The Last Period of the History of Olbia: the First Gothic Town

Abstract

Olbia’s archaeological materials show that after the departure of the Roman garrison and local residents, the city was briefly abandoned (270s – early 280s AD). Then a new barbarian population appeared. It had clear signs of the Cherniakhiv culture, the ethnic basis of which were the Germanic Goths. Probably, at the beginning the only interest of barbarians was the seaport. The last prosperity of the city occurred in the Hunnic period, and it came to the end together with the Cherniakhiv culture in the first third of the 5th century. Olbia was reborn as a small fortified city, a craft and trade centre. The Goths restored the Roman Citadel, as well as several forts on the borders of the former Olbian state. Perhaps here was the military-administrative centre of one of the early kingdoms, which arose after the collapse of the Ostrogothic “power of Ermanaric”, and was dependent on the Hun leaders.

Keywords

• Olbia,
• Hunnic period,
• Goths,
• import
• Cherniakhiv culture
• greyware ceramics