transgression the processes of abrasion and caused by it processes of landslides on the maritime slope of the mountain. But all these complications of geological situation compensated by abundance of fresh water of condensate origin, building materials and fertility of lands in adjoining coastal steppe.
    First, who supposed that the remains of ancient urban fortifications situated on the slopes and top plateau of Opuk Mountain belong to Bosporian town of Kimmerikon was the famous Russian explorer and traveler Peter Simon Pallas (1741 –1811), who was traveling in Taurika in the end of XVIII century. While detailed investigation and small excavations of antiquities of Opuk belong to the famous Russian explorer and collector, one of the founder of Kerch Museum of Antiquities –Paul Augustine Dubrux (1773-1835). In collaboration with Dubrux investigations on Opuk mountain was undertaking the first director of Kerch Museum Jean Mare de Blaramberg (1772 –1831). Very soon the passion of Russian archaeologists for antiquities of Pantikapaion and neighboring Bosporian towns together with increasing of investigations on the Asian side of Bosporus excluded Kimmerikon from attention of investigators nearly for a century. Only in 1927 expedition of Kerch Museum guided by director of museum –Yu. Yu. Marti during only one field season has investigated the coast from Akra to Kimmerikon (the last is situated in the distance of 50 km westward of Kerch in the poor inhabited region of peninsula).
     The location of European Kimmerikon is traditionally localized on three maritime hills of the south-western slope of Opuk («western site») – between the shore of the sea and Koyash salt Lake. As far as the date of foundation of Kimmerikon is not proved archaeologically, several archaeological objects situated on the slopes pretender to right to be called the earliest Kimmerikon. They are – the mentioned above «western» site, early Greek settlement («Hill A») on the southeastern maritime slope and some other sites which will be described below. Dubrux for example, supposed that on Opuk Mountain there have existed just two different towns –Kimmerikon and Kutaion –, and the border between them has been a road running from Koyash Lake to the main ancient «fountain» of the mountain functioning in present time. Not great excavations undertaken on the «western» site by different investigators – Dubrux (first half of XIX century), Yu. Yu. Marti (1928), I.B. Zeest and I.T. Kruglikova (1948-1951) and by the author of present paper (1989-1997) have revealed mainly the building remains of the first centuries AD while some finds of early artifacts in the cultural layers made possible to suppose that the settlement on the Western slope «already existed in the V century ВС» (Kruglikova, 1952, P. 57; 1958, P. 222). The absence of Late Classical building remains I.B .Zeest explained by the fact that «in conditions of mountain rocky country the cultural deposits belonging to the previous period of urban life could not to remain: probably they has been cleared away to the surface of the rock in the process of subsequent urban life» (Zeest, 1949, P. 98), like, for example, in Pantikapaiton, Chersonesus and some other towns of Taurika.
     As it is possible to judge on the basis of historical topography of site, observations of previous investigators and results of recent explorations and small excavations, the fortification system of the site consisted of few elements. First of all, the special role played the relief, particularly the rocky ridges surrounding territory in the East and North-East and precipice shore on the South. The fortifications of Kimmerikon themselves were rated at repulse of attacks from land and sea: the territory of site was surrounded by walls with towers3 which were able to stand the siege of short duration even with the use of

battering-rams. It is proved by constructive peculiarities of «wall-fences» which have 1,5 m width and filling by clay and small stones inner space. By special wall adjoining the south-western part of the site the port part of town between the sea and Koyash Salt Lake was also flanked. On one of maritime rocks the fire-place of light-house was hewed on the rocky surface. The separate walls were on the foot of the maritime hills of the site. In this case, the separate fortification of Acropolis hill and last ones played an additional defensive role, because the burst into the urban territory enemy found himself in depression between two fortified hills and rested on the steep slope of the mountain. Any traces of ramparts and ditches on the borders of the site were not found.
     In 1947–1951 archaeological investigations of antiquities of Opuk, especially of Kimmerikon site were undertaken by Kerch State Historical-Archaeological Museum (I.B. Zeest) and Department of Classical archaeology of Institute of archaeology4 (I.T. Kruglikova, D.B. Shelov) which on the first stage made possible to define more exactly the chronology of different archaeological objects situate on Opuk. By excavations of 1948–1950 by I.B. Zeest and I.T. Kruglikova were discovered the remains of dwelling and producing assemblage of II-III centuries AD situated on the terrace of one of the Maritime hills of the site. The assemblage was skillfully entered in natural relief of the hill. In the central part of assemblage a paved by limestone tiles yard was situated. Minimum three rooms covered by clay roofs adjoin the yard. From the East the, assemblage was limited by breast-wall. One of the rooms communicated with the yard by means of stairs built of hewed limestone blocks. In an other room there were found stone mortars, grinding-stone, working table and handle grain grater (Zeest, 1950, P. 97). It was a manufacturing room which communicated with the yard by means of door and window and with the other –by door. By excavations there was uncovered granary situated in the room which was practically whole hewed in the rock. The big dimensions of grain-pits show the trade character of manufacturing. The assemblage has perished in the fire which I. B. Zeest dated by the III century AD (not earlier the middle of the century –V.G.) and I. T. Kruglikova –by the end of the III or beginning of the IV centuries AD.
     In 1950 –1951 by the same expedition near the maritime precipice an other similar assemblage partly destroyed by the coastal abrasion was excavated. It represented an assemblage of the I-II centuries AD consisted of several rooms with grain-pits which was limited by powerful external wall. According to the peculiarities of relief, the uncovered part of assemblage ruined down to the sea. The excavations of an area adjoining the assemblage gave an exclusively important materials: in the sandy soil stretching under the cultural depositions of «Hellenistic» layers there were found numerous fragments of hand-made pottery of Late Bronze Epoch.
     In 1952–1991 the Opuk Mountain and its environs have passed into jurisdiction of Ministry of Defense of the USSR and investigations were stopped. They were re-newed by author only in 1989. In 1991 near «flour-grinding workshop» there was excavated an other assemblage adjoining the workshop above by the slope. It represents an yard paved with limestone tile also strengthened by breast-walls which limited an assemblage from North and East and semi cellar room with dug in pythoses of Bosporian production. The living room of which only rocky floor and eastern wall remained, was also partly hewed in the rock. The assemblage was also hardly ruined by the processes of abrasion and landslip. The fissure crawling away origin practically completely ruined the semi-cellar room with pythoses, a part of a yard, other constructions

of assemblage ruined down the sea. Inhabitants of assemblage have made some attempts to stop this process by the means of pouring soil, but soon have had to leave the assemblage. Among the finds found during excavations of this assemblage there predominated fragment of storage amphorae of Bosporian and Southern Pontic production, fragments of red-lacquered and red-clay table pottery, fragments of typically bosporian hand-made kitchen pottery. In the whole, the assemblage can be dated by II – first half of the IV centuries AD while the process of forming of fissure has started just very soon after the foundation of assemblage.
     The inhabitants of Kimmerikon of that times were fairly well off and the general economical level of live of population of Kimmerikon in II-III centuries AD probably did not differ from the level of the other ordinary Bosporian town like Ilurat and Tiritaka, together with neighboring Kutaion it represented one of the centers of Bosporian grain trade. The grain-pits of large dimension for grain keeping had a pear-shaped form with stony facing of the mouth which was covered by limestone tile. They were of 6.5 m depth with diameter of bottom 2,2 m and contained up to 76 cubic meters of grain while all pits of one assemblage contained 228 cubic meters. For example, in Pantikapaiton the maximum capaciousness of pits was only about 12-22 cubic meters. That is why it is possible to underline the trade character of grain producing in Kimmerikon in the I - beginning of the IV centuries AD. The find of pithos containing the remains of salted fish in one of the rooms, pyramidal plummets, fragments limewater like coating found in cultural deposits show that grain production was not only one sphere of economic activity of inhabitants.
     The problem of localization of «Early Greek» Kimmerikon from which the mastering of environs of Opuk had started, has got an actuality in the light of debated problem of Kimmerikon membership in I Athenian Naval Alliance.
     Some scholars tried to connect the remains of polis infrastructure of Kimmerikon of the VI-V centuries ВС with remains of early Greek settlement at the «Hill A» (which I am going to describe a few lines below) supposing that later on it was moved to the place of «Western» site but this supposition contradict with real archaeological and geological situation on Opuk Mountain.
     In 1950 on the south-eastern maritime slope of mountain, on the distance of more then 1,5 km eastward of «Western» site Kimmerikon, the were found building remains and cultural deposits of early Greek settlement. During excavations there were uncovered the remains of large dwelling assemblage situated on the narrow maritime terrace. The hill called by investigators as hill «A» on which foot the settlement is situated, represents the stable rock of degraded mountain which lies on the landslide south-eastern maritime slope of the mountain. The assemblage has an unusual planning consisting of four separate isolated rooms with personal outlet to the door-lying paved yard. The rooms are attached to the common blank wall and one of the rooms was of household purpose. Three other rooms of small dimension had floors slightly deepened into the ground. All rooms had door-ways with the traces of fastening wooden doors. In two rooms fire-places were built of lime stone tiles erected on verges. In the third room the fire was kindling just on the floor and this fact is testified by a spot of fired clay in the center of the room. The grain pits with covered with clay walls and deepened into the virgin rock were met in two rooms. In the yard of assemblage there were situated objects of household – small annex, dust-hole covered with limestone tile and stone box built of limestone blocks erected on verges etc.

fragments of amphorae and other pottery of both period were found on the modern surface of «stone chaos», in alluvium soil of coastal recipices and stony beaches. Moreover, the fragments of amphorae of the second quarter of the VI –V centuries ВС and of the first centuries AD were met in numerous quantity on surface on different sections of this slope.
     The observations carried out by the author revealed the anthropogene terraces on the northern more stable slope of the mountain (under citadel –see below) with the remains of breast-wall and dwellings also inhabited from the edge of the VI century ВС, there were also found artifacts dated from the edge of VI-V centuries ВС to the Early Medieval Period. Moreover, on the rest sections of maritime there were also found remains of small archaeological objects which gave artifacts of the VI-V centuries ВС, of Hellenistic Period and first centuries AD. All these facts show that as initially and later on apart from territories of the «Western» site and settlement at «Hill A» there were mastered all slopes of mountain.
     So, the problem of precise localization of early «polis» although remains opened for debates and further single-minded excavations but at present time it has got some clearness: as we can see, the concrete pra-Kimmerikon has not existed as an urban unity which later was moved to the other slope of mountain, while the polis Kimmerikon paradoxically existed. It is known that in Antiquity, the existence of urban center was not the determining factor of polis: «such definition of polis put first and foremost one but not most important peculiarity of this social organism: rather small territory and urban center united around it. The first peculiarity is not determining one and it is derivative from more important characteristics of polis, the other is incorrect. This proves the example of two most famous poleis of Greece. In Attica, for example, there were not only one but two urban centers (Athens), Sparta has no urban center at all it represented the society of five villages. The same system of settling we see in Tarentum. On the whole in Greece there were widely spread political institutions which have no own urban centers but taken as polies as by their own citizens and other Hellens too. Probably, same political institutions were more typical in the Archaic Epoch, to this testifies Phukididus [1,5,1 ] but more wide they were spread and later – up to the first centuries AD. At any case Pausanius knows political formations devoid of urban centers but having polis status as we can understand from his description of Panoneum [X, 4]» which represented itself a village situated along mountain stream (Greece in Antiquity, I, 1983, P. 10-11).
     At present time we can surely note that Kimmerikon also has not formed the regular urban structure. This fact can be explained by different reasons, and first of all, by complicated geological structure of mountain: in its landslide relief there are fixed up minimum (V.G.) three catastrophic events. First was great and took part in geological time, probably in Late Pleistocene. Other events took part not long ago –in Historical Time. With them the activation of great Late Pleistocene maritime landslide and formation of a new ditch in its head part are connected (Klukin, 1995, P. 112 –117). The date of this activation testify deformation of the shore and archaeological sites, including settlement «Hill A», situated there. These deformations could cause the moving of cultural deposits to the sea or burying of these layers by landslide soil. During the time of existence of Bosporian State it, as far as Opuk mountain, underwent earthquakes for several times (Vinokurov, Nikonov, 1999, Tolstikov, 1999, Nikonov, 2001). Some of them, like earthquake of 63 ВС were disastrous, demolishing complete Bosporian towns («Pontus has absorbed near Meotis towns Pyrrha and Antissa» – Plin.,

NH, II, 206, situated in the distance of few dozen km off Opuk) and devastating environments. To antiquities of Opuk having not ordinary geological structure the consequences of earthquakes were not less destructive. Probably, in the time of Strabo the European Kimmerikon either could be still lying in ruins or it only started to rehabilitate itself after earthquake of 63 ВС. Probably it was a reason of contamination of two different towns with the similar names and poor knowledge of geographers of that time. The presence on top plateau on Opuk Mountain with precipice edges which make it inaccessible, of a shelter (and later citadel) probably permitted on some stages of its development to avoid the erection of fortifications round official center of town. And, at last, the probably insignificant division of labor among first citizen of Kimmerikon mainly dealing with agriculture and trade transporting do not contradict with possible unity of group of farm-houses and some public objects under the name «polis Kimmerikon».
     So, we should realise polis Kimmerikon and later Bosporian town Kimmerikon as the whole assemblage of sites situated on the slopes of mountain. The fact that Kimmerikon was really a town and at period of independence from dynasty of Spartokids was really polis is proved by numerous of unfortified rural settlements situated round the mountain, on the whole existed in the V-III centuries ВС. For these settlement Opuk Mountain and Kimmerikon were the best and the only one refugium in the case of danger –the presence of early cultural deposits covered by late dust deposits in the ash hill near citadel insure the presence of an early shelter of the top of mountain. Here it is necessary to note that singular rural settlements in the maritime environs of Opuk have appeared practically simultaneously with settlement at «Hill A» and they leaned upon this shelter.
     So, we can suppose that the process of urban building on Opuk Mountain in a large measure depended on concrete geological conditions which did not permit to create there habitual regular urban planning. These conditions probably promoted the creation of specific for Bosporus form of urban institution which, never-the-less was not unique in Antiquity.
     The observation of this territory have shown that there had been several areas of active agricultural use. Besides adjoining to Koyash salt Lake land there was actively mastered the hollow of Kyrkkoyash (continental) Salt Lake with fertile lands. There by observations of the author were found the remains of several rural unfortified settlements of the IV - II centuries ВС. The biggest of them consisted of minimum 5 separate buildings divided by space about 50 m. The ruins stony basements of dwellings are still visible on the modern surface. The farm-houses were, probably, not large, about two-three rooms. On the surface there were found numerous fragments of amphorae (including stamped samples) of the majority leading Hellenistic centers of Pont-us and Asia Minor - the material common to all bosporian sites of that period. Also there were well represented an ordinary wheel-thrown and hand-made pottery. The lands of environs of Koyash and Kyrkkoyash Lakes limited on the North by hill edge was probably the nearest chora of Kimmerikon of the IV-II centuries ВС. At that period there were also mastered distant lands adjoining the eastern bank of Uzunlar Lake which probably was the border of Kimmerikon chora in the West and the lands deeper in steppes.
     There is no doubt that join of Kimmerikon to the State of Spartokids in the end of the V century ВС (about 406 ВС) stimulated the mastering of distant environs of Opuk Mountain –the process of wide mastering of rural territory of Bosporus is characteristic to the IV century ВС – between 410-

     The top citadel of Kimmerikon is one of the best preserved site of Opuk Mountain. The safety of fortress and elements of its defensive system was much better at the time when it was visited by P.Dubrux (Dubrux, 1858, P. 69–77) and I. Blaramberg and it is well testified by descriptions and graphical materials carried out by them. We do not exactly know in what condition has been citadel at the time of the visit of expedition of Yu. Yu. Marti in 1927 (Marti, 1928, P. 103–115) and what were losses which the site suffered in the Second World War, but since the time of excavation of I. B. Zeest and I. T. Kruglikova the safety of the site practically did not changed7. Citadel is situated on the distance about a little bit more then 2 km North-Eastward of site of Kimmerikon and it is erected on the North-Eastern brink of top plateau on the altitude 170-165 m above the level of the sea. The triangular plateau armoured by limestone is impregnable from all sides –the height of its precipices is 15-40 м. This fortress has minimum five lines of defense: first of all, precipices of plateau, preserved ditch-scarp, προτειχιζμα, outer curtains and a large bastion-tower in the North-Western part of fortress which, probably, represents the fortress «citadel» or donjon. Into fortification system of top citadel are also included the remains of fortifications pushed of the territory of citadel and adjoining the precipices of plateau. They are erected on the watershed of the Eastern slope of Opuk but represent the impact assemblage. The most monumental is the defensive wall running by watershed of the Eastern slope from the North-Eastern precipice of plateau to the sea coast to the distance of 650 м, the traces of its destroyed part used for stone extraction by inhabitant of Opuk village is visible in micro relief on the distance of 300m more. The Southern maritime extremity of the wall runs to the large rock with vertical walls of 5–15 m height while its maritime extremity is ruined by landslides. The wall were erected of large stones (about 1,6x1,0x0,5 m) which formed two «armours» filled in with stones and loam. The width of it oscillates from 2,9 to 3,5 m. On all its length the wall was strengthened by towers (ruined) which were attached (or hewed in) to the rocks included into the body of the wall. The section of this wall situated near the biggest rock («tower» by Dubrux) was excavated by author. In deposit near the wall there were found not numerous fragments of amphorae of the III-V? centuries AD. Probably the remains of that wall were the basement of less powerful wall with adobe elements of construction.
     The citadel itself represents a rectangular fortress stretched along the Eastern precipice of plateau. The Western outer curtain preserved practically on all its length –about 176 m. The wall of curtain surpasses the modern surface on 0.5 –1,4 m and more. On it the traces of two small towers remained (5,0–7,0 x 5,0–7,0 m). They were built of large blocks of limestone and situated on the distance 40 m from each other. The section of inner curtain divides the territory of citadel into two parts, in the place of its junction with the outer curtain there visible the remains of an other tower, the eastern extremity of the inner wall was also strengthened by tower 6,0–7,0 x 6,0–7,0 m. At present time the complete square of citadel is 1,45 hectares. One of the sections of the western outer curtain was excavated by author. The curtain of 2,60–2,80 m width is built of big slightly worked up blocks of limestone which were skilfull adjusted one to an other, the space between the outer armours of the wall was filled in with stones and loam soil. The curtain was erected in traditional for the ordinary Bosporian towns mode. The wall remained on the height of 2,6 m. It was built of the leveled surface of virgin rock and artificial pouring of limestone crumb, and, probably, the remains of the previous curtain (distinguishes by the slightly

     The third war took place not earlier then 336 ВС. In the result of the next defeat of Bosporians the border of Bosporian possession on Kerch peninsula again was moved from Kafa and established at Kibernik (Kimmerikon) where the border landmarks were erected. With the events of this final Bosporus-Chersonesus' war the cardinal reconstruction of citadel on the top plateau and erection of monumental wall on the watershed of the Eastern slope of Opuk were connected (Golenko, 1999). In period of not early then the first half of the IV century AD and not in the reign of Bosporian king Asander as it was supposed before, to the final reconstruction was subjected not only citadel of Kimmerikon and its defensive wall, but Uzunlar rampart and ditch. These two fortifications together for many centuries formed an entity frontier system defending the native lands of Bosporus (Lantzov, Golenko, 1999). The ditch was deepened and the rampart poured some more. Here it is necessary to note that the choice of Uzunlar rampart flanked by Kimmerikon on the sea coast was not casual – after the defeat to Bosporus were specially left the territory subjected to Bosporus on the eve of its territorial expansion.
     The find of runar inscription under the walls of Kimmerikon' citadel8 allow to suppose that the guard of the border was carried by «barbarians-federates» from the number of ancient Gentian tribes settled on the coast of Meotis and Bosporus and involved into conflicts between Bosporus and Chersonesus (Golenko, Yurochkin and others, 1999, P. 77–97).
     Important artifacts dating the main stages of development of shelter-fortress-citadel on the top plateau of Opuk Mountain were found during excavations of ash-hill of citadel which have been undertaken by the author twice9 on different areas of this object, and excavations of dust deposits formed under the outer face of western curtain of citadel.
     According to the excavated artifacts, the life on the territory of plateau and forming of dust deposits lasted continuously with different degree of activity since the edge of the VI and V centuries ВС till the first half of the VI century AD. The dust deposits under the western outer curtain of citadel were formed during the final stage of its existence –from the first half of the IV to the first half of the VI centuries AD.
     The life on citadel continued even after the appearance in the Crimea of Huns who in the edge of IV and V centuries inhabited the territories between Chersonesus and Bosporus.
     After the demolition of citadel in the first third of the VI century AD (conflict between Huns and Byzantine) the life in Kimmerikon and in its environs was gradually coming to standstill, probably there still existed some separate villages or single dwellings hidden in the rocks but from the point of view of historical demography the demolition of citadel have caused the serious catastrophic consequences. After annexation of Bosporian lands by Byzantine Empire ant the reign of Justinianus, the citadel was not restored because it probably has lost its previous importance as frontier town.
     After appearance in the Crimea and on Opuk Mountain of «carriers» of Saltovo-Mayatskaya Culture (of Khazar Kaganat) the infrastructure of Opuk cardinally changed what was causes by different traditions and economical development of new population. The life in citadel stops. In 1989–1990 on the southern slope of Opuk Mountain there was found by the author large early Medieval settlement –one of the biggest settlement of Saltovo-Mayatskaya Culture on the Kerch Peninsula. To the settlement separate farmhouses scattered in the nearest small bays and depressions of the maritime slope were neighboring. The similar small separate dwellings appeared and on the site of Kimmerikon.

p. 278-279