Kul-Oba (; , ; meaning "hill of ash" in Crimean Tatar) is an ancient archaeological site, a
Scythian burial tumulus now called the
Royal Kurgan, located near
Kerch in eastern
Crimea
Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
,
on the right side of the M25 road to
Feodosiya.
Kul-Oba was the first Scythian royal barrow to be excavated in modern times. Uncovered in 1830, the stone tomb yielded a wealth of precious artifacts which drew considerable public interest to Scythian world. Of particular interest is an intricately
granulated earring with two
Nike figurines, now in the
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and holds the large ...
,
St. Petersburgbr>
The tomb was built around 400 to 350 BC,
likely by a team of Greek masons from
Panticapaeum.
Its Plan is almost square, measuring . The stepped vault stands high. The timber ceiling seems to have been designed to imitate a Scythian wooden tent; it is decorated by a canopy with gold plaques.
The body of the king lay by the east wall on a sumptuous wooden couch. His social position was highlighted by a diadem encircling his head, surmounted by a pointed felt headgear with gold pendants. His neck was decorated by a large gold disk weighing 461 grams. Each wrist was adorned with one to three bracelets. A separate section of the couch contained other grave goods, including a
phial, a whip, a knife, and a quiver - all inlaid with gold or precious stones.
To the left of the couch stood a
sarcophagus made of cypress wood and ivory. A woman, probably the king's wife or concubine, lay there. Apart from the brocaded dress, her body was decorated with an
electrum
Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, with trace amounts of copper and other metals. Its color ranges from pale to bright yellow, depending on the proportions of gold and silver. It has been produced artificially and is ...
diadem with large gold pendants, a pair of open-work earrings, a gold disk, a gold necklace, and two gold bracelets. At her side was placed a bronze hand-held mirror with the gilded handle. An electrum cup, placed between her feet, depicts scenes from Scythian mythology (''illustrated, to the right'').
The remains of a slave (probably a charioteer) were discovered by the south wall. A special niche in the wall contained horse bones, a helmet, a bronze sheath, and two spearheads. Several silver bowls and bronze cauldrons containing lamb bones were placed along the walls of the tomb. Inside the
amphora
An amphora (; ; English ) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storage rooms and packages, tied together with rope and delivered by land ...
e were residual traces of dried wine. A number of bronze arrow-heads were scattered around the floor.
The archaeologists in charge of the dig did not suspect there was a secret room underneath the tomb. Though it was discovered and plundered by treasure hunters, some of the missing valuables were subsequently retrieved by the Russian government.
File:Scythian Kul Oba Crimea.jpg, Scythian man, Kul Oba
Image:KulObaSphinks.JPG, Kul-Oba sphinx
Image:KulObaFaces.JPG, Kul-Oba faces.
Image:ScythianArchers.JPG, Gold clothing appliqué, showing two Scythian archers, probably from Kul-Oba.
See also
*
Martynivka Treasure
*
Pereshchepina Treasure
References
{{reflist
Sources
*
Michael Rostovtzeff. ''Scythia and the Bosporus''. Leningrad, 1925.
Kurgans
Treasure troves in Ukraine
Archaeological artifacts
Archaeological sites in Ukraine
Archaeological collections of the Hermitage Museum
Ancient Crimea