LATE SCYTHIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CULTURE: A THREATENED PART OF UKRAINIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14795/jaha.13.2.2026.1581Keywords:
Lower Dnieper, Late Scythian culture, hillforts, burial grounds, fortification, Russian invasion, protection of cultural heritageAbstract
The paper contains the description and research of Late Scythian hillforts and burial grounds of the Lower Dnieper basin of the 2nd century BC – 3rd century AD, located along the right (12 hillforts and 3 burial grounds) and left (5 hillforts, separate burials) banks of the Dnieper River. The text includes the brief history of the study of sites with the author's version of the origin of the Late Scythian culture of the region; the general characteristics of the Late Scythian culture of the Lower Dnieper; a description of topography of the hillforts of two types, features of their fortification; characteristics of three known burial grounds with classification of the burial constructions with analysis of funeral rites and grave goods etc. The text is accompanied by maps, plans and aerial photographs of the sites, satellite images, archival and modern photographs. Particular attention is paid to the destructive consequences of Russian invasion and the subsequent fate of the Lower Dnieper Late Scythian sites, which found themselves in the epicenter of hostilities.
Downloads
References
ARTAMONOV 1948
Artamonov, M. I., Skifskoe tsarstvo v Krymu, Vestnik Leningradskogo universiteta 8, 58-69.
BYLKOVA 2007
Bylkova V. P., Severnoe Prichernomorie v antichnuju epokhu (po materialam raskopok poselenij) (Kherson: Izd-vo KhGU).
CHIRKOV 1867
Chirkov, A. Kratkij ocherk gorodishch, nakhodjashchikhsja po Dnepru i ego Limanu, Zapiski Odesskogo obshhestva istorii i drevnostej, Tom VI (Odessa), 546-550.
DZNELADZE/SIKOZA 2020
Dzneladze, E. S./Sikoza, D. N., Oboronitelnye sooruzhenija pozdnikh skifov Nizhnego Dnepra, Arkheolohіja і davnja іstorіja Ukrainy 3(36), 191-213.
GAVRILYUK 2005-2009
Gavriljuk, N. A., Frakijtsy v Nizhnem Podneprov'e, Stratum Plus 4, 114-141.
GAVRYLIUK 2009
Gavriljuk, N. A., Nizhnedneprovskie gorodishсha i opyt ikh izuchenija i sokhrannosti. In: Zin'ko V.N. (ed.), X Bosporskie chtenija. Bospor Kimmerijskij i varvarskij mir v period antichnosti i srednevekov'ja. Aktual'nye problemy (Kerch': Demetra), 95-101.
GAVRILYUK 2013
Gavriljuk, N. A., Ekonomika Stepnoj Skifii VI – ІІІ vv. do n. e. (Kiev: Vydavets Oleg Fіljuk).
GAVRILYUK/KRAPIVINA 2005
Gavrylyuk, N.A./Krapivina, V. V., Nizhnedneprovskie gorodishcha (k probleme vozniknovenija i razvitija). In: Zinko, V. N. (ed.). Bospor Kimmerijskij i varvarskij mir v period antichnosti i srednevekovija. Periody destabilizatsij i katastrof (Bosporskie chtenija 6) (Kerch), 66-73.
GOSHKEVICH 1913
Goshkevich, V., Drevnie gorodishha po beregam nizovogo Dnepra, Izvestija imperatorskoj arheologicheskoj komissii, Vyp. 17 (Sankt-Peterburg), 27-28.
KOLTUKHOV 1999
Koltuhov, S. G., Ukreplenija Krymskoj Skifii. Materialy po arkheologii Kryma. Simferopol': Sonat, 1999.
KONDUKTOROVA 1971
Konduktorova, T. S., Pizni skify na Nizhniomu Dnipri (za antropolohichnymy materialamy Zolotobalkivskogo mohylnyka). Materіaly z antropolohії Ukrainy 5, 60-71.
KONDUCTOROVA 1979
Konduktorova, T. S., Fizicheskij tip ljudej Nizhnego Prideprov'ja na rubezhe nashej ery (po materialam mogil'nika Nikolaevka-Kazatskoe) (Moskva: Nauka).
KONDUKTOROVA/YEFIMOVA 2014
Konduktorova, T. S./Efimova, S. G. Kraniologicheskaja kharakteristika naselenija Beljausa. In: Dashevskaja O.D. Nekropol Beljausa (Simferopol: ChP "Predprijatie Feniks), 94-98.
MORDVINTSEVA 2015
Mordvintseva, V. I., Sotsialnaja struktura naselenija gorodishcha u s. Zolotaja Balka, Stratum Plus 4, 115-142.
POGREBOVA 1958
Pogrebova, N. N., Pozdneskifskie gorodishcha na nizhnem Dnepre (gorodishcha Znamenskoe i Gavrilovskoe), Materialy i issledovanija po arkheologii SSSR 64, 103-247.
ROSTOVTSEV 1918
Rostovtsev, M. I., Ellinstvo i iranstvo na yuge Rossii (Petrograd: Ogni).
SHCHUKIN 1979
Shchukin, M. B., K predystorii chernjahovskoj kultury. Trinadcat sekvencij, Arkheologicheslij sbotnik Gosudarstvennogo Ermitazha 20, 67-89.
SIKOZA/DZNELADZE 2019
Sikoza, D./Dzneladze, E., Zhenskie pogrebenija Nikolaevskogo mogilnika, Arkheolohіja і davnia іstorіa Ukrainy 2(31), 355-363.
SIMONENKO 2016, 27-32
Simonenko, A. V., O proiskhozhdenii pozdneskifskoj kultury Nizhnego Dnepra, Starodavnye Prichornomoria XI (Odesa: ONU іm. І. І. Mechnіkova), 2016, 476-483.
SYMONENKO 2022
Symonenko, Al., Late Scythian Culture of the Lower Dnieper: the Issue of Origin, Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology 9/3, 27-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14795/j.v9i3.794
SYMONENKO/DZNELADZE/SIKOZA 2024
Symonenko, O. V./Dzneladze, O. S./Sіkoza, D. M., Atlas pіznioskіfskikh pamijatok Nizovoho Dnіpra. (Kyiv: ІA NAN Ukrainy).
SYMONENKO/SIKOZA/DZNELADZE 2015
Symonenko, O.V./Sіkoza, D. M./Dzneladze, O. S., Pіznioskіfski mogilnik Chervony Mayak. Doslіdzhennja 2011-2015 rokіv (Kherson: FOP "Sіvak O.V.).
VIAZMITINA 1962
Vyazmіtіna, M. І., Zolota Balka. Poselennja sarmatskogo chasu na Nizhniomu Dnіprі (Kyiv: Naukova dumka).
VIAZMITINA 1969
Viazmitina, M. I., Frakijskie elementy v kulture naselenija gorodishch Nizhnego Dnepra. In: Drevnie frakijtsy v Severnom Prichernomorie (Moskva: Nauka), 119-134.
VIAZMITINA 1972
Vyazmitina, M. I., Zolotobalkovskij mogilnik (Kiev: Naukova dumka).
ZAJTSEV 1999
Zajtsev, Yu. P., Skilur i ego tsarstvo (Novye otkrytija i novye problemy), Vestnik drevnej istorii 2, 124-147.
ZUBAR/KUBYSHEV 1987
Zubar, V. M./Kubyshev, A. I., Pogrebalnye kompleksy rubezha n. e. iz Nizhnego Podneprovia, Sovetskaja arkheologia 4, 248-253.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 JOURNAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal, we use CC BY-NC-ND license (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs) wich only allowing others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
