ALUSTON IN THE GOLDEN HORDE PERIOD

Abstract

Written sources and the materials of archaeological researches in 1984–1994 allowed to distinguish the period in the history of Aluston when it was joined the Crimean ulus of The Golden Horde. Chronologically this time is determined within 1278–1365. That certain period is marked by signifi cant innovations in material culture: the appearance of coin denominations of the Horde (pūl, dirham, saum), artistic glazed ceramics (both exports and local production), various jewelry. In the layers of the turn of the 13th–14th and 14th–15th centuries there were found stucco and pottery vessels (hums, jars, pots, pitchers) which were not previously found on the monument. This points to the appearance of the new (the Adygeyan?) population in Aluston which arrived from the North Caucasus. On the investigated territory of Aluston of 3,600 sq. m there have been discovered more than 100 rooms of the 13th–15th centuries. In seven of them there have been revealed the layers of local fires in 60–80–ies of the 14th century. However, only three rooms have not been restored. For 1365–1386 there is a struggle between the Genoese and the Tartars of the coast of Gothia, which, together with Aluston was included in the Genoa Gazaria under the treaty of 1387. In addition, in 1384 (and for a decade) some confl icts were breaking out between the Orthodox hierarchs of Gothia, Sugdaea and Kherson for the right of collecting the kanonikon from the population of several parishes of the seaside Gothia. Probably these events are associated the fires of the second half of the 14th century in the territory of Aluston.