Olbian Dolphins and the Issue of Relations of the Lower Bug with the Volga–Urals

Abstract

The paper examines such first cast coins of the North-Western Black Sea region as bronze arrow coins and dolphins. While arrow coins are characterized by the consistence of shape and the stability of chemical and metallurgical qualities, the Olbian anepigraphic dolphins, in addition to typological differences, featured a variety of metal from which they were cast, and this can indicate that various craftsmen participated in their manufacture, including those from different areas of the Black Sea region. The high content of arsenic and antimony in the metal of particular dolphins makes it possible to associate its origin with the Volga–Kama deposits, from where copper could have reached the Scythian artisans in the Middle Dnieper region, which in turn extended their activities to the ancient sites of the Lower Bug region.

Keywords

• archaeology
• olbia
• berezan
• cast dolphins
• arrow coins
• arsenic alloys
• antimony alloys
• chemical metal group
• volga–kama region
• balkano–karpaty region