Новый спелеоархеологический объект на Южном берегу Крыма (по материалам раскопок 2015 г. в пещере им. И. Белянского) / New Speleoarcheological Site on the Southern Coast of the Crimea (based on excavations in 2015 in the cave named after I. Belyansky)

Abstract

One of the most urgent tasks facing archaeologists working in the Mountainous Crimea is the timely study of the objects with well-preserved ancient layers. Taking into account this need, the employees of the Yalta Historical-Literary Museum in 2015 conducted excavations on the territory of the I. Belyansky cave explored by speleologists in 2011. As a result, a new speleoarcheological object was discovered that was used during several centuries. The artifacts and anthropological findings found here suggest that an early medieval cemetery would have been built in the cave. The cave would have been as well a temporary refuge. In addition, the cave was of economic importance. During the summer, it served as a kind of “refrigerator”, as it is witnessed by the discovery of iron hooks. However, the cave had no cultic significance.

Keywords

• Cave named after I. Belyansky
• Mountain Crimea
• Ai-Petri karst region
• speleoarcheological object
• “cave necropolis”