slides group8

Slide Collection Group 8

	This group contains the slides from sites of Kelermes and Kherson. The Kelermes mounds were opened not by professional archaeologists, but by a treasure-seeker named Shultz in 1903. He excavated four mounds that had not been robbed before, and founda lot of ornaments and weapons. Two further barrows belonging to the same group were excavated by N.I.Veselovsky in 1904 and found to be plundered. In both mounds the grave was shaped as a spacious rectangular pit, its sides forming ledges. They can be dated to six Century B.C. The most noteworthy discovery is an iron axe with the handle and butt encased in gold (plate7-9). In addition to the tree-of-life composition-figures of gods, however, being replaced here by figures of goats (plate 9). Another remarkable object from ther Kelermes burials is a silver mirror (plate 10). This mirror is one of the examples of Graeco-Ionian art, combining religious motifs of the greatest antiquity. In the steppes north of the Black Sea, the burials in the Kherson district have yielded bronzes of purely Ionian type (plate12-16), which probably reached Scythia via Olbia. These finds testified to the existence of close connections between Olbia and the natives as early as the sixth Century B.C.(J.J.Li) Reference: Artamohov, M. I. 1969. The Splender of Scythian Art New York and Washington, pp.22-32.

This group contains the slides from sites of Kelermes and Kherson.

The Kelermes mounds were opened not by professional archaeologists, but by a treasure-seeker named Shultz in 1903. He excavated four mounds that had not been robbed before, and founda lot of ornaments and weapons. Two further barrows belonging to the same group were excavated by N.I.Veselovsky in 1904 and found to be plundered. In both mounds the grave was shaped as a spacious rectangular pit, its sides forming ledges. They can be dated to six Century B.C.

The most noteworthy discovery is an iron axe with the handle and butt encased in gold (plate7-9). In addition to the tree-of-life composition-figures of gods, however, being replaced here by figures of goats (plate 9). Another remarkable object from ther Kelermes burials is a silver mirror (plate 10). This mirror is one of the examples of Graeco-Ionian art, combining religious motifs of the greatest antiquity.

In the steppes north of the Black Sea, the burials in the Kherson district have yielded bronzes of purely Ionian type (plate12-16), which probably reached Scythia via Olbia. These finds testified to the existence of close connections between Olbia and the natives as early as the sixth Century B.C.(J.J.Li)

Reference: Artamohov, M. I. 1969. The Splender of Scythian Art
New York and Washington, pp.22-32.

Cup embossed on the sides with the figures of birds and animals and on the bottom with a rosette.
Gold. 16.5 cm. diam., 9.7 cm.high. Kelermes. VII-VI c. B.C.

Two pole-tops shaped like heads of animals with long upright ears, and a long neck containning the socket.
Bronze, 17.1 cm. high, 10 cm. wide; Kuban Kelermes. VII-VI c. B.C. (collection of the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia)

Center-piece of a shield in the shape of a panther walking with head lowered and teeth bared. On its paws and along its tail are tiny figurines of a twisted beast.Ear, eye and nose inlaid with colored enamel
Gold, Kelermes. 36.6 cm long. 16.2 cm. high. VII-VI c. B.C. (the collection of the Hermitage Museum)

Two semi-cylindrical hollowed objects of uncertain purpose (part of a throne?) with lion-head terminals and a pari of ram heads on each side with an ovoid knob between them. The semi-cylindrical surface is divided into rectangles and triangles to form fields for amber inlay. Parts of the knobs are granulated and inlaid with amber. Gold and amber. 19.2 cm. long. Kelermes. VII-VI c. B.C.

Diadem in the shape of a broad band ornamented with flowers and rosettes alternating with figurines of birds. There is an amber inlay in the central rosette. The band has wire loops at the ends.
Gold. 66.8 cm. long, 7.2 cm. wide; Kelermes.VII-VI c. B.C.

Figures of recumbent goats on butt end of a ceremonial hatchet
Gold. 72 cm. long; Kelermes. VII-VI c. B.C.

Relief animal desigh of an ceremonial hatchet.
Gold. 72 cm. long. Kelermes. VII-VI c. B.C.

Lower part of an ceremonial hatchet handle. Figures of goats standing on their hind legs on either side of of a sacred tree.
Gold. 16.5 cm. diam., 9.7 cm. high. Kelermes. VII-VI c. B.C.

The back view of a round silver mirror with raised edge and the ends of a two-pronged handle in the center. The design has been impressed on the gold leaf which covers the whole of this side.
Silver and gold leaf. 17 cm. diam. Kelermes VII-VI c. B.C.

Hemispherical cup. its sides covered with almond-shaped and quadrangular embossing
Gold. Kelemes. VII-VI c. B.C.

Terminal of Torque.
Gold. Kakhovka, Kherson. V-IV c. B.C.

Plaque with griffin.
Gold. Kakhovka, Kherson. IV c. B.C.

Plaque with human face.
Gold. Kakhovka, Kherson. IV c. B.C.

Plaque. Gold Kakhovka, Kherson. V-IV c. B.C.

Earrings and torque. Gold. Kakhovka, Kherson V-IV c. B.C.

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