Museum complex

The strings of beads. Suuk-Su Burial Ground

VI–VII Centuries AD
Early Middle Ages
Culture of the Crimean Goths
Glass, amber, crystal, paste; drawing, turning, grinding, drilling, polishing
Low length-43 cm, 36.5 cm
Receipt: excavations under the supervision of N.I. Repnikov, 1903-1905; gift of the Archaeological Commission, 1906
Showcase 12

The Suuk-su burial ground is located on the southern coast of Crimea, between Gurzuf and the western slopes of Bear mountain. It was discovered at the end of the XIX Century. Since 1903, as a result of archaeological excavations at the site of the burial ground, 217 burials of the second half of the VI – turn of the VII–VIII Centuries AD have been investigated. The population that left those burials is associated with the Goths: Germanic tribes that appeared on the territory of South-Western Crimea in the III Century AD during migrations of the late antique time.

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The Byzantine sources of the Early Medieval period describe it as the "country of Dori". Goths of Crimea who were federates of Byzantium at that time lived here. The most striking evidence of presence of Germanic people in the South-Western Crimea was the traditional women's costume, the details of which were the least subject to alternation. In graves of women in the Suuk-su burial ground, along with various metal adornments (fibulae, buckles, bracelets, rings), were found beads varying in shape, color and material. Colorful bead necklaces are diverse in material and color scheme. Ancient craftsmen not only used the natural beauty and shape of the stones (large, irregular beads are found in graves), but also carefully processed the material. Multi-faceted crystal, fluted glass, faceted amber and ring-shaped beads are vivid manifestation of skills and imagination of makers of jewelry.
Functional purpose: a detail of a woman's costume.
Notice of uniqueness: common finds in German women's burials.

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