Investigations of 2013 at site 343 in the rural territory of Chersonesos Taurica, Yukharine Ravine (Crimea)

Abstrakt

The fieldwork of 2013 carried out by the joint Ukrainian-Polish Protection Expedition took place at Site 343 containing remains of a large countryside farmhouse. The site is situated within the agricultural territory (chora) of Crimean Chersonesos on the ridge dividing two adjacent Berman and Upper yukharine Ravines. 1 During earlier excavation campaigns the north-eastern part of the farmhouse was investigated. In the northern part there were also excavated three circular structures probably used in the 2nd and 3rd c. AD for storing food products (Fig. 1). our project in 2012 was to go on with further investigating the architecture and stratigraphy of the large square tower, the earliest building on the farmsite. Situated in the western part of the whole rural complex called nowadays “Bliznecy” it measured originally 7.7×7 m and at a later stage 10.7×9.7 m after its walls had been doubled with four exterior buttresses, usually referred to as “antibattering ram.” In order to recognize better the position and role of the tower within the built-up area of Site 343 two trial trenches were opened up along the outer side of the north- and south-eastern walls of the tower.