Kuban River Research Articles

Women’s belt from mound 12 of the Belorechensk burial ground

The article focuses on the analysis of a belt and a silver belt set from a female burial of mound 12 of the Belorechensk burial ground (excavations by Nikolai Veselovsky in 1896) now kept in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum. There was a medieval principality of the Circassians known as Kremuk located in the middle reaches of the Kuban River, in the vicinity of the modern cities of Maikop and Belorechensk. The belt was found in one of the richest female burials which probably belonged to a noble Circassian woman. The burial can be dated not earlier than the second third of the 15th – early 16th century AD. It is a women’s belt, as it lacks details typical for men’s military belts – accessories necessary for mounting weapons. It is possible that it was assembled from different parts: the plaques constitute one complex, the tip and buckle are from another one. The place of production of the belt, both silver fittings and braid, can be defined as the Black Sea region. Sash fabrics can be either imported or produced in the workshops of the Northern Black Sea region.

Stephanoceras humphriesianum (Ammonoidea), an Index Species of the Lower Bajocian, in the Basin of the Kuban River (Northern Caucasus, Russia)

Stephanoceras humphriesianum (Ammonoidea), an Index Species of the Lower Bajocian, in the Basin of the Kuban River (Northern Caucasus, Russia)

SUBRECENT POLLEN ASSEMBLAGES IN ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS OF THE DON AND KUBAN RIVERS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR PALAEOGEOGRAPHIC RECONSTRUCTIONS

The paper presents the results of studying modern alluvial deposits of the Don and Kuban rivers by the pollen analysis method. The study was carried out to clarify methodological issue, including the movement of pollen and spores by flowing waters. The obtained data show that pollen assemblages of river sediments formed in the process of pollen mixing by water and air characterize the composition of the regional vegetation cover rather than local nearriver plant groups. According to the results for the subrecent sediments of the Don River the transfer of pollen grains and spores by water was insignificant, which can be clearly seen at the border of the forest-steppe and steppe zones. Pollen assemblages of the forest-steppe zone contain 50% of tree species pollen, while in the steppe zone, including its northern part, tree species make up less than 30-35%. Sporadic forest elements such as Picea pollen, Lycopodium species spores and Sphagnum mosses in alluvial deposits of the steppe section of the Don River, as well as in the subrecent sediments of the Sea of Azov, could be neglected in the palaeoreconstructions. The composition of subrecent pollen assemblages of the Kuban River sediments is less variable from the middle course to the mouth with rather stable ratio of components. Pollen of the Caucasian flora elements (Fagus orientalis, Carpinus caucasica) is poorly dispersed by water from high and midmountain landscapes of the upper reaches of the river. The comparison of pollen assemblages from alluvial and marine (the Sea of Azov) sediments have shown that the distortion of fossil assemblages’ composition due to material input by water is minimal

The state of stocks and catches of commercial fish species of the Azov and Black Seas for the period 2000–2020: dynamics and trends

The aim to review the state of stocks and fishing against the background of changes in habitat conditions, commercial fish species of the Azov and Black Seas for the period 2000–2020.Materials: Regular scientific research, including: hydrological, hydrochemical, hydrobiological studies, bottom trawl and pelagic lamparian ichthyological surveys; collection and analysis of commercial biological information; analysis of commercial statistical data.Novelty: The dynamics of the values and state of stocks of commercial fish species in the conditions of climate change is shown. In the Black Sea, the increase in the average temperature of the mixed layer, the deepening of the upper boundary of the thermocline in the summer, as well as the slowdown in the cooling of the sea in the autumn-winter period has a negative impact on the productivity of the boreal ichthyofauna and the sprat (sprat) fishery; changes the timing and intensity of migrations of some species of the Mediterranean ichthyofauna, their wintering sites, areas of formation of commercial clusters and, accordingly, the effectiveness of fishing. In the Sea of Azov, the increase in salinity caused by a steady reduction in the volume of freshwater runoff of the Don and Kuban rivers and its replacement by advection of the Black Sea waters is the most important abiotic factor in changing habitat conditions. The increase in the salinity of the Sea of Azov has led to the transformation of traditional hydro- and ichthyocenoses. The gradual transition of the Sea of Azov under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation makes it possible to more effectively apply resource-saving and resource-restoring measures in order to develop the fisheries potential of this inland sea.As results: the results obtained in this work on the assessment of the impact of anthropogenic and climatic changes will be used to clarify the projected production (catch) of commercial fish.

Superfamily Perisphinctoidea (Ammonoidea) in the Bajocian–Lower Bathonian of the Kuban River Basin (Northern Caucasus, Russia)

Superfamily Perisphinctoidea (Ammonoidea) in the Bajocian–Lower Bathonian of the Kuban River Basin (Northern Caucasus, Russia)

Microfauna, Palynomorphs, and Biostratigraphy of the Upper Bajocian Strenoceras niortense Zone (Middle Jurassic) of the Kuban River Basin, Northern Caucasus

Microfauna, Palynomorphs, and Biostratigraphy of the Upper Bajocian Strenoceras niortense Zone (Middle Jurassic) of the Kuban River Basin, Northern Caucasus

Allelic diversity of the SSR locus VVIB23 linked to the flower sex in wild-growing grapevine genotypes of Krasnodar Territory

Background. Studying wild-growing grapevines is of interest because it expands the knowledge on the genetic diversity within the gene pool and helps to search for new resistance sources. One of the main differences between wild vines and cultivars is the type of their reproductive system: wild grapes are represented by cross-pollinated dioecious vines, while cultivated ones are, with rare exceptions, hermaphrodites capable of self-pollination. A DNA marker applicable to determine the grape flower sex has been identified.Materials and methods. The VVIB23 DNA marker to the Sex gene determining the flower sex was used to study 36 genotypes of wild-growing grapes selected in 2019–2021 within the Utrish Nature Reserve near Gelendzhik and the Krasny Les State Nature Reserve on the right bank of the Kuban River. PCR technique was applied, and the results were evaluated on a Nanofor 05 genetic analyzer.Results. The studied grapevine accessions were found to be variable for the VVIB23 SSR locus: 7 types of alleles were identified. Alleles corresponding to the male flower type were present in 14 genotypes, and those corresponding to the female type in 21. A PCR fragment whose size, according to the published data, correlated with hermaphroditism was not found, which is typical for wild genotypes. The DNA marker analysis failed to determine the flower sex of one accession.Conclusion. The results of the DNA marker analysis showed that the studied wild-growing grapevine genotypes were dioecious forms

An investigation into the practical application of the physical principle to ensure the safety of hydraulic structures during the construction of Novokarachayevskaya small hydropower plants on the Kuban River

Many countries around the world have embraced small hydropower as a stable component of their energy sector. Small HPPs in Russia generate approximately 2.2 billion kWh/year, and experts estimate their technical potential to be around 382 billion kWh/year. Small hydropower is an excellent alternative to centralized power supply for remote and hard-to-reach areas and areas with limited transmission capacity of power lines. The construction of small hydropower plants will also allow efficient use of river water resources for water supply, fishery, transportation, etc. This paper examines the construction of a small hydropower plant that will provide electricity to the communities near the hydropower plant. The purpose of the study is to investigate the option of applying the physical principle of fish protection using diverting re-forming fish protection structures to prevent fish from entering the system of structures of the Novokarachayevsk small hydroelectric power plant.

Analysis of the stability of the Kuban river landslide slope involving the materials of landslide hazard monitoring

The article discusses the improvement of methods for calculating the landslide threat in the monitoring of landslide hazard areas on the Kuban River and the study of the possibility of their negative impact on the operated hydraulic structures. The growth of economic activity, intensive use of water resources in the Kuban River basin leads to a decrease in the bearing capacity of slopes and an increase in landslide phenomena. These processes are also observed in the basins of other anthropogenically developed rivers of the Russian Federation. Shore protection structures and their construction are justified on the basis of the limit state method in accordance with the requirements of SR 58.13330.2011. The stability of such structures should be determined by reference to the stability conditions of the entire slope taking into account all acting loads and impacts. To solve this problem it is very effective to use a complex of structures regulating the flow of the river, flow guides (dams made of selected rockfill), slope-strengthening ones, etc. Measures justifying economic activity on a landslide slope are very effective. The right slope of the Kuban River in the suburbs of Armavir, Krasnodar Krai is characterized by the fact that significant (more than 3 m) fluctuations in inter-level and flood flow of rare frequency are observed on this section of the river. Realizing anti-landslide and bank strengthening measures it is necessary to provide for both a reduction in general and local erosion of the left bank and the drainage of groundwater and surface from the anthropogenically developed area adjacent to the right slope of the river Kuban. The purpose of this research is to substantiate the stability of the right slope of the Kuban River in the vicinity of the city of Armavir, Krasnodar Krai, where initial collapses are already taking place in connection with the construction of residential buildings in the immediate vicinity of the bank and the development of general and local erosion of the right bank of the river. The calculation is carried out according to several methods for the basic and special load combinations. These calculations are necessary to substantiate landslide and bank protection measures on the right bank of the Kuban River.

Species and Structural Diversity of Coniferous-Broadleaved Mixed Forests of the Pshekha River, North-Western Caucasus

The article presents the species and structural diversity of coniferous-broadleaved forests of the Pshekha river – the largest tributary of the Kuban river. All in all, 7 main types of forest were identified and described: fir-beech fern-forb forest, fir-hornbeam blackberry-forb forest, aspen-hornbeam honeysuckle-small-herb forest, hornbeam-black alder nitrophilic-tall-herb forest, hornbeam-oak rhododendron-blackberry forest, hornbeam-beech blackberry-forb forest and hornbeam honeysuckle-blackberry forest. The composition of the forest flora of the Pshekha river includes 270 species, including 221 species of vascular plants and 49 species of mosses. Floristic diversity of coniferous-broadleaved forests of the Pshekha river is inversely related to the crown density of the stand and the proportion of oriental beech (Fagus orientalis). The highest species saturation was noted in the hornbeam-black alder nitrophilic-high-grass forest type, the lowest – in the fir-beech fern-forb type. Ecological and coenotic structure of coniferous-broadleaved forest types of the Pshekha river depends on the height above sea level, which determines the indicators of the average annual precipitation and average annual temperature – with a decrease in altitude above sea level. m. the proportion of boreal species in the composition of the flora decreases, while the proportion of nemoral and meadow-edge species increases. In the coniferous-broadleaved forests of the river. Pshekha, 11 species of earthworms were identified, belonging to four morpho-ecological groups: epigeic, epi-endogeic and endogeic, as well as anecic. In forests with a high quality of litter (hornbeam-dominated), the greatest contribution to the biomass is made by epigeic (up to 41%) and endogeic (up to 45%) groups of earthworms. In forests with low quality litter (fir- and beech-dominated), the share of endogeic earthworms is high (up to 66%). Anecic worms are mostly confined to forests on moist soils. In all types of forests, Crimean-Caucasian endemics make a large contribution to biomass and abundance: polymorphic species D. schmidti, anecic D. mariupolienis, as well as Mediterranean species: litter D. attemsi (often inhabiting oak and hornbeam deadwood) and proper soil A. jassyensis. Cosmopolitan species (D. r. tenuis, D. octaedra) are numerous among the epigeic worms and often inhabit deadwood of coniferous tree species.

Bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis and silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix in the Southern Western Siberia

The native range of the bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis and silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix covers the East Asian river basins from the Amur to the Yangtze. These are inhabitants of large streams with a developed floodplain. These species spawn in rivers, during pronounced fluctuations in the water level, at high flow rates. A. nobilis and H. molitrix, as well as their hybrids, are widely used in aquaculture in many countries of the world. It is believed that the A. nobilis does not naturally reproduce in most places of introduction, but it is known that it successfully naturalized in the Amur river basin. Natural reproduction of the H. molitrix occurs in some rivers in Eurasia and America. In Russia, it is currently known about the natural reproduction of A. nobilis and H. molitrix in the Lower Volga and in the Kuban river. In new habitats, the bighead carp, as a zooplankton feeder, can be a food competitor for juveniles of native fish species. The naturalization of silver carp can pose a serious threat to recipient ecosystems, since it feeds on phytoplankton and it can significantly undermine one of the lower elements of the trophic chain of water ecosystems. The first introduction of A. nobilis and H. molitrix in the Ob river basin was made in 1958, in the Novosibirsk reservoir. Currently, these species are cultivated in fish farms in the region, from where they enter natural water bodies. Data on the natural reproduction of A. nobilis and H. molitrix in the Ob river basin (except, possibly, the Belovsky reservoir) is currently absen

On the Garantianinae (Ammonoidea: Stephanoceratidae) from the Upper Bajocian of the Kuban River Basin (Northern Caucasus, Russia)

New finds of ammonites in the Upper Bajocian Garantiana garantiana Zone in the interfluve of the Kuban and Urup rivers (Karachay-Cherkessia) allow their definitions and the rank of infrazonal subdivisions to be clarified. Djanaliparkinsonia egori sp. nov. from the upper part of the Garantiana zone is described. The zone is three subzones (from bottom to top): Alanica, Subgaranti, and Egori; each subzone contains a faunal horizon of the same name. The data on systematic composition and stratigraphic distribution of species of the subfamily Garanianinae in the Upper Bajocian of the Kuban River basin are summarized, and index-species of the subzones (and faunal horizons) of the Garantiana Zone are illustrated.

On the Dimorph Pair Lobosphinctes/Planisphinctes (Ammonoidea: Perisphinctidae) from the Uppermost Bajocian–Lowermost Bathonian of the Kuban River Basin (Northern Caucasus, Russia)

On the Dimorph Pair Lobosphinctes/Planisphinctes (Ammonoidea: Perisphinctidae) from the Uppermost Bajocian–Lowermost Bathonian of the Kuban River Basin (Northern Caucasus, Russia)

Амфоры Родоса III–II вв. до н.э. из коллекции Краснодарского музея

This paper presents stamped Rhodian containers from the excavations of ancient monuments of the Kuban river region, stored in the Krasnodar State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve named after E.D. Felitsyn. The greater part of the amphorae was found as a result of excavations of Maeotian burials mainly, which contained other imports: black-glazed or red-glazed ceramics, relief bowls, etc. The first part of the publication focuses on characterizing the complexes. It is noted that in some instances we encounter inconsistencies in the dating of different inventory items originating from the same burial. In the second part of the article, single amphorae, which origin cannot reliably be identified, are analyzed. The stamps imprinted on them are of special significance. There are stamps containing new previously unknown combinations of eponyms and fabricants names on three of the amphorae. In two cases, the commonly accepted period of activity of the fabricants Διονύσιος and ΙΜΑ(-) should be prolonged for 10–15 years. The situation with the fabricant Ζωίλος is different. Traditionally, his name was associated with eponyms of the III period (198–161 BC), however, in our case his stamp is on the amphora in combination with the stamp of the eponym dated to the Vb period (125–121 BC) – Τεισαμένος. It is thought that here the point at issue is a homonym. An indirect proof of this is the different typological affiliation of the fabricants’ stamps. Among the Rhodian stamps, there are rectangular unemblemed imprints with the name Ζωίλος and round imprints with the same name around the rose. In the final part, examples of new combinations of stamps of eponyms and fabricants, whose activities do not have chronological gaps, are given as well as vessels with stamps of previously unknown stamps are considered. The amphora stamped by fabricant Μένων II, who worked in the time of the eponyms of periods II and III, is of special interest; the eponymous stamp is reconstructed as may be supposed. In this case, the vessel itself is of interest, representing a later, previously unknown variety of amphorae of the “koroni” variant.

Меотские сероглиняные кружки IV–III вв. до н.э.

The article is devoted to the typology and chronology of gray clay cups from the Maeotian burial grounds on the right bank of the Kuban river. Type 1 refers to biconical cups with a high, narrow neck widening upwards (30 items). A little over half of the studied vessels come from assemblages with a wide chronological range dating back to the 4th and early 3rd centuries BC, where they are accompanied by swords of the Sindian-Maeotian type or sets of pottery characteristic of this period. The remaining burials with cups can be dated more precisely by the finds of container amphorae from different centers (Heraclea, Thasos, Ikos, Mende, Sinope, etc.). The wide chronological framework of the existence of type 1 cups among the Maeotians can be determined within the first half of the 4th century BC, but their narrow chronology is limited to the second quarter of this century. Two versions of the origin of cups of this shape are put forward: the first one is from imported red clay vessels; the second one is from hand-made cups of the 6th–5th centuries BC. Type 2 is truncated conical cups widening upwards (13 items). There are not enough strong chronological references for a narrow dating of this type of cups. Furthermore, apart from the cups, imported vessels were found in the three assemblages including amphorae of Rhodes, a black glazed plate and a fish plate. As the analysis of the assemblages shows, type 2 cups existed among the Maeotians for a rather limited period from the late 3rd century BC up until the beginning of the next century.

Insights on the Existence of Ancient Glacial Refugee in the Northern Black/Azov Sea Lowland, with the Description of the First Stygobiotic Microcrustacean Species of the Genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 from the Mouth of the Don River

A new species of the genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Niphargidae), co-existing with other stygobiotic amphipods, Diasynurella kiwi Marin and Palatov, 2023 and Pontonyx donensis (Martynov, 1919) (Crangonyctidae), is described from a small spring on a shore of Kiziterinka River in Rostov-on-Don City in the mouth of the Don River. Two of the three species in the studied spring, D. kiwi and the discovered Niphargus, belong to microcrustaceans not exceeding the total body size of 3 mm. The new species, Niphargus rostovi sp. nov., represents one of the smallest species within the genus and is mostly related to the Greek Niphargus karkabounasi Ntakis, Anastasiadou, Zakšek and Fišer, 2015, which is also not reaching the body size of 3 mm. One more related undescribed species is found on the Crete Island by the molecular genetic data. These species represent a separate phylogenetic lineage within the “carpathicus” species complex, which diverged from the congeners in the Late Miocene for more than 10 Mya. At the same time, the speciation within the ingroup started about 5–6 Mya, obviously correlating with the drainage of the Euxinian basin of the Eastern Paratethys, connecting the lower Don and southern Greece areas. Niphargus potamophilus Birštein, 1954 is also first recorded from the mouth of the Belbek River in the Crimean Peninsula, closing the known area from the Kuban River delta to Rostov-on-Don area and further along the western coast of the Black Sea to Bulgaria. Analysis of the recent records of long-time lineages of endemic/subterranean/stygobiotic animals unable to disperse for long distances assumed that glacial refugium existed at the mouth of the Don River, along with the South Caucasus (Colchis) and the southern Caspian (Hyrcania), where many species have survived several periods of glaciation since the late Miocene.

Archaeological evidence for two culture diverse Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and contacts between them.

Neanderthals were widespread during the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) across Europe and Asia, including the Caucasus Mountains. Occupying the border between eastern Europe and West Asia, the Caucasus is important region regarding the Neanderthal occupation of Eurasia. On current radiometric estimates, the MP is represented in the Caucasus between about 260-210 ka and about 40 ka. Archaeological record indicates that several culture diverse MP hominin populations inhabited the Caucasus, but the region complex population history during this period remains poorly understood. In this paper, we identify for the first time the archaeological evidence indicating contacts between two culture diverse MP Neanderthal populations in the North Caucasus and discuss the nature of these contacts. Basing on the lithic assemblages that we excavated at Mezmaiskaya cave in the north-western Caucasus (Kuban River basin) and Saradj-Chuko grotto in the north-central Caucasus (Terek River basin), dating from MIS 5 to MIS 3, and comparative data from other MP sites in the Caucasus, we identify two large cultural regions that existed during the late MP in the North Caucasus. The distinctive toolkits and stone knapping technologies indicate that the MP assemblages from Mezmaiskaya cave and other sites in the west of North Caucasus represent a Caucasian variant of the Eastern Micoquian industry that was wide spread in central and eastern Europe, while the assemblages from Saradj-Chuko Grotto and other sites in the east of North Caucasus closely resemble the Zagros Mousterian industry that was wide spread in the Armenian Highlands, Lesser Caucasus and Zagros Mountains. The archaeological evidence implies that two culture diverse populations of Neanderthals settled the North Caucasus during the Late Pleistocene from two various source regions: from the Armenian Highlands and Lesser Caucasus along the Caspian Sea coast, and from Russian plain along the Sea of Azov coast.

Marine indicators of climate change in the Azov Sea ecosystem

The study is a contemporary overview of accumulated data and knowledge about the state of water resources in the Sea of Azov basin. The focused area has been rather thoroughly studied since the 1970s, however the information presented in the literature sources is mainly in Russian. The main research objective is to consider the changes that occurred in the second half of the 20th – early 21st centuries in the lower reaches of the Don and Kuban rivers as a result of economic development of the territory (construction of water-storage reservoirs, dams, irrigation canals, etc.). We provide the most complete summary of data on the inter-annual and seasonal variability of water and solid river runoff, the nutrient load on the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov, as well as new data on the dynamics of organic carbon in the Don runoff in the recent low-water period of 2007–2020. The most significant changes include redistribution of river runoff during the year, a catastrophic reduction in solid runoff, and a change in the structure of terrigenous matter entering the sea. In conclusion, we indicate the chains of consequences of long-term changes in water, solid, and nutrient river runoff for the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov. These include changes in seawater salinity and temperature, terrigenous sedimentation, chlorophyll-a concentration, primary production values, the relative amount of organic matter in bottom sediments (one of the causes of oxygen deficiency at the bottom), structure of planktonic and benthic organisms, as well as in dynamics of valuable commercial fish populations. In particular, we discuss recent observations that confirm the earlier long-term probabilistic forecast of the collapse of the Azov pikeperch population in the beginning of the 2000s. We consider the salinity and temperature of sea waters, data on the content of diatom valves, and the appearance of the Black Sea benthic species in the ecosystem of the Sea of Azov as reliable indicators of climate change. Some of the observed phenomena are still poorly explained and require further research. Using the example of the Sea of Azov and the rivers flowing into it, we indicate how climate variability and economic activity affect the state and functioning of marine ecosystems. Some identified regularities of the processes occurring in the Azov Sea ecosystem may be applied to other water bodies (marine areas).

ТЕРМОХАЛИННЫЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ АЗОВСКОГО МОРЯ В ЛЕТНИЙ ПЕРИОД 1989-2021 ГГ. И ВЛИЯНИЕ НА НИХ СТОКА РЕК ДОН И КУБАНЬ

Considerable inter-annual variations of water temperature and salinity in the Azov Sea necessitate their constant monitoring. Following the numerous studies undertaken in this area, this work presents the specific features of inter-annual changes in temperature and salinity of the sea surface layer, averaged for the summer seasons of 1989-2021 both for the Azov Sea (excluding Taganrog Bay) and for its various areas; two representative time spans, 1989-2004 and 2005-2021, have been identified. The first time span was characterized by a relatively wide variation range of the temperature and by its decreased values, as well as by the decrease in the salinity. During the second time span, an increase in the both temperature and salinity of the sea surface layer occurred in the sea and its regions, which was induced by the increase in the air temperatures in the area and by the reduction of the relatively cold Don River runoff after 2005 in the case of the first parameter, and, for the second parameter, it resulted from the decrease in the runoff of the both Don and Kuban Rivers. Correlation analysis of the series of the summer temperature and salinity values by area and for the sea on the whole as they relate to the annual and maximum runoff of the Don River (Razdorskaya) and to the annual runoff of the Kuban River (Krasnodar and the river mouth) for 1989-2021 has shown the absence of the significant relationship with temperature and its presence with salinity both for the sea and for most of its regions at the confidence level of 99 % for the Don River runoff and 95 % for the Kuban River runoff.

Древнейшие греческие географы о Понте Евксинском и его окрестностях

Anaximander of Miletus, Hecataeus of Miletus and Scylax of Caryanda, representatives of the Archaic Ionian scholarship, were the earliest Greek geographers (6th century B.C.). The philosopher Anaximander drew the first map (still very schematic one); the historian Hecataeus improved this map towards more detailed elaboration and also wrote the first periegesis (“Description of the Earth”); the seafarer Scylax was the author of the first periplus (although at such an early stage of development of Greek prose literature the genres of periegesis and periplus still had little difference between each other). The article deals with extant data of these writers on the Black Sea and adjacent regions. To be true, there is no such information in Anaximander’s fragments, and rather little in Scylax’s ones (mainly on the area of the Straits); but Hecataeus’ fragments contain it in abundance. That author’s geographical treatise was a virtually exhaustive description of lands known at his time, surely including coasts of the Black Sea and the nearby Azov Sea. Hecataeus measured the size of the Black Sea (at the map rather than “in nature”). It is he who is likely to have for the first time used the famous and very popular in antiquity image of the Pontus as a Scythian bow. Of interest is the question where in the Black Sea region the scholar drew the border between Europe and Asia; the article gives arguments in favour of the opinion that for him the border was not the Don River, as later in Herodotus, but the Kuban River. Meanwhile, the territory that is now the Taman Peninsula (it was an island in antiquity) belonged to Asia according to Hecataeus. In the “Description of the Earth”, there is the first in the narrative tradition evidence on Phanagoria – one of the most significant Greek colonies at the territory of Russia, later the second in importance center of the Bosporan Kingdom. Amazons are localized by Hecataeus near the Thermodon River rather than in the Northern Black Sea Region, as Herodotus and Hellanicus later did.