Institute of Archeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences
The agreement signed on 4 December 2019 between the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IAE PAS) and the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (IA NANU) facilitated the initiation of a three-year archaeological campaign, with the possibility of extending research in subsequent years, in the ancient city of Olbia as part of the Olbia Archaeological Expedition of IA NANU, directed by Dr hab. Alla Buyskikh.
The primary objective of the mission is to investigate a section of the ancient city within the so-called Roman Citadel. The area covered by the Polish concession includes the R-23 trench, situated in close proximity to earlier Ukrainian trenches—R-25, L, and L1. This sector has never been subjected to systematic archaeological investigation, thus providing a unique opportunity to reconstruct the development of the city from its foundation in the sixth century BC to its eventual abandonment during the Hunnic period (mid-fifth century AD). Given its strategic position between previously explored areas, we anticipate not only acquiring new insights into the history of this sector but also, through the expected synergy effect arising from the integration of previous research with that of our Ukrainian partners, attaining a more comprehensive understanding of the Roman Citadel.
The first excavation season was originally scheduled for the summer of 2020; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only preliminary studies could be undertaken.
Polish-Ukrainian archaeological collaboration within this project not only continues the distinguished tradition of earlier archaeological expeditions in the region but also provides an opportunity to recover highly significant artefacts of Graeco-Roman civilisation and to advance the development of a major research centre dedicated to the archaeology and history of the northern Black Sea region in Antiquity.
This project constitutes a direct continuation of the excavations conducted at the same site, under the same leadership, until the end of 2018 by the National Museum in Warsaw. Further details on the research conducted prior to 2018 can be found in the Archived Missions section or on the original project website, which, however, has not been updated since the end of 2018.
The outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war in February 2022 abruptly halted fieldwork and made further on-site investigations impossible. However, the project remains ongoing. At present, until conditions allow for a return to excavation, the Polish and Ukrainian teams have focused on analysing and publishing the results of previous research.