RED SLIP WARE FROM THE LATE SCYTHIAN NECROPOLISES OF THE LOWER DNIPRO BASIN

Abstract

Red slip ware from the Late Scythian burial grounds of the Lower Dnipro (Mykolaivka, Zolota Balka, Chervony Mayak) has been analyzed in the paper. Its purpose is a primary generalization of the material: summarizing all finds of this category, typological distribution according to accepted typological schemes, statistical processing and dating according to the assemblages and analogues. The vessels of the Late Hellenistic and Roman Ages covered with any lacquer coating: red, brown or black (sometimes these colors exist together on the same vessel) were enrolled in the analysis. It has been ascertained that the difference in color is caused by the thickness and quality of the lacquer layer and oxidation or reduction processes during firing.
 The material is organized by the form (purpose) into departments in which for typological division the classification schemes by J. Hayes, D. V. Zhuravlyov and O. A. Trufanov was used. There are eight of these departments: plates (1), bowls (2), cups (3), dishes (4), kantharoi (5), mugs (6), jars (7), and other types (8). In total, in three burial grounds 109 whole and fragmented red slip vessels were found.
 The preliminary analysis demonstrates, first of all, the significant difference in the assortment of red slip ware of the Lower Dnipro and Crimean Late Scythian burial grounds. In the former there are almost no plates, jugs and mugs, which are so numerous in the latter. On the other hand, in Crimea there are no rare forms (modiolus, pottery with applied decoration) similar to those found on the Lower Dnipro. The qualitative difference is also noticeable: in the Crimean graves there are a lot of new vessels without noticeable traces of use; on the contrary, the pottery from the burials of Lower Dnipro basin is mostly used, with worn lacquer and traces of repair. The certain «tardiness» of several early vessels emphasizes the fact that the inhabitants of the Lower Dnipro hill-forts valued the imported vessels and kept them. It is interesting that sometimes red slip wine vessels were used as a container for sacrificial meat with a knife, completely without regard to their original purpose.
 The large difference in the range and quantity of red slip ware between the Crimean and Lower Dnipro sites is easily explained by the neighborhood of the Scythians and Greek cities of the Crimea — primarily Chersonesos and Pantikapaion. It seems that Olbio, which was probably the main counterparty of the settlements of the Lower Dnipro, could not provide the neighboring barbarians with such a variety of goods as the Crimean polis. On the other hand, the relatively small number of imported vessels of the Oriental Sigillata group and the rarity of Western (Italian and Spanish) vessels makes the red slip ceramic complex of both Late Scythian enclaves similar. The significant prevalence of the Pontic Sigillata points to the main direction of trade relations of the Greek centers of the Northern Pontic region, which supplied the red slip ware to the neighboring barbarians.