- Kul-Oba
Kul-Oba ( _uk. Куль-Оба, _cr. Kül Oba; meaning "hill of ash" in Crimean Tatar) is an ancient archaeological site, a
Scythian burial tumulus (kurgan ), located nearKerch in easternCrimea ,Ukraine , on the right side of the M25 road toFeodosiya .Kul-Oba was the first Scythian royal barrow to be excavated in modern times. Uncovered in 1830, the stone tomb yielded a wealth of precious artefacts which drew considerable public interest to Scythian world. Of particular interest is an intricately granulated
earring with two Nike figurines, now in theHermitage Museum ,St. Petersburg . [http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_10-1_01.html]The tomb was built around 400 to 350 BCE, likely by a team of Greek masons from
Panticapaeum . Its plan is almost square, measuring 4.6 by 4.2 meters. The stepped vault stands 5.3 meters high. The timber ceiling seems to have been designed to imitate a Scythian wooden tent; it is decorated by a canopy with gold plaques.The body of the king lay by the east wall on a sumptuous wooden couch. His social position was highlighted by a diadem encircling his head, surmounted by a pointed felt headgear with gold pendants. His neck was decorated by a large gold disk weighing 461 grams. Each wrist was adorned with one to three bracelets. A separate section of the couch contained other grave goods, including a , a whip, a knife, and a quiver - all inlaid with gold or precious stones.
To the left of the couch stood a
sarcophagus made of cypress wood and ivory. A woman, probably the king's wife or concubine, lay there. Apart from the brocaded dress, her body was decorated with anelectrum diadem with large gold pendants, a pair of open-work earrings, a gold disk, a gold necklace, and two gold bracelets. At her side was placed a bronze hand-held mirror with the gilded handle. An electrum cup, placed between her feet, depicts scenes from Scythian mythology ("illustrated, to the right").The remains of a slave (probably a charioteer) were discovered by the south wall. A special niche in the wall contained horse bones, a helmet, a bronze sheath, and two spearheads. Several silver bowls and bronze cauldrons containing lamb bones were placed along the walls of the tomb. Inside the
amphora e were residual traces of dried wine. A number of bronze arrow-heads were scattered around the floor.The archaeologists in charge of the dig did not suspect there was a secret room underneath the tomb. Though it was discovered and plundered by treasure hunters, some of the missing valuables were subsequently retrieved by the Russian government.
References
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Michael Rostovtzeff . "Scythia and the Bosporus". Leningrad, 1925.
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