Rus’ian Book-Cover Plaque in Byzantine Sougdaia

Abstract

This article has analyzed one of the most studied finds from mediaeval Sougdaia, which was discovered by archaeological researches. The artefact in question was published twice, both times with erroneous attribution. Nevertheless, the analysis of the materials excavated at Rus’ian sites allows its undoubtful attribution as a drobnitsa, or book-cover plaque, which dates, according to clear archaeological context, from the late tenth to the first half of eleventh century. Interesting enough, such finds are rather rare in Rus’ian sites. The reasons why it found its way to Sougdaia remain unclear. It is safe to say only that it was a part of the grave goods of a person interred in a Christian burial vault. Unfortunately, the extremely bad preservation of the skeletons and the intermixed finds did not allow the one to determine the full composition of the grave goods to be related with a specific skeleton. However, the discovery of the book-cover plaque and other Rus’ian finds in recent years allows to expand our notion of the Rus’ian imports in Byzantine Sougdaia. Formerly, the Sougdaia finds comprised only of a set of artefacts (spindle whorls, bracelets, Christian cult artefacts, and a neck-ring of the Kiev type) typical of a large city that established close economic ties with Rus’. However, in view of the finds of ceramic fragments featuring Rus’ian inscriptions, the seals of the princes of Tmutorokan, and such an important and rare object as the book-cover plaque, there are reasons to resume the discussion on the political status of the Eastern Crimea in the age of the climax of the Principality of Tmutorokan.