Excavation Report from Olbia 2021
Alfred Twardecki
Introduction
The mission of the Polish Archaeological Mission in Olbia, conducted by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IAE PAS), took place from 5 July to 14 August 2021. Preparatory work was carried out between 5 and 11 July (including receiving equipment transported from Poland, setting up tents, checking the functionality of equipment, and preparing the infrastructure and laboratory workstations). Excavation activities took place from 12 July to 3 August, while documentation work was conducted from 18 July to 14 August.
Archaeological research within trench R-23, located in the area of the Roman Citadel in Olbia, continued the excavations conducted between 2016 and 2018. The main objective of the 2021 campaign was to verify previous findings concerning the function, dating, and cultural affiliation of the site. As a result of the work carried out, the excavation was expanded (squares 210, 211, 230, 231, 150, 251) by four new squares, adjacent to the existing trench to the south and south-east (squares 252, 270, 271, 272, figs. 1 and 2). These squares were selected based on aerial photographs of the site taken after the vegetation cover was destroyed by fire in 2017, which clearly revealed the outline of a rectangular structure whose presumed walls extend at an angle similar to the architectural remains documented in the 'old excavation' (north-west–south-east, fig. 3).
The decision to extend the excavation in a south-eastern direction was made after extensive archival research conducted in previous years, particularly in the first half of 2021, and after consultations with Dr hab. Alla Buyskikh and both the Ukrainian and Polish excavation directors. Of particular importance were the excavation reports from adjacent trenches and the detailed review of aerial photographic documentation collected by drones in previous years.
Furthermore, the analysis of the results of the 2021 excavations was significantly supported by extensive archival research, including handwritten excavation reports from adjacent sites, photocopies of which were acquired during earlier study seasons in Olbia, as well as a thorough examination of artefacts from these excavations stored in the Historical and Archaeological Reserve of Olbia. These efforts, carried out in the first half of 2021, proved invaluable for both planning the campaign and analysing its results.
Fig. 1. The excavation area at the end of the 2021 campaign against the site's archaeological grid.
Fig. 2. Orthophotographic plan of trench R-23 at the end of the 2021 campaign.
Fig. 3. A 2017 aerial photograph showing traces of a possible rectangular structure, partially located in the south-eastern corner of trench R-23.
Mission Team
The 2021 mission included:
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Dr Alfred Twardecki (IAE PAS, head of the Polish team, Greek inscriptions)
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Dr hab. Alla Buyskikh (IA NANU, head of the Ukrainian team, Greek ceramics)
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Dr Piotr Jaworski (Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, head of the Polish excavation team, ancient coins)
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Dr Maria Novichenkova (IA NANU, head of the Ukrainian excavation team, metal artefacts)
Additionally, team members responsible for artefact documentation included:
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Diana Święcka (head of the documentation team)
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Sylwia Groń (illustrator)
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Ryszard Mieszek (illustrator)
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Magdalena Pelc (illustrator)
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Magdalena Antos (geodesic survey specialist)
The Polish mission was further supported by Ukrainian archaeologists:
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Dr Sergei Didenko (National Museum of the History of Ukraine, Late Antique ceramics)
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Olga Puklina (National Museum of the History of Ukraine, ancient glass)
Archaeological excavation work was also attended by students and staff from Ukrainian universities undertaking their field training.
Excavation Progress
In the squares excavated in 2021, humus and backfill layers were removed, as well as partial clearing of the stone rubble (squares 252, 271, 272), which covered the most recent occupation level of the site. This stratigraphic work integrated the entire excavation area, now covering 250 m² (fig. 4). Investigations revealed that the exposed area constitutes part of a larger residential and production complex, dated per analogiam based on mobile finds to the fourth to early fifth century AD (Twardecki & Buyskikh, 2021).
In the northern ('old') section of the trench, three storage pits (pits 5, 6, and 7) excavated in 2021 were filled with a sediment containing faunal remains and ceramics. In square 270, the southern boundary of a platform (a courtyard?) was identified, its surface covered with compacted clay and extending into squares 230 and 250, which had been partially revealed in previous seasons (fig. 5). South of this platform boundary, an accumulation of material similar to that found to the north was observed (possibly related to a bone-working workshop). As in the northern section, the sediment layers contained a large quantity of animal bones and Late Antique ceramics.
Among the finds were a bone comb (fig. 6), a belt buckle, and a barbarian-cast imitation of a Roman denarius, suggesting that this accumulation, like its counterpart north of the platform, may be linked to the settlement of the Chernyakhov Culture.
Fig. 4. General view of the stone rubble in the newly exposed squares.
Fig. 5. Schematic extent of the clay flooring.
Fig. 6. Bone comb (Chernyakhov Culture), a marker of the cultural affiliation of Olbia’s inhabitants during the studied period, late third century AD.
Summary
The 2021 excavation campaign in Olbia Pontica confirmed earlier findings regarding the postponement of the city's final abandonment from the period of the Hunnic invasion (AD 375) to the first half of the fifth century, as well as the strong cultural connections of its inhabitants with the Chernyakhov Culture (Twardecki & Buyskikh, 2021). The experience gained in previous excavation campaigns, coupled with extensive archival research—especially excavation reports from neighbouring sites—and the greater involvement of Ukrainian student trainees, enabled the exposure of four new squares and significantly expanded our knowledge of the architectural complex partially uncovered in 2017–2018.
Unfortunately, adverse weather conditions in the final days of the excavation season prevented the complete removal of the stone rubble covering the newly discovered structures. However, preliminary findings suggest that the remains form part of a large residential-production complex. Future excavation seasons will be crucial in determining the precise function of this site.
References
Twardecki, A., & Buyskikh, A. (2021). Chernyakhov Culture in Olbia Pontica in the light of Polish-Ukrainian excavations 2016-2018. Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 251-273.
