As a theme, 'Meetings of Cultures in the Black Sea Region: Between Conflict and Coexistence' arouses strong feelings. From the remotest Antiquity, the indigenous and nomadic non-Greek populations of the Pontic region were persistently viewed as one of the major Others, first of all by Mediterranean Greeks. And because the region geographically was located as a bridge between Europe and Asia it was, and still is, also part of a Europe/Asia discourse of dichotomy. As far back in time as Antiquity Western self-understanding and identity formation has been shaped not least through its colonial experiences. Until recently, such colonial experience has led to a very static picture in our analysis of colonial encounters. However, as a result of post-colonialism, post-modernism and now globalization our conception of colonization has undergone a rapid and far-reaching conceptual change. Gone are the days when the Black Sea region was seen as a sea of barbarian wilds enlightened by small flicks of Greek civilization along the coast. Settling the Black Sea region was a challenge for the Greeks. Compared with the Mediterranean, this happened relatively late, and the attempt of settling the land was not always equally successful. In fact, frequently the power balance was in favour of the indigenous population. Nevertheless, the cultivation of the land and the establishment of exchange systems must have been beneficial for all participants in the exchange network.
In this volume, the acts of an international, interdisciplinary conference held at Sandbjerg Manor House, Denmark in January 2006 are published. 19 contributions by scholars from Denmark, France, Georgia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine give a profound discussion of various topics such as the physical arena of the colonial encounters as spaces of identity; the layout of land and protection of cities; the dynamics of the cultural exchange; the perception of how it was to be Greek in the Pontic realm, and finally the reciprocal strategies exerted by the Greeks and Scythians in Olbia as described in Herodotos' Fourth Book of his 'Histories'. Through the many-sided contributions it is also revealed, how self and other is two sides of the same coin - yesterday, today and, tomorrow.
Author(s): Pia Guldager Bilde, Jane Hjarl Petersen (eds.)
Series: Black Sea Studies, 8
Publisher: Aarhus University Press
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 420
Preface 9
Setting the scene
Jurij A. Vinogradov / Rhythms of Eurasia and the Main Historical Stages of the Kimmerian Bosporos in Pre-Roman Times 13
Pia Guldager Bilde / Some Reflections on Eschatological Currents, Diasporic Experience, and Group Identity in the Northwestern Black Sea Region 29
Valentina Mordvintseva / Phalerae of Horse Harnesses in Votive Depositions of the 2nd-1st century BC in the North Pontic Region and the Sarmatian Paradigm 47
Spaces of identity
Peter Attema / Conflict or Coexistence? Remarks on Indigenous Settlement and Greek Colonization in the Foothills and Hinterland of the Sibaritide (Northern Calabria, Italy) 67
Alexandre Baralis / The Chora Formation of the Greek Cities of Aegean Thrace. Towards a Chronological Approach to the Colonization Process 101
Michael Vickers and Amiran Kakhidze / A Kolchian and Greek Settlement: Excavations at Pičvnari 1967 to 2005 131
Claiming the land
Jakob Munk Højte / The Cities that Never Were. Failed Attempts at Colonization in the Black Sea 149
Alexander V. Karjaka / The Defense Wall in the Northern Part of the Lower City of Olbia Pontike 163
Alexander V. Karjaka / The Demarcation System of the Agricultural Environment of Olbia Pontike 181
Alexander V. Gavrilov / The First Results of the Archaeological Surveys Near Cape Čauda and Lake Kačik on the Kerch Peninsula 193
Tatina N. Smekalova / Archaeological Sites of the Southwestern Part of Bosporos and their Connection to the Landscape 207
The dynamics of cultural exchange
Jane Hjarl Petersen / Kurgan Burials from Nymphaion – A New Approach 215
Nadežda A. Gavriljuk / Social and Economic Stratification of the Scythians from the Steppe Region Based on Black-glazed Pottery from Burials 237
Latife Summerer / Indigenous Responses to Encounters with the Greeks in Northern Anatolia: The Reception of Architectural Terracottas in the Iron Age Settlements of the Halys Basin 263
Natalia G. Novičenkova / Mountainous Crimea: A Frontier Zone of Ancient Civilization 287
Emzar Kakhidze / Apsaros: A Roman Fort in Southwestern Georgia 303
Mind the gap
Robin Osborne / Reciprocal Strategies: Imperialism, Barbarism and Trade in Archaic and Classical Olbia 333
David Braund / Scythian Laughter: Conversations in the Northern Black Sea Region in the 5th Century BC 347
George Hinge / Dionysos and Herakles in Scythia ‒ The Eschatological String of Herodotos' Book 4 369
Indices 399
Contributors 421
