated vineyards, therefore, for the smooth operation of 62 wineries, 186 hectares of vineyards are needed. From this area, it is possible to get from 372 to 617 thousand liters of wine in one season. With the operation of almost all rock wineries simultaneously located in the South-West Crimea, the total volume of obtained wine products could reach two million liters. The calculations made allow us to speak about the satisfaction of domestic demand by the local population, when one person drinks 0,27–0,87 liters of wine per day. The existing surplus wine was exported to the Don and Azov regions of the Khazar Kaganate.
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