The hospitable and fertile land of Crimea has been actively inhabited by people since ancient times. Therefore, every summer archaeological surveys are conducted in different parts of the peninsula. And the list of already found historical monuments is quite impressive.
Among the most interesting finds, it is worth noting the Tsar’s mound in Kerch, analogues of which have not yet been found in the entire northern Black Sea region.
A bit of history
Today it is not possible to trace the entire history of excavations of the mound; during the Great Patriotic War, the archive of the Kerch Museum was completely destroyed. Therefore, there are many unknown moments in the history of the discovery of the Royal Mound in Kerch.
At the beginning of the progressive XIX century there was a massive interest in ancient history and archaeological artifacts. Of course, this interest was fueled by the opportunity to find an untouched crypt with treasures. At that time, scientists did not yet know that the bulk of the graves were plundered in ancient times.
The open spaces of the Kerch Peninsula seemed very promising in terms of finds, because here in a small area there were more than 2000 majestic mounds.
In the 30s of the XIX century, an imperial command was given to begin excavations of the highest of them, which was later called the Tsar's.
The manager of the Kerch Museum Anton Yashik became the curator and ideological inspirer of the work.
Tomb opening
Further, historians have questions, the answers to which will never be received. For example, work began in November 1833, there was enough enthusiasm and resources, but excavations quickly stopped and resumed only after three years. It is not clear why the seemingly promising searches were terminated for a long time.
Whatever it was, excavations continued. It was not an easy job, because every stony layer of the mound over the centuries was covered with a layer of hardened clay, which was not easy to remove.
The first official mention of the discovery of an ancient tomb appeared in February 1937 in the newspaper "Odessa Herald". Then the tomb, which did not have a vault, was completely covered with earth and stones, only parts of thick walls made of hewn stones, partially decorated with carvings, were visible.
Archaeologists realized that they had found the burial of a noble, wealthy man. However, then the newspapers did not write about the opening of the crypt for a long time.
Empty tomb
After the workers removed huge slabs from the ground, covering the entrance, and removed the soil, Anton Yashik realized that no countless treasures could be found, the tomb of the Tsar's Barrow was empty.
There is still no consensus on whether the tomb was devastated by ancient robbers or if there was no burial in it for some reason. Yashik tried to continue the excavation at his own expense, but it did not bring success.
However, despite the absence of precious artifacts, the excavations of the Tsar’s burial mound in Kerch were invaluable for history, it has no analogues in ancient architecture.
Why is the "Royal"
Despite the lack of luxury goods in the mound, it is immediately clear that this tomb was built by the best architects of that time and was intended for one of the most representative kings of the Spartokid dynasty. Historians admit that this was the burial of Tsar Levkon I, who lived in the IV century BC. e., in which the Bosporus kingdom achieved economic and political prosperity.
The architecture of this tomb is much ahead of its time, then such techniques will only be used in the construction of Christian churches. Only in these places of worship will the transition of the square chamber to the circular arch ceiling be used in plan.
The miracle of ancient technology
The height of the mound prior to the excavation was approximately 18 meters, and the circumference of the embankment was more than 250 meters. These dimensions give an idea of the scale of the ancient tomb.
The crypt itself consists of two parts: a long corridor ("dromos" - from the Greek road, passage) leading to a square burial chamber. Surprisingly, the almost square walls at the base of the chamber wall gradually narrow and end with a conical-circular dome.
The walls consist of 10 rows of carefully crafted and fitted stones (quad). At about the height of the fifth row, a smooth transition begins to the circle and then to the arch. The dome is made of twelve rings gradually tapering in diameter and is covered by a heavy stone slab. This form is not accidental - the ancients believed that the soul of the deceased, gradually thinning, goes along a similar path to heaven.
Surprisingly, no connecting solutions were used in the construction of the chamber. The entire structure was constructed on wooden beams and struts inserted into special grooves.
The mystical effect of dromos
The length of the corridor leading to the chamber is 37 meters. The corridor floor was deliberately made lower than in the cell by about 80 cm. This was achieved thanks to the erection of a stone threshold and three steps at the entrance.
The walls of the corridor are lined with large stone blocks installed parallel to each other. All blocks are laid dry without a bonding solution. In many places on the walls, traces of the tool have been preserved. The grooves in the walls remaining from the wooden struts are carefully laid with stone "corks". Some survived to this day.
Before entering the Tsarsky Kurgan chamber, the walls of the stone corridor expand slightly, this creates a strange optical illusion. The road to the burial chamber seems significantly shorter than it actually is. But if on the contrary, looking from the crypt, the way out goes into bright infinity. This effect is especially noticeable in the photo of the Royal Mound in Kerch.
Probably, the ancient builders specifically achieved a similar effect. This is indicated by the fact that the exit from the mound is clearly oriented to the Panticapaeum acropolis.
How to find a mound?
When deciding how to get to the Royal Mound in Kerch, it is worth considering that there is an opportunity to pass by, the entrance is not very noticeable. A popular archaeological site is located on one of the slopes of the ridge of hills on the outskirts of the village of Adzhimushkay. It is most convenient to get here from the bus station of the city by bus No. 4 to the final stop "Yagunova Street".
For lovers of comfort there will be no difficulty in how to get to the Royal Mound in Kerch by car. The distance from the city center is only 5 kilometers along a fairly good road. If you follow the road signs, you can’t get lost. And if you want to prepare for the trip more seriously, you can fix the GPS coordinates of the mound: N45.3745, E36.5258.
What else to see?
Near the archaeological complex is a small museum dedicated to the discovery of the mound. There are many documents and photographs of the 19th century, hand-made excavation schemes. You can admire beautiful antique vases, get acquainted with the lapidary collection or take a picture near a large stone bowl carved from a monolith.
Having reached the address of the Royal Mound in Kerch, you can examine not only him. Nearby are the Museum of the History of Defense of Adzhimushkay quarries, a visit to which will also leave a lasting impression.
This is a huge complex of underground quarries, consisting of several isolated parts. It was here that during the Great Patriotic War there was a base of partisan detachments heroically fighting against the invaders.
However, if you can inspect the mound yourself, it is better to use the services of a guide to visit the quarry. The length of the route is more than 400 meters, it is always damp and cold, so it is better to take warm clothes with you.