Crimean Chersonesos was published in October 2003 by the Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICA) at The University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos in Ukraine. This book is unusual in its scope and its multi-disciplinary approach to history, archaeology, and cultural studies. Crimean Chersonesos spans 2500 years, with the primary emphasis on the ancient Greek and Byzantine eras, yet still covers the modern era, as well as the current socio-political situation in Sevastopol, Crimea, and Ukraine.

The ancient city of Chersonesos is one of the most unique and important archaeological sites in the world. Not since Ellis Minns's thorough and scholarly account in Scythians and Greeks (1913) has anything extensive been written about the city in English. Its equally famous agricultural territory and its treasures, now housed in the Museum of the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos-as well as in Moscow and St. Petersburg-are virtually unknown to the non-Russian or non-Ukrainian speaking public. Now, at last, all are open to the international cultural community. The purpose of this book is to introduce to a worldwide audience this remarkable site. Its long life of nearly two millennia (500 BC to AD 1400) and its almost unequaled state of preservation fully justify the appellation, the "Slavic Pompeii."

In the ancient and medieval worlds Chersonesos, as a Greek colony and Roman and Byzantine outpost, was the furthest and most important point of contact between Mediterranean civilization and the vast Eurasian continent, influencing the political as well as the artistic development of barbarian worlds and, in turn, being influenced by them. It was the portal and major link between the civilization of Byzantium and the still pagan Rus', the very place from which Orthodox Christianity spread to the eastern Slavic world. The principal reason for the secrecy surrounding Chersonesos was the fact that its modern successor-Sevastopol, of Crimean War fame and a remarkable city in its own right-was, as headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, one of the most guarded places of the cold war. This book attempts to trace the whole history of the region, from the Greek colony to the historic Sevastopol, to the modern city and its environs, a countryside rich in monuments of diverse cultures and in natural beauty-a setting of irresistible charm.

Sample Chapter One - Tauric Chersonesos in PDF format.

Reviews in PDF format: Journal of Roman Archaeology, Vol. 17, 2004.

Dr. Carter, founder and Director of ICA, began his research of the ancient Greek countryside in the Crimea in 1992. As one of the foremost scholars on rural territories of Greek colonies, he was the first Westerner invited to the restricted area in almost a century. This initial contact led to a full-scale joint project between ICA and the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos, the museum responsible for the preservation and excavation of the ancient territory. UT conducts regular summer excavations at Chersonesos with a special emphasis on Greek, Roman, and Byzantine artifacts and architecture. As the scope of the project has grown and become a successful example of US-Ukrainian collaboration in the scientific, cultural, and economic sphere, it requires high-level governmental involvement and support. Over the years, dozens of UT students and faculty, area professionals, and volunteers have traveled to this well-preserved idyllic site to assist in the development of an Archaeological Preserve and an International Archaeological Field School.

The Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICA) puts a tremendous emphasis on its publication projects. Crimean Chersonesos is the first of a dozen monographs, manuscripts, fascicules, and books planned for the coming years. We will even launch a bilingual English-Ukrainian journal, Archaeology in Ukraine, in 2004. ICA Director Dr. Joseph Coleman Carter conceived of Crimean Chersonesos after a decade of excavation and research there. His enthusiasm and dedication to the site are evident on every page of the lavishly illustrated publication. Professor Carter's The Chora of Metaponto, incidentally, was awarded the 1999 James R. Wiseman Book Award by the Archaeological Institute of America. We anticipate that Crimean Chersonesos will be equally well received.

Crimean Chersonesos is distributed by David Brown Book Company:

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Crimean Chersonesos: City, Chora, Museum, And Environs

LC Control Number: 2003007710
Type of Material: Book
Main Title: Crimean Chersonesos: city, chora, museum, and environs
[Glenn R. Mack, Joseph Coleman Carter editors].
Published/Created: Austin: Institute of Classical Archaeology of The University of Texas, 2003.
Projected Pub. Date: October 2003
Related Names: Mack, Glenn Randall, Carter, Joseph Coleman.
University of Texas at Austin. Institute of Classical Archaeology.
Natsional'nyi zapovidnyk "Khersones Tavriis'kyi"
ISBN: 0970887922 (pbk.)
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Subjects: Monuments – Ukraine – Chersonese (Extinct city)
Chersonese (Extinct city) – History.
Ukraine – Civilization – Greek influences.
Crimea (Ukraine) – History.
LC Classification: DK508.95.C544 C75 2003
Pages: xx + 232 pp.