The Northern Black Sea in Antiquity: Networks, Connectivity, and Cultural Interactions

The Northern Black Sea region, despite its distance from the centers of classical civilizations, played an integral role in the socioeconomic life of the ancient Greco-Roman world. The chapters in this book, written by experts on the region, explore topics such as the trade, religion, political culture, art and architecture, and the local non-Greek populations, from the foundation of the first Greek colonies on the North Pontic shores at the end of the seventh and sixth century BCE through the first centuries of the Roman imperial period. This volume closely examines relevant categories of archaeological material, including amphorae, architectural remains, funerary and dedicatory monuments, inscriptions, and burial complexes. Geographically, it encompasses the coastal territories of modern Russia and Ukraine. The Northern Black Sea in Antiquity embraces an inclusive and comparative approach while discussing new archaeological evidence, offering fresh insights into familiar questions, and presenting original interpretations of well-known artifacts.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: 'Pontic networks' Valeriya Kozlovskaya; 1. The Greeks and the Black Sea: the earliest ideas about the region and the beginning of colonization Askold Ivantchik; Part I. Harbors: 2. Ancient harbors of the Northwestern Black Sea coast Valeriya Kozlovskaya; 3. Geological context for coastal adaptation along the Northern Black Sea: 700 BCE–500 CE Ilya Buynevich; Part II. Overseas Trade: 4. Overseas trade in the Black Sea region from the Archaic to the Hellenistic period (based on amphora studies) Sergey Monakhov and Elena Kuznetsova; 5. Overseas trade in the Black Sea region and the formation of the Pontic market from the first century BCE to the third century CE Sergey Vnukov; Part III. Political Culture: 6. Political culture in the cities of the Northern Black Sea region in the 'long Hellenistic Age' (the epigraphic evidence) Angelos Chaniotis; Part IV. Art and Architecture: 7. 'Language of images' in the arts of the Bosporan Kingdom Maya Muratov; 8. Local architectural styles in the Northern Black Sea region (with a particular focus on the Ionic order) Alla Buyskikh; Part V. The Sarmatians: 9. The Sarmatians in the Northern Black Sea region (on the basis of archaeological material) Valentina Mordvintseva.

About the Author :
Valeriya Kozlovskaya was a lecturer at Mount Ida College, Massachusetts. She has many years of experience working in the Black Sea region and has published articles on the archaeology of the Northern Black Sea.

Review :
'The book, published in excellent graphical terms, adds to both the work that advances knowledge about the Black Sea and the studies on cultural interactions, contacts and exchanges that characterized ancient worlds. It would have gained clarity if connectivity, whose methodological advantages are perceptible in each of the articles, had been better defined in relation to the specific material of the region. Nevertheless, it is important to welcome the publication of this volume, which updates a constantly renewed documentation, illustrating the dynamism of the Pontic studies.' Madalina Dana, Bryn Mawr Classical Review