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The Chora
 The agricultural hinterland (chora) of the Greek city of Chersonesos, like that of many Greek colonies, was divided into lots for the farms and vineyards of the colonists. This division seems to have taken place about a hundred years after the establishment of the city and left visible marks on the landscape, in the form of roads, stone division walls, vineyard planting walls, and the farmsteads themselves. Elsewhere in the colonial Greek world, such remains have been destroyed by later development and modern deep plowing. At Chersonesos, however, much of the ancient landscape has been preserved. This landscape has been the subject of archaeological research for much of the 20th century. In 1994, ICA added its efforts to that investigation, embarking on collaborative archaeological projects with the NPTC at two farm sites in the chora. The first site to become the object of a joint project is known as Site 151. Here, excavations concentrated on a farmhouse dating to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. The well-preserved remains revealed a modest structure with storage bins, a fortified tower, and a small household shrine containing a kantharos and a ceramic club (perhaps an indication of the cult of Herakles). The storage areas testify to the agricultural activities of the building's inhabitants, probably wine production. Modifications to the structure over time indicate an increasing concern with defense, and the eventual abandonment of the farm may be related to the major economic and political changes the area underwent with the influx of new populations in the 3rd century CE. This site is now in the final publication stage, and we intend the comprehensive results of our research to be available to the scholarly community very soon. 
Excavations at Site 151 allowed the ICA-NPTC collaboration to develop its methodologies and formulate new research questions. These new approaches and questions were put to practice in the course of geophysical prospecting and excavation at a site called Bezymyannaya, at the furthest edge of the Greek chora. Research began in 1997 and concluded in 2004. During that period, ICA and the NPTC uncovered evidence for a long and interesting history that stretched from the site's early life as a large, fortified farmstead to its use as a fort by Turkish troops during the Crimean War. Excavations meant to "ground-truth" resistivity and ground-penetrating-radar surveys also provided information about the nature and date of buried field-walls. These surveys were accompanied by the systematic application of modern surveying techniques and GIS software to the site. Specialist studies were also brought to bear on the material recovered during excavation: through the efforts of physical anthropologists, paleobotanists, and ceramics specialists, the site will tell us much about marginal burials, agricultural practices, and trade and manufacturing. Work is well underway on the final publication of this site, as well. |
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•Introduction •Excavations The Chora The Urban Area •Material Studies Ceramics and Finds Painted Grave Stelai Scientific Research •Landscape Studies GIS Research Projects Geophysical Study •The Packard Lab •Conservation •Megarika •Archaeological Park of the Chora •Management Plan/ UNESCO Nomination •Chersonesos Bibliography |
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Copyright 2005 The Institute of Classical Archaeology — The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78759 1-512-232-9321 or 22 1-512-232-9324 (fax) email ICA Staff ResourcesCopyright 2005 The Institute of Classical Archaeology — The University of Texas at Austin