This is the first volume of the complete publication of Panskoye I, a rural settlement in North-western Crimea dating from the period c. 400-270BC. The settlement was founded by Olbia, the most important Greek city on the northern shores of the Black Sea. Half a century later the fortress was destroyed and the settlement taken over by another Greek city, Chersonesos Taurica. From then on and until its final destruction it formed part of the chora (territory) of this city. This volume published research results about a monumental building (U6) which was erected after the take-over by Chersonesos and details on the very varied and rich finds from the building. The volume encompasses detailed studies of the architecture and layout of the building, of a large number of finds such as sculpture, pottery, lamps, terracottas, coins, metal-, stone-, and glass objects and graffiti. Included also are the results of a number of scientific studies, such as geological, palaeobotanical and petrographic analyses. An introduction presents the large-scale survey of North-western Crimea which began in 1959 and of which the excavations of Panskoye I (1964-94) form a central part.
This publication offers an insight into two important issues in ancient history and classical archaeology, a Greek city's exploitation of its territory and of the interaction between Greek settlers and all local tribes, in this case the Scythians and the Taurians. The volume is the first of three. Volume 2 will deal with the necropolis of the settlement, and volume 3 with the earliest fortress.