Danube Region Research Articles

The Rise of the White Serbia in the Light of the Merovingians’ Thuringia Policy

The study offers an analytical overview of the international relations in the territory of the Middle Elbe basin from the 530s until the early 8th century, specifically concerned with the policy of the Merovingian kings towards the former Thuringian kingdom lands and the issue of the rise of White Serbia. The author considers Frankish policy as an influencing factor in slavisation of the discussed region while examining the impact of a wider spectrum of possible factors, in particular, the changes in ecology and the Avar presence in the Middle Danube region. The chronology of the Serbian settlers’ arrival into the Middle Elbe valley as well as their political & legal status in that land are specified. The author discusses the issue of the White Serbs’ initial foreign policy orientation and investigates the causes, direction, time & consequences of its change. The main research content is complemented by the excurses on the climatic crisis of the Late Antique Little Ice Age and chosen aspects of the Avars’ & the White Serbs’ early ethnic history.
 The author develops W. Fritze’s hypothesis of the Merovingians’ active involvement and support of the Serbian immigration into the Middle Elbe and Saale region together with an idea of anti-Avar direction of this measure. Whereas, the results of the study have rejected the assumptions, that the Elbe Germans abandonment of the area to the east of the Elbe and Saale at the end of the third quarter of the 6th century was caused by the Frankish-Avar agreement or Slavic pressure. The author concludes that the first group of the Serbian settlers arrived to the Middle Elbe and Saale from the North-Western Bohemia during the Austrasian king Theudebert ІІ’s reign, probably, at the invitation of the famous Brunhilda, receiving the lands in Thuringia’s border zone as the Frankish foederati. The interconnection between the initial successes of the Merovingians’ Serbian policy in the east of Thuringia during the first decades of the 7th century and the settlement of the Croats & Serbs in the Balkans by the emperor Heraclius is revealed. It has been demonstrated that further expansion of the White Serbia’s territory from the 630s was of spontaneous nature and took place under the circumstances of the collapsed Merovingian control over Thuringia.

New Late Bronze Age hoard from Srebrenik: a preliminary report

Late Bronze Age hoard from Srebrenik it turned up by chance in May 2016. It was discovered in shallow pit on the slope of the hill facing down towards small stream in the village Rapatnice near Srebrenik (Tuzla Canton). The Srebrenik hoard is the largest hoard of bronze metal work yet found. It consists of over 150 pieces divided into 5 groups: weapons, tools, ornaments, bronze sheets and raw materials (ingots), which defined the hoard to be of large quantity and mixed composition. In those aspects, it represents the application of a classical pattern of hoard finds from the wider Pannonian-Carpathian and Eastern Alpine region. According to the typological analysis and its chronological attributions artifacts from hoard show great similarity with findings from nearby hoards, as that from Boljanić dated to the IInd phase of the Urnfield period hoards of Bosnia and Herzegovina, culturally associated with Late Bronze Age Barice-Gređani group. In cultural and technological aspects, it is interpreted in closer association with characteristic pattern of manifestation of hoards over a wide area of south-western Pannonia basin with Slavonia and Serbian Danube region, i.e. with the hoards of the IInd phase of the Continental Croatia – Veliko Nabrđe and with the IInd phase of the Urnfield hoards of Serbian territory. Consequently, the Srebernik hoard is well synchronized with the Ha A1 phase i.e. with the late 13th first half of the 12th century B.C. of the corrected Central European periodization.

Tell Me Your Companionship, and I Will Tell You Who You are. The Networks of University-Industry Collaboration in the Danube Region

Tell Me Your Companionship, and I Will Tell You Who You are. The Networks of University-Industry Collaboration in the Danube Region

Overview of hydrophysical studies in the waters of the Danube River Estates

The purpose of the article is to systematize the hydrophysical observations carried out by various specialists in the waters of the Danube River region on the basis of the results of expeditionary studies carried out on the basis of long-term observations of the past and present centuries, the need to fill in the gaps in the understanding of the current state of the Danube sea mouth, due to a substantial increase in its anthropogenic load. The Danube Sea Floor is located on the Danube River. Data have been collected from many complex marine expeditionary studies on the Danube coastline of different institutions of different countries. A description of changes in the indicators of salinity, turbidity, run-off and sediment, oxygen, temperature, hydrogen index, upwelling, ecological state of the area of the estuary rise of the Danube region is provided. The practical significance of these results lies in the importance of establishing national inter-institutional cooperation for the efficient and rational use of natural resources and the introduction of environmental protection measures in the Danube and the Black Sea, introduction of world best practices for the sustainable development of territories, scientific management of water resources, establishment of a monitoring system to identify constructive solutions for the conservation and reproduction of aquatic bioresources in the Danube region and the adjacent territories of the Black Sea.

O fibulă cu sfere de la Poienești și orizontul La Tène C1 extracarpatic / A fibula with globules (Gebhard 14 type) from Poieneşti and the extra-Carpathian La Tène C1 horizon

Without forming a well‑defined regional group, the relatively synchronous “Celtic” extracarpathian discoveries (LT C1) form a distinct horizon. For the name of this horizon, one could appeal to the funerary discoveries from Glăvănești (in Moldova) and Telești (in Oltenia). The Glăvănești‑Telești horizon is subsequent to the “Getic” horizon of the Thracian fibulae (Zimnicea‑Peretu group) which, in turn, can be synchronized for the time being only to the early La Tène (LT B1– B2). In addition to the chronological justification, the succession of these “horizons” also has a cultural one. The magnificent inventories such as those from Agighiol, Peretu et al. reflects stable “northern Thracian” power structures that could not coexist at the Lower Danube with power structures of intra‑Carpathian (“Celtic”) origin, e. g. the tomb from Telești. In other words, funerary contexts, such as those at Telești or Mezek, could not be established in the Lower Danube region until, more likely, after the decline of North Thracian power structures. In turn, the Central European cultural patterns mediated by the “Celtic” power structures lost their vigour, expressiveness and consistency at the Lower Danube with the formation of the Poienești‑Lucașeuca group. The Gebhard 14 type fibula with spheres from Poienești‑Măgură and the two Werner XIV type horse‑bits discovered in the same site can be perceived as exponents of the extra‑Carpathian “Celtic” horizon. By analogy with the fibulae from Wederath (tomb 96) and Kălnovo (tomb 3), the one from Poienești could be dated in the first half of the middle La Tène (maybe even during the LT– C1b sub‑phase !). The earliest necropolis of the Poienești‑Lucașeuca group (respectively, the one from Poienești) could not be organized until after the dissolution of the extra‑Carpathian “Celtic” horizon. The present contribution is not intended to resolve issues related to the precise periodization and absolute dating of the transition between the two successive extra‑Carpathian horizons, “Celtic” (Glăvănești‑Telești) and “Bastarnian” (Poienești‑Lucașeuca). However, the beginnings of the latter horizon cannot be adequately determined without the plenary debate on the end of the former.

Post-Conflict Development in the Framework of the Danube Region

Post-Conflict Development in the Framework of the Danube Region

АКТУАЛЬНІ ЗМІНИ ЗАКОНОДАВСТВА ПРИРОДООХОРОННОГО СЕРЕДОВИЩА У СФЕРІ ПРИРОДНО-ЗАПОВІДНОГО ФОНДУ ЩОДО ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ДОСВІДУ ПІСЛЯВОЄННОГО ВІДНОВЛЕННЯ ОБ’ЄКТІВ ПРИРОДНО-ЗАПОВІДНОГО ФОНДУ ІНШИХ КРАЇН

The author notes that during the war there were a number of problems: shortage of drinking water, wastewater discharge and significant environmental pollution. It is noted that in such conditions not enough attention is paid to environmental regulation. Accordingly, the procedure for assessing the impact on the environment throughout Ukraine for the period of martial law or hostilities has been suspended, while the number of environmental problems is growing exponentially. Emphasis is placed on the importance of conducting strategic environmental assessment, which will be especially important in the construction of new infrastructure facilities. The author emphasizes that countries and organizations that provide significant financial assistance to Ukraine will provide access to finance only if they declare and fulfill their European integration aspirations and commitments. It is noted that the European Commission has expressed a personal desire to provide assistance in monitoring the environment and environmental consequences of war based on satellite data from the Copernicus system. In the face of significant destruction and the need to build large numbers of housing for Ukrainians, Ukraine has committed itself to implementing Directive 2010/31 / EU on the energy performance of buildings into national law. The need for decarbonisation of cities through the implementation of the EU-Covenant of Mayors initiative was emphasized. The readiness to support Ukraine's accession to LIFE, which will contribute to effective assistance in environmental protection and accelerated transition to a clean, energy-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, is noted. The emphasis is placed on the environmental issues of the Danube region and regulatory ways to solve it and minimize the negative consequences. European legal instruments that need to be ratified in the framework of environmental security and reducing the vulnerability of Ukrainian communities to climate change are considered.

Nature-based solutions as water management measures in Hungary

Climate change, loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems are all linked and have devastating consequences for our socio-economic stability, health and well-being. Working with nature is increasingly recognized as an efficient way to tackle these growing challenges, according to the new EEA report ‘Nature-based solutions in Europe: Policy, knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.’ In line with the basin wide updated flood risk strategy like International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (hereafter: ICPDR) Flood Risk Management Plans 2021. Multilevel action plans have been developed. The EU level plans, such as the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, from the geographical point of view (for example: EU Green Deal) are mainly based on watersheds and on macro-regional scale. However, at the same time, counties should elaborate their strategies on their own level. Hungary has many strategies, one of the most relevant in terms of climate change is the Hungarian National Water Strategy (hereafter: HNWS), also known as, Kvassay Jenő Plan.

ДЕРЖАВНЕ РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ МОРСЬКИХ ПОРТІВ У СИСТЕМІ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ УКРАЇНИ

The article defines Ukraine as an independent European country with the status of a maritime state, access to the Seas of Azov and the Black Sea, a long coastline, and a significant area of water space. Economic security in maritime transport is interpreted as a subsystem of economic security of the state, and its objects are defined as: security of port infrastructure, security of navigation, anti-terrorist security of transportation, man-made and ecological security of functioning of sea ports. The advantages, opportunities, weaknesses and threats of the port infrastructure of Ukraine are summarized. A conclusion was made about the low ratings of Ukraine in the Global Index of Competitiveness of Countries according to the indicator «Efficiency of Sea Ports» of the quality of transport infrastructure. It is shown that the criteria for the efficiency of the functioning of seaports are: the state of their material and technical base (quality), as well as quantitative indicators of the volume of export, import, transit, cargo turnover, the number of processed vessels, etc. An assessment of informational changes in the Register of Seaports of Ukraine has been provided. It is shown that at the moment only half of them are working due to the military aggression of Russia and the temporary loss of control over the seaports of the AR «Crimea» and the Sea of Azov, as well as the blocking of the Black Sea ports. The shift of business activity to the ports of the Danube region is shown. The measures of the state to reduce the danger of sea transportation in the conditions of martial law in terms of loss compensation, risk insurance, implementation of the multilateral agreement on the export of grain and food products from Ukrainian ports have been systematized. Organizational models of regulation of seaport activity are characterized. It is proved that their domestic form of state unitary enterprise of commercial type, managed by the Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine, gravitates towards the «port-instrument» model. Reasonable expediency of transition to the «port-owner» model, which provides for the concession of port assets and infrastructure owned by the state, development of competition between sea ports, simplification of customs procedures when crossing borders, reduction of port dues rates, etc.

Analiza elektronske maloprodaje u zemljama Dunavskog regiona

This paper investigated the role and importance of e-retailing in traditional marketing channels in the selected countries of the Danube region. The main aim of the research was to highlight the economic benefits of e-retailing in traditional retail institutions analyzing the revenue from the sale of e-retailing in traditional retailers' business and representation of e-retailing "click and brick" in the group of largest e-retailers. The core idea of this paper was to empirically evaluate if the e-retailing implementation is in correlation with business profit, origin and specific form of a retailer. In this context, the study was conducted using the volume of sales revenue, the origin of retailer and form of the retail outlet, as independent variables based on which a volume of e-retailing presence as the dependent variable is evaluated. This study eliminates retailer's sales revenue as a statistically significant indicator which influences the implementation of e-retailing. On the other hand, the findings show that foreign retailers significantly less likely to implement e-retailing than domestic retailers when analyzing all countries in the region. When it comes to retailing formats, results suggest that retailers with retail format shopping centres and kiosks don't have e-retailing. All remaining retail formats have e-retailing. This paper formulates practical suggestions for further using of e-retailing in Danube region countries' marketing channels.

МІЖНАРОДНЕ ВРЕГУЛЮВАННЯ КОМЕРЦІЙНОГО СУДНОПЛАВСТВА НА НИЖНЬОМУ ДУНАЇ У ХІХ - ПОЧАТКУ ХХ СТ.

The article analyzes the main international acts, treaties, conventions governing commercial shipping in the Lower Danube in the XIX – early XX centuries. Considerable attention is paid to the periodization and peculiarities of international diplomacy regarding commercial shipping on the Danube. The measures of European states for the introduction of a single legal regime and guarantees of safety of navigation on the Danube are considered. The attempts of the Russian Empire to establish political, economic and legal hegemony in the European international shipping trade are analyzed. The process of creation of the European Danube Commission (hereinafter – EDC) and its place in the deployment of international shipping in the region is studied. By the middle of the XIX century most often used bilateral diplomacy aimed at strengthening the presence of European countries on the Danube. Britain, Austria, and Russia actually imposed their conditions on the Ottoman Empire regarding shipping and trade relations. The Russian Empire almost monopolized its presence on the Lower Danube with the Peace of Bucharest (1812), the Peace of Andrianople (1829), and the Ackermann Convention of 1826, much to the displeasure of leading European countries. Therefore, from the middle of the XIX century efforts of European countries (including Britain, France, Austria) were aimed at ousting Russia not only from the Danube, but from the Budzhak region and the creation of an international commission (EDC), which would regulate commercial shipping. Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War of 1853-1856 and the loss of the Danube part of Budzhak temporarily drove it out of the Danube region. The legal alternative was the activity of the EDC, which was clearly regulated by international treaties and conventions. In addition to regulating the shipping regime, the EDC dealt with the issue of quarantine, arrangement of shipping channels, legal regime in the area of responsibility. Even the victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 failed to restore Russia’s full presence. The agreements of 1878–1883, according to which Russia regained the Danube part of Budzhak and the Kiliia estuary, became a certain compromise, and the powers of the EDC extended to the entire Lower Danube. Until 1918, control over waterways continued to be exercised by the European Danube Commission, which in turn also did not take into account the interests of the newly formed Danube states (Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria).

ДУНАЙСЬКА СТРАТЕГІЯ ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОГО СОЮЗУ ТА ЇЇ ВПЛИВ НА СОЦІАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНИЙ РОЗВИТОК ОБЛАСТЕЙ-УЧАСНИЦЬ

The EU Danube Strategy aims to ensure the infrastructural, ecological, socio-economic and institutional development of the region. At the same time, the regions of Ukraine participating in the Strategy, still do not have a formalized strategic vision of their participation in the EU Strategy for the Danube region with clearly defined goals and priorities, as well as tools to achieve them. An unresolved problem is the organization of cooperation at the level of business structures, public organizations, institutions of science, education, medicine, sports, etc. The issues of resource provision and their rational use, conservation of the environment and biodiversity of the region require further research. Analysis of the main directions of the EU Danube Strategy and analysis of the natural resource potential, the state of the educational level and professional training of the population in the participating regions, gave the basis for defining the main types of joint activities aimed at developing culture and tourism, expanding contacts between people, preserving biodiversity, reserves, water quality, air and land, as well as for the creation of a single transport complex and for improving the education system, etc. Based on a comparison of individual indicators of socio-economic development, the disproportions of regional development are established and ways to overcome them are determined, in particular, competitive advantages enhancing the significance of the regions of Ukraine in Strategy implementation are identified. Determination of the competitive advantages of the participating regions’ development in the Danube Strategy is of utter importance in the formation of socio-economic development programs and working out the measures for the implementation of the Strategy.

Flood Forecasting and Disaster Risk Management – a Case Study of Danube River

The Danube and its tributaries have been crossing mountains and plains in their almost unchanged riverbeds for thousands of years, regardless of national and administrative boundaries. Nevertheless, even decades ago, several countries provided access to only limited data and information concerning the water level and flood protection status of their rivers. In recent years, information was exchanged mainly on the basis of bilateral agreements and on successful activities of basin-wide organizations, but for others, information could only be obtained by browsing the Internet, which is sometimes rather complicated and definitely time-consuming. The EU Strategy for the Danube Region Environmental Risks Priority Area initiated a project aimed at developing the Danube Hydrological Information System, which was supported by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River. A comprehensive overview of the complex national flood and ice forecasting systems, identification of the shortcomings of the existing forecasting practices as well as an improvement of the exchange and availability of hydrological and meteorological data between the involved countries constituted crucial fields of interests for the project. Hence the main aim of the article is to present and discuss key data and functionalities of the system. The key findings show that all authorized meteorological and hydrological data of the Danube River are stored in a central database and made available online to all licensed hydrological and flood protection institutions for further processing in virtually real time. At this moment 12 countries of the Danube have joined forces to work out the proposals that are essential for the future, for safer Danube.

MEDIEVAL MERCHANTS ON THE ROUTE BETWEEN THE DALMATIAN (RAGUSAN) LITTORAL AND THE CITIES ON THE SOUTHERN HUNGARIAN BORDER: IMPACT OF TRADE ON MOVEMENT

The inhabitants of Dubrovnik played an important role in the development of long-distance trade not only in the Balkans, but in other places as well. The cities along the southern Hungarian border were also within the scope of Dubrovnik’s merchants, and thanks to their activities in this area, trade flourished between the Dubrovnik (Ragusan) littoral and the lower Sava and Danube regions. From the fourteenth century onwards, these merchants played a crucial role in the development of trade in these areas and most trade was conducted through them. They supplied the cities along the lower Sava and the Danube Rivers with a variety of goods, but most often dealt in cloth. This was particularly apparent during the Despotate, when Belgrade and Smederevo were developed cities full of wealthy nobles who dressed in fine fabrics imported from Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik’s merchants long dominated trade in these areas. However, the arrival of the Ottomans and the wars they waged in the lower Sava and Danube regions often caused considerable damage to their commercial endeavors.

DISTRIBUTION OF ALIEN ZOOBENTHIC SPECIES ON THE SHELF OF THE BLACK SEA

The number of alien species in the zoobenthos of the Black Sea increased up to 65 species. Depending on the scale of their distribution in the Black Sea, non-native zoobenthos species are combined into three groups: 1) 5 species have spread in the entire sea, 2) 35 species were found in several areas, and 3) 25 species were found only in one of the areas of the sea. Six areas of the Black Sea shelf have been identified (Varna - Burgas, Danube, Northwestern, Crimean, Caucasian and Anatolian) in accordance with the seasonal and annual values of the thermohaline characteristics. The zoobenthos differed not only in quantity, but also in the composition of non-native species between the six areas of the shelf. The results of multivariate statistical analysis revealed a low level of similarity between these areas of the Black Sea shelf. The greatest similarity in the composition of alien species of zoobenthos was observed for the Danube region with the Varna and Burgas bays, which border each other. The species composition of the alien species of the Caucasian shelf was more similar to the Varna - Burgas and Danube areas than to the neighboring Crimean and Anatolian areas. Spatial gradients of temperature and salinity form hydrological fronts of water masses, which are a kind of ecological barriers and can limit the natural exchange of alien species between shelf areas.

Die Kriegergräber mit Schwertern des sog. Asiatischen Typs im Mitteldonauraum unter Berücksichtung des Neufundes von Horákov (Mähren, CZ)

Abstract The occurrence of foreign, more precisely eastern, cultural elements among local archaeological finds is commonly regarded as a characteristic feature of the cultural-historical development during the Early Migration Period in Central Europe. Such interpretations, which generate many questions and are sometimes accepted with scepticism, have gained some ground, but most of them indisputably demand verification and less strictly defined views. These foreign cultural elements usually represent objects, whose symbolic values made them, part of the new funerary customs connected with changes of social structures during the historical development of barbarian peoples on the Danube. The main attention in this regard is paid to a well-distinguished group of weapon graves, which contained both the so-called eastern weapon types and, on the other hand, clear acculturation traits. Within the group of eastern weapons, which influenced the armament of Danubian warriors, encompassed also various types of double-edged long swords – spathae. A conspicuous type is represented by long swords with relatively narrow blade and a massive iron cross guard, so-called swords of Asian type, which occupy a special position in the Danube region.

Harmonization of Natural and Urban Structures in The Danube Region

The deteriorating state of the environment over the last half century has resulted in the current climate and environmental crisis, which is conditioned by the unbearable exploitation of the natural environment. One of the activities that plays a key role in this situation is urbanization with a constant occupation of the landscape, increasing emissions from traffic and buildings. A well-thought-out and consistent strategy for the harmonization of natural and urban structures can mitigate the negative climate impacts in the residential environment. The harmony of natural and artificial elements has a positive impact not only on the environmental but also the aesthetic quality of the urban environment. It can significantly help to strengthen the character of the cities. It was the landscape that significantly influenced their location and characteristic image. The research focuses on the evaluation of the quality of the urban environment with emphasis on the interaction of urban and landscape structures. The presented research is aimed to the connection of the city with the river and the surrounding landscape. It analyses and evaluates the impact of characteristic natural elements on the formation of urban structures during their development to the present day. It traces significant "traces" of the landscape in the urban structure of selected cities and their evolution. The research is focused to significant Slovak settlement on the Danube.

Pilot Application of ‘Invasive Alien Species in Europe’ Smartphone App in the Danube Region

The present pilot study tested and validated the use of the ‘Invasive Alien Species in Europe’ smartphone app (IASapp) in the Lower Danube Region. The study was conducted in three stages: (1) Testing the effectiveness of the app in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia by organizing information and field testing campaigns; (2) Improving and extending the functionality of the app and developing a list of the invasive alien species (IAS) of concern to the Danube River Basin (DRB); and (3) Testing the updated app during the Joint Danube Survey 4 campaign. Overall, 13 campaigns were carried out, during which seven aquatic IAS of EU concern and nine IAS relevant to the DRB were recorded. Currently, the developed new functionality of IASapp allows the recording of 64 IAS of DRB concern. The updated IASapp has an important role in increasing public awareness on IAS issues, as well as in enlarging the participation and output of citizen science in the IAS early detection, monitoring and reporting in the DRB. Therefore, the constant communication with existing stakeholder groups and establishment of new citizen science groups is crucial for increasing the effectiveness of using the IASapp in the Danube Region and tackling the IAS issues.

The Lower Danube Region and the South of Russia: International Trade, Navigation and Merchants in the British Consular Reports (1829–1900)

This work by Christian Constantin on the lower Danube region and the south of Russia from the perspective of British consular reports from the nineteenth century was published by LAP Lambert Publishing in the year 2020. This work is another study by this author devoted to the economy and trade in the lower Danube and the Black Sea region in the nineteenth century—one of the previous ones, the article “The South Russia in Vision of the Europeans: The British Consular Reports on the Years 1882 and 1883” (Hiperboreea 2018, vol. 5, no. 5) was integrated into this book as chapter 3. Another article, entitled “Romanian–British Commercial Exchanges at the Lower Danube: The Consular Report of Percy Sanderson on the Year 1883” (Hiperboreea 2016, vol. 3, no. 2) was integrated as chapter 4 of this book. This, however, means that this work cannot be treated as something new.The book is divided into four main chapters. The first one analyzes the general problem of the transition of the character of the grain market in the lower Danube region in the nineteenth century, when this area was becoming gradually more independent from the Ottoman economy and the European powers were more and more active in that area. The next part of the work concentrates on a very particular problem (chronologically and thematically): the activity of European merchants in Odessa in 1882 and 1883 from the British perspective in the broader context of the economic rivalry between European powers in the lower Danube area and the Black Sea region. The third part of the work is devoted to the same time (the year 1883), but it investigates the problem of the economic exchange between Romania and Great Britain. The last part of the work depicts the trade and agriculture in the Brăila port in the last decade of the nineteenth century. From this short recapitulation of the content of the book, it is clear that it is mainly devoted to a rather restricted chronological period of the last two decades of the nineteenth century or even two specific years (1882–1883), which are described in the historical documents on which the author focuses. A period of more than fifty years, from 1829 to 1882 (in which Istanbul was still one of the main destinations of grain exports), is also described but rather as a point of reference to better expose the changes that occurred in the last decades of the nineteenth century. Hence, it would be more accurate if the time scope presented in the title of the work were more restricted chronologically.The choice of historical documents (British consular reports) is very interesting because such types of documents are often used by researchers interested in the history of diplomacy, or—analogically to travelogues—as documents that allow an investigation into the evolution of certain stereotypes or geopolitical and civilizational ideas, such as in the context of Eastern Europe or of the Balkans. In this case, the author uses the consular reports in the context of the economic history of the region. Unfortunately, large parts of the text, which appeared in the already-mentioned articles written by the author and were originally presented as transcriptions of the consular reports, are integrated into the main text of the monograph without such indication, and they appear to be the analysis of the researcher instead of being properly cited as historical documents (pages 48–72 and 76–107—hence, a great part of the book!). Even if it is only an editorial mistake, it is very confusing for the reader, and it disqualifies this publication. Hence, even if the subject is interesting, the already-mentioned articles, which served as the basis for this monograph, are more recommended than the reading of this book itself.

The Catacomb No. 74 of the Verkhnii Saltiv Main Burial Ground

The materials of the catacomb burial, investigated in 1988 by the expedition of Kharkiv Historical Museum under the leadership of V. H. Borodulin, located on the main site of the early medieval burial ground near Verkhnii Saltiv village (Verkhnii Saltiv Burial Ground-I, hereinafter — VSBG-I), are introduced into the scientific circulation. The catacomb had a long (6.3 m) and deep (5.05 m) dromos, in the western part of which the path of the re-entry into the burial chamber was fixated. The burial chamber, transverse to the dromos, contained the remains of three people (a man, a woman, and a teenage girl) who had traces of deliberate destruction committed in ancient times (Fig. 1: 1). Despite this, a rich burial inventory was found in the burial, which included: weapons (sabre, two chisel-axes); household items (two adz-hoes, a jug); personal jewelry (earrings, beads, bracelets, rings); toiletry (mirrors, toilet boxes); details of clothing; elements of a belt set; amulets. According to the elements of the belt set, this burial complex is dated by the second — third quarters of the 9th century. The main feature of this catacomb is the presence of a silver earring in it (Fig. 1: 13), which finds broad analogies in the Slavic-Avar antiquities of the Danube region. On the monuments of the Dnieper Left-Bank forest-steppe, similar earrings were found in the monuments of the Volyntsev culture of the second half of the 8th — early 9th centuries. A silver plaque-frame with an anthropomorphic image (Fig. 1: 12) is not typical for classical Saltiv antiquities, and it is stylistically close to the plaques from the Hungarian burial (burial No. 2) near Subotsi village (Ukraine, Kirovohrad Oblast). The presence of these items in the catacomb No. 74 testifies to the close contacts of the Alans of the Saltiv culture of the Siverskyi Donets basin in the second — third quarters of the 9th century simultaneously with representatives of the conquered Slavic tribes and with the ancient Hungarians, who were allies of the Khazar Khaganate.