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  • Mohyl`nyk Opushki
  • AR Krym, Simferopol`s`kyy rayon
  •  
  • Ukraine
  • Crimea
  • Simferopol Raion

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Monuments

Periods

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Chronology

  • 100 BC - 200 AD

Season

    • The cemetery Opushki (Uzlissya) is situated 15 km southeast of Simferopol and 2.0-2.5 km northwest of the village Opushki (Uzlissya). Excavations of cemetery were carried out in 2003-2005 and in 2007. During this period 53 burial constrictions were excavated. In 2008 12 objects discovered (including 3 chamber tombs, , 7 undercut graves and 2 ground graves). Thus by now 65 burials have been studied on the graveyard area (8 crypts, 36 undercut graves, 19 ground graves, a stone grave and a stone coffer). The burial site is a subject to high level of plunder. On an area of 3 hectares the looters destroyed hundreds of burial sites. The undercut grave No.57 was intended for children. In a small (1.2 × 0.4 m) grave seven children's skeletons were revealed. When the newly deceased was buried, the skeletons of the previously buried got some damage. The grave goods, consisting of a necklace and a pair of bracelets, gives little concrete dating evidence. However, the peculiarities of the funeral rite let us attribute the grave to the Late Scythian Period. The graves intended exclusively for the burial of children, were similar to the ones which were earlier found at the cemetery of Uzlissya. The construction of the chamber tomb No.58 is unusual. The wall of its dromos there is a lining, which was almost destroyed by the plunderers. The funeral chamber of the crypt is not rectangular or oval in plan, as traditionally, but rather triangular. Probably, the crypt was plundered in antiquity. Only two graves survived: one - completely, the other - partially. A buckle with a decorative frame and the dress hemline sheathed with beads let us suggest that the grave dates to the first half of the III century AD. The design of the crypt 59 is fairly typical for Late Scythians. In the funeral chamber only the bones of two pairs of legs remain as a result of recent plunders. Judging by their location, two deceased persons were laid over another pair of deceased persons. The dress hemlines of one pair were sheathed with beads. The undercut grave No.60 contained the funeral set traditional for Late Sarmatians: fibulas, bracelets, a mirror, red lacquered vessels, multiple necklaces, a box with the shells probably used as amulets. The burial construction No. 42 is very informative. Its frame suggestsan ordinary Late Scythians crypt, but the burial rite has nothing similar with the Late Scythian culture, nor with any other culture. The main feature is that for the purpose of burying not only the burial chamber was used, but also the dromos. Thus, the shield slab was installed not between the dromos and burial chamber, as is usual, but at a distance of 1.3 m from the end wall of the dromos. In the part of the dromos located behind the shield slab, around 20 bodies were buried in six tiers. Inside the funeral chamber several dozens of people were buried. The exact number of deceased is impossible to count, for the plunderers destroyed many skeletons. Crypts with multiple multi-tier burials are typical of the Late Scythian culture. However, the use of both a funeral chamber and a dromos was revealed for the first time. The grave goods found in the crypt are not very informative. They included fibulas, bracelets, earrings, mirrors, different pendants, hundreds of necklaces. Most date to the I century AD. Some, perhaps, are attributed to the I cent. BC and the beginning of the II century AD. Most of the graves found at the Opushki graveyard in 2008 relate to the Late Scythian culture. But it should be kept in mind that during the excavations of the site, including those held in previous years, there were also signs of Sarmatian (Middle- and Late Sarmatian cultures) and Alan burial sites; in addition there was a stone box in the Germanic cremation tradition.

Bibliography

    • Храпунов И.Н., Власов В.П., Мульд С.А., Стоянова А.А., Шапцев М.С. Раскопки памятников римского времени в предгорном Крыму // Археологічні дослідження в Україні 2008 — 2007 рр. — К., 2009. — С. 309 — 310.