«Княжеские» находки и центры власти гуннского времени на периферии понтийской степи / “Princely” finds and centers of power of the Hunnic time on the periphery of the Pontic steppe

Abstract

The geography of the so-called princely finds, related to the last third of the 4th — first half of the 5th century on the northern and western periphery of the Black Sea steppes, occupied at that time by the Huns, is considered. These findings are associated with sedentary populations, since they are located on the territory where archeological cultures of sedentary barbarians are recorded. The geography of their distribution allows us to identify centers of power, so-called barbarian “kingdoms” on the outskirts of the Hunnic steppe. These centers of power were undoubtedly located in the zone of military and political domination of the Huns. In relation to the sedentary barbarians dependent on them, the Huns used two forms of control. In the first case, power was exercised through the agent appointed by the Huns. The second form of government presupposes the existence of vassal barbarous political formations, where the Huns used the power of a local sedentary aristocracy.

Keywords

• Hunniс Period
• Barbaricum
• “princely” finds
• power centers