Historical and archaeological museum-reserve Kalos Limen
Reserve Kalos-Limen, Ancient Greek city, ExcavationsCrimea, Chornomorske
Historical and archaeological museum-reserve Kalos Limen
Reserve Kalos-Limen, Ancient Greek city, ExcavationsCrimea, Chornomorske
In the west of the Tarkhankut peninsula, not far from the Black Sea, there is an amazing monument of history and culture - the ancient Greek policy of Kalos-Limen - "the harbor of Chersonesos in the Scythian land" is mentioned by many ancient authors, as well as in the "Oath of the Citizens of Tauric Chersonesus". For a long time there were disputes about its location, until the excavations of 1929 at the Ak-Mechet settlement did not dot the i. For the first time, the Hellenes appeared here at the very beginning of the 4th century BC, choosing the area near a convenient bay, from which a shallow estuary remains today. Polis first belonged to one of the more ancient settlements of the western Crimea, most likely Kerkinitida, and then came under the rule of Chersonesus.
Gradually, on the site of a small village, a city was built that retained its former name. It flourished for almost half a century, until the 70s of the 3rd century BC, when Sarmatian tribes invaded the peninsula. Most of the settlements burned down in fires, but Kalos Limen survived, although, as excavations show, many of its inhabitants died. The town was empty and revived only after a few decades. Due to its important strategic importance and convenient bay, it existed almost until the end of Greek colonization in the second half of the 2nd century BC. BC. Then the city was occupied by the Scythians.
At the end of the II century BC. Kalos-Limen is involved in the confrontation between the Pontic kingdom and the Scythians, he repeatedly passed from hand to hand. Next to him, a decisive battle took place between the Pontic commander Diaphrantus, who arrived to the rescue of the besieged Chersonese, and the fifty thousandth united army of the Scythians and Alans. The victory of Pontus did not bring, however, the resurrection of Kalos-Limen, the settlements on the western coast of Crimea were slowly destroyed, their ruins covered with sand. The famous harbor, which gave shelter to merchant ships and warships, was separated from the sea by a sandy embankment and turned into a shallow estuary. And already nothing reminded that there was a flourishing city, which bore the proud name of the Beautiful Harbor. Only a powerful stone structure resembling the ruins of a pyramid remained on the site of the city.
In the 18th century, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, there was a small redoubt here, and later, until the 30s of the 20th century, the building of a border cordon. The purpose of the mysterious "pyramid" remained a mystery for a long time, there were many hypotheses about its origin, including the most incredible ones, until the excavations of 1929 clarified the picture. In place of the "pyramid" in Kalos Limen stood a huge sixteen-meter tower. It was the highest building in the fortress, which served as a lighthouse - at night a fire was lit on its upper platform. In the cellars of the tower, food supplies were stored in case of a siege. The upper floors housed a command post and stone-throwing tools were installed to control the entrance to the bay.
When the Scythians began to threaten the fortress, the tower was surrounded by another belt of stone, which gave it the shape of a pyramid that has survived to this day. The belt served as protection against ramming, traces of which are still visible on it. Subsequently, the Scythians turned the tower into a bulwark protecting the approaches to the city from land. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of fortress walls, several towers that protected the gates, corner fortifications and residential buildings. One of the buildings is excellently preserved, you can see it, imagining the life of a distant ancient era. In the area of a huge hill - a Scythian ash pan - excavations discovered another surviving tower with a basement and a staircase, part of the fortress wall and the main entrance to the territory of Kalos-Limen, from which a large empty stone survived - on its surface the wheels of carts were beaten out.
During the excavations of this site, archaeologists found a wide variety of items stored both in the tower and in neighboring houses. This area of the city suffered the most during the attack of the Sarmatians - during excavations, arrowheads are often found stuck into the walls of unbaked bricks. A narrow path leads from the remains of the lighthouse to the hills overgrown with thorns. In ancient times, the main city street passed here, reaching a width of six meters. It connected the main gate with the harbor, was paved with rammed crumbs, not inferior in strength to asphalt. There was a gutter in the center of the road, and a sidewalk was located along one of the sides. A section of the road, the ruins of Greek and Scythian houses can be seen in the very center of the settlement. The best preserved Scythian buildings are characterized by careless masonry. The steppe people - the Scythians never reached the skill of the Hellenic builders. A few hundred meters from the settlement rise small mounds - burial mounds. Here, under the Hellenes and the Scythians, there was a cemetery. Crypts made of hewn stone and mud bricks and simple graves covered with slabs are hidden under the embankments. Archaeologists were lucky to find a lot of clay vessels, weapons, toilet items and simple jewelry.
You can get to the ruins of the Beautiful Harbor from the center of the village along an asphalt road leading to the sea, then along the beach you need to go towards the campsite. Where the coastal sandy strip ends and a small rocky cape rises, Kalos Limen was located. A small lighthouse serves as an excellent landmark. However, those wishing to visit the ruins of the ancient city and see the unique finds found in the settlement are advised to contact the historical and archaeological reserve "Kalos-Limen", located in the building of the music school of the village of Chernomorskoye, or to the archaeological base along Frunze Street, 23a. Excellent places for excursions are located near Chernomorskoye, which can be reached by a local bus going from the village.
18 kilometers from the Black Sea is Mezhvodnoe - a resort area replete with lakes, bays, sandy beaches on the shores of the picturesque Yarylgach Bay. In the area of the Karanja Bay, in the vicinity of the village of Olenevka, there is the Dzhangulsky landslide coast, which fascinates with its pristine beauty and has been declared a reserve.
Gradually, on the site of a small village, a city was built that retained its former name. It flourished for almost half a century, until the 70s of the 3rd century BC, when Sarmatian tribes invaded the peninsula. Most of the settlements burned down in fires, but Kalos Limen survived, although, as excavations show, many of its inhabitants died. The town was empty and revived only after a few decades. Due to its important strategic importance and convenient bay, it existed almost until the end of Greek colonization in the second half of the 2nd century BC. BC. Then the city was occupied by the Scythians.
At the end of the II century BC. Kalos-Limen is involved in the confrontation between the Pontic kingdom and the Scythians, he repeatedly passed from hand to hand. Next to him, a decisive battle took place between the Pontic commander Diaphrantus, who arrived to the rescue of the besieged Chersonese, and the fifty thousandth united army of the Scythians and Alans. The victory of Pontus did not bring, however, the resurrection of Kalos-Limen, the settlements on the western coast of Crimea were slowly destroyed, their ruins covered with sand. The famous harbor, which gave shelter to merchant ships and warships, was separated from the sea by a sandy embankment and turned into a shallow estuary. And already nothing reminded that there was a flourishing city, which bore the proud name of the Beautiful Harbor. Only a powerful stone structure resembling the ruins of a pyramid remained on the site of the city.
In the 18th century, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, there was a small redoubt here, and later, until the 30s of the 20th century, the building of a border cordon. The purpose of the mysterious "pyramid" remained a mystery for a long time, there were many hypotheses about its origin, including the most incredible ones, until the excavations of 1929 clarified the picture. In place of the "pyramid" in Kalos Limen stood a huge sixteen-meter tower. It was the highest building in the fortress, which served as a lighthouse - at night a fire was lit on its upper platform. In the cellars of the tower, food supplies were stored in case of a siege. The upper floors housed a command post and stone-throwing tools were installed to control the entrance to the bay.
When the Scythians began to threaten the fortress, the tower was surrounded by another belt of stone, which gave it the shape of a pyramid that has survived to this day. The belt served as protection against ramming, traces of which are still visible on it. Subsequently, the Scythians turned the tower into a bulwark protecting the approaches to the city from land. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of fortress walls, several towers that protected the gates, corner fortifications and residential buildings. One of the buildings is excellently preserved, you can see it, imagining the life of a distant ancient era. In the area of a huge hill - a Scythian ash pan - excavations discovered another surviving tower with a basement and a staircase, part of the fortress wall and the main entrance to the territory of Kalos-Limen, from which a large empty stone survived - on its surface the wheels of carts were beaten out.
During the excavations of this site, archaeologists found a wide variety of items stored both in the tower and in neighboring houses. This area of the city suffered the most during the attack of the Sarmatians - during excavations, arrowheads are often found stuck into the walls of unbaked bricks. A narrow path leads from the remains of the lighthouse to the hills overgrown with thorns. In ancient times, the main city street passed here, reaching a width of six meters. It connected the main gate with the harbor, was paved with rammed crumbs, not inferior in strength to asphalt. There was a gutter in the center of the road, and a sidewalk was located along one of the sides. A section of the road, the ruins of Greek and Scythian houses can be seen in the very center of the settlement. The best preserved Scythian buildings are characterized by careless masonry. The steppe people - the Scythians never reached the skill of the Hellenic builders. A few hundred meters from the settlement rise small mounds - burial mounds. Here, under the Hellenes and the Scythians, there was a cemetery. Crypts made of hewn stone and mud bricks and simple graves covered with slabs are hidden under the embankments. Archaeologists were lucky to find a lot of clay vessels, weapons, toilet items and simple jewelry.
You can get to the ruins of the Beautiful Harbor from the center of the village along an asphalt road leading to the sea, then along the beach you need to go towards the campsite. Where the coastal sandy strip ends and a small rocky cape rises, Kalos Limen was located. A small lighthouse serves as an excellent landmark. However, those wishing to visit the ruins of the ancient city and see the unique finds found in the settlement are advised to contact the historical and archaeological reserve "Kalos-Limen", located in the building of the music school of the village of Chernomorskoye, or to the archaeological base along Frunze Street, 23a. Excellent places for excursions are located near Chernomorskoye, which can be reached by a local bus going from the village.
18 kilometers from the Black Sea is Mezhvodnoe - a resort area replete with lakes, bays, sandy beaches on the shores of the picturesque Yarylgach Bay. In the area of the Karanja Bay, in the vicinity of the village of Olenevka, there is the Dzhangulsky landslide coast, which fascinates with its pristine beauty and has been declared a reserve.
PLACES NEARBY
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