A unique discovery by Ukrainian archaeologists has caught the attention of European media, as it unveils something never before uncovered. (photo)

The current season of archaeological excavations near the famous Belsk settlement, located not far from the village of Kotelva in the Poltava region, concluded sensationally: a fragment of a 4th-century BC ancient amphora with a rare craftsman's stamp was discovered here. The uniqueness of this find lies in the fact that, over more than 70 years of scientific research in the Belsk microregion, similar artifacts have never been uncovered.

The Artifact Enigma

In fact, this is not even a handle, but rather a piece of it. The stamp itself is located close to the break. How it is read and what it signifies remains a mystery to scholars.

— We cannot say for sure what this handle was doing there, — jokes Igor Korost, the director of the Belsk Historical and Cultural Reserve. – According to scientists, the center of amphora production was the Greek island of Thasos (modern-day name Tazhos) in the Aegean Sea. The characteristic color and structure of the clay point to the place of production. Many potters lived on Thasos, each with their own stamp. However, traditionally, the stamps changed annually, making it extremely difficult to find an exact match for this handle or a complete item. Of course, we have started searching for analogs. We have already reviewed many materials from the Belsk microregion, including Scythian monuments in the Forest-Steppe and Steppe zones, but found nothing similar.

According to the reserve director, news about the recent finding near Kotelva has spread through European media. He personally inquired with European scholars about amphora analogs, but so far there is no clarity, and the artifact remains a mystery.

Participant of the archaeological expedition senior researcher at the Museum of Archaeology of Kharkiv National University named after V.N. Karazin, specialist in ancient artifacts Stanislav Zadnikov added that the significance of the find lies in the fact that the Thasos stamp has been found for the first time not at the Belsk settlement itself — the largest settlement of the Scythian period (late 8th to early 3rd centuries BC) — but in its vicinity, where the population likely engaged in agriculture rather than trade.

— We have been investigating the "Old Quarry" for three years now, but layers from the 4th century BC, to which the handle dates, have not yet been discovered in this settlement, — he says. — Perhaps something will become clearer in the upcoming field seasons. Previously, archaeologists found Scythian-era artifacts here, as well as individual residential and economic structures, but all date from the 6th to 5th centuries BC. Now we have the amphora handle with a 4th-century stamp, meaning it is younger than all previous archaeological finds.

Stamps on amphorae are crucial archaeological sources for dating the item, as well as the cultural layer in which it is found. We will continue to study the inscription on the stamp in detail. We will prepare a separate publication on the results of the artifact's research. For now, we are working to determine the exact date of the amphora's production, of which the handle fragment was found. Based on some indicators, this date can be pinpointed quite accurately, with an error margin of about ten to one year.

Archaeologists speculate that sooner or later, while investigating the "Old Quarry," they will discover a layer from the 4th century BC.

— The ancient ceramics, preserved by our land for millennia, is a sign of the developed nature of this territory in the past, — says Igor Korost. — In a poorly developed settlement, ancient imports would not have arrived. This indicates that a trade-economic exchange occurred here, and thus the amphora, of which a fragment was found, could have been brought in. Stanislav Zadnikov and I strongly believe that over time this territory will surprise us with artifacts from later periods, specifically the 4th century BC. After all, the flourishing of other settlements was observed around the Belsk settlement, so everything needs to be considered in relation to each other.

The Bronze Age Overlaid the Scythian Period

— The recently discovered cultural heritage site "Old Quarry" is located slightly further to the northeast of the Belsk settlement and nearly adjoins Kotelva from the north, — continues Igor Korost. — The two settlements are separated by the Vorskla River: the settlement is on the right bank, while the "Old Quarry" is on the left. The ancient Vorskla was navigable, and the Greeks likely delivered their goods to these areas via waterways.

By the way, tourists often ask us how ancient people built such powerful mounds and ditches around the settlement. Did they have shovels? We cannot answer that because we find no archaeological evidence of the existence of shovels. Tools resembling modern hoes or pickaxes have been encountered, so it is possible that our ancestors used them to dig up earth and placed it in wicker baskets, then carried it to construction sites.

Research at the "Old Quarry" began after military reports in March 2022 indicated that various ceramics were frequently encountered in this area. Once the threat of Russian troops advancing from Sumy passed, archaeologists began surveying the area. It was indeed "packed" with a large number of ceramic fragments and various objects, just like at the Belsk settlement.

During extensive excavations at the Old Quarry, residential and economic structures from the Bronze Age and Scythian period were discovered. Among the artifacts, ceramics predominated, but metal items were also sometimes found.

From our era, finds from the 17th-18th centuries are very rarely recorded at the "Old Quarry." For instance, this year, a horseshoe was found that may have been lost by chance.

The settlement is interesting in that it is multi-layered: the Bronze Age overlays the Scythian period. Among the Bronze Age antiquities, materials characteristic of several cultural-historical communities stand out. It is still difficult to say how these communities coexisted and how the inhabitants interacted. Researchers will need another two to three years, or ideally five years, to work in this territory to provide answers to these questions.

In general, scientific research of the Belsk settlement and its surroundings has been ongoing for over 70 years. And each time, archaeologists find something interesting here: gold ornaments for clothing, weapons, and pottery, as well as numerous burials dating back to the mid-6th century BC.

Research at the "Old Quarry" is conducted with financial support from international partners — the German Archaeological Institute and the International Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Conflict Zones "ALIPH Foundation."

Based on the research findings, scientists organize exhibitions annually or every two years, showcasing new archaeological discoveries. The art gallery of the Poltava Art Museum is currently displaying an exhibition of artifacts found between 2022 and 2024. The fragment of the ancient handle of the vintage amphora with a stamp has not yet been included, as it was found very recently and will remain in the collections of the Belsk Historical and Cultural Reserve. Therefore, it will not be possible to view it in person for at least another year. By that time, more information about this unique find is likely to emerge.

Let us remind you that the Belsk settlement is identified by scholars with the ancient city of Gelon, which was mentioned by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. Archaeological studies confirm that during the Scythian era, there existed a political, economic, and cultural center of the ancient pre-state formation of the tribes of the Dnieper Forest-Steppe.