Bosporan Funerary Stelae, 2nd century BC - 3rd century AD

T. Matkovskaya, A. Twardecki, S. Tokhtas'ev, A. Bekhter, Bosporan Funerary Stelae, 2nd century BC - 3rd century AD, Mistetsvo / National Museum in Warsaw, 2009

This catalogue of funerary stelae from the Kerch Museum  is an effect of a long lasting collaboration  between the National Museum in Warsaw, Federal Historical and Cultural  Museum  of  Kerch  and  Foundation “Demetra”. This project, which encompasses research, conservation, preparation  of publications  and  exhibitions  and,  from  this year, archaeological investigation, has been run by Alfred Twardecki.

Thanks to participating in this project, the National Museum in Warsaw not only contributed  to the preservation of a part of European  heritage – remains of the Greek pres- ence  on  the  northern  shores of the  Black Sea -  but  also played a role in intensifying   cultural collaboration  between Poland and Ukraine and consolidated  its international pres- tige.

This is the first publication edited and financed jointly by the Museum and Ukrainian  cultural institutions.   The simultaneous publication of Russian and English editions will enable  scholars  of various nationalities  to  acquaint  them- selves with this magnificent collection of ancient tombstones. I hope that the catalogue will contribute to intensifying intel- lectual interchange  between all scholars involved in this area of research. I have no doubt that this catalogue, the first com- prehensive  publication   on  this  class  of  monuments from Kerch  in English in almost 100 years, will help in bringing this collection to scholarly attention.  The National  Museum in Warsaw will thus play a part in developing cultural exchange between Eastern and Western Europe.

This is not the last joint Polish-Ukrainian publication in which the National Museum in Warsaw will participate.  A volume on Megarian  cups from the Kerch Museum  will be published shortly;  excavations run by the Museum’s Polish Archaeological Mission “Tiritake”  will certainly result in fur- ther publications.

Finally, I would like to thank our Ukrainian  partners: Mrs. Natalia  Galchenko, director  of   the Kerch  Museum, professor Victor Zin’ko, director of the “Demetra” Foundation and all those who participated in the long lasting research which has finally resulted in this publication.  This catalogue would never be completed  without their coopera- tion, dedication  and friendship.

 

Andrzej Maciejewski

Acting Director of the National

Museum in Warsaw