Oikos in Late-Archaic Olbia
Abstract
The article is devoted to the publication of materials from the latest excavations in Olbia and their analytical generalization. The building complex, which consisted of separate objects, was investigated, which was established on the basis of studying the features of their construction techniques, establishing the synchronicity of their appearance and destruction, and analyzing archaeological material consisting of ceramics and archaeozoological remains. As a result, it was possible to combine these objects into a single complex, which contained a number of structures, combined residential and economic functions and was adapted for the residence of one family. Such an architectural and building complex is interpreted as an urban oikos.
The purpose of the research paper is to publish materials, which is determined by the use of several research methods, of which a special emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary one. This approach to the study of early archaeological materials from Olbia was applied for the first time, which allowed to obtain fundamentally new results regarding the architectural, construction and economic development of Olbia in the Late Archaic period. The latter consisted in the combination of a partially buried residential building with a number of above-ground objects into a single residential and economic complex.
The scientific novelty lies in the establishment for the urban development of Olbia at the end of the first century of its existence of those features of architectural and planning development that are already known for the synchronous development of Borysthenes and were borrowed from the metropolis, but taking into account the local specifics.
Conclusions. The presence of an oikos in Olbia, which was most likely characteristic of urban construction in the Late Archaic period, has been established. This is a residential and economic complex consisting of the main (inner courtyard, fence, dwelling) and additional (hearth, house-hold pit) building elements. The widespread conclusion about the primitiveness of the early stage of urban construction with buried structures has been refuted, since open stone structures demonstrate the high quality of stonework along with a skillful combination of different materials – stone and adobe brick. The presence of oikos in the city in the earliest period of its existence generally corresponds to the principles of urban development that were known in the metropolis, as well as in Borysthenes. The ‘kitchen set’ of faunal remains confirmed the presence of a separate residential and economic complex, in which food was prepared on a hearth in the yard, supplies were stored in a pit, and a semi-dugout structure was intended for family residence.
Funding. The study was carried out within the framework of the research work of the Department of Archaeology of the Lower Buh Region of the National Historical and Archaeological Reserve ‘Olbia’ of the NAS of Ukraine ‘Ancient City and Its Chora in the North-Western Black Sea Region’ (0124U003377).
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