A Maeotic Sanctuary in Abkhazia
Erlikh В. Р.
The author analyses the materials of horse offerings of the 4th century ВС found in 1977- 1985 on the third mount of the Ochimchir settlement (ancient Hyaenos accordimg to the ma- jority of scholars). He comes to the conclusion that the details of bridle sets were made on the territory the Kuban area and compares them with the artifacts of the kurgans near Elizavetin- skaya station. The rite of burying horses' crania with bridles is also characteristic for the Maeotic sanctuaries of the 4th century ВС. This enablis the author to conclude that a certain Maeotic military contingent was present in Trans-Caucasia in the 4th century ВС and that its presence was connected with the depopulation of mount No. 3. The Maeotic sanctuary is the latest complex of the ancient layer. The author infers that sporadic finds in Abkhazia dating back to the 4th century ВС, which used to be explained by the "presence of a significant Scythian ethnic layer" (Yu.N. Voronov), are to be connected with the Maeotic culture of the Kuban area.