A Few Groups of Glass Vessels from the Second Half of the Thirteenth Century Fire Layer in Chersonese

Abstract

This paper presents a small collection of glass vessels revealed, with the exception of a few fragments, in a closed deposit, the second half of the thirteenth century fire layer in Chersonese. This publication includes four groups of vessels that always attract specific interest of the researches: marvered scent bottles, enamel- and gold-painted vessels, prunted beakers, and vessels with drops and threads of coloured glass. The issues concerning the origin of manufacturing technologies of these vessels and the ways of their distribution have been considered in details. The research has determined the period of use of these vessels, supposed centres of their production, and distribution area. The finds of similar vessels in other Northern Black Sea centres have been cited. The insignificant amount of these vessels found in Chersonese testifies that they were not traded but rather brought to Chersonese by travellers and pilgrims or came there as gifts including diplomatic ones. Besides, this fact does not allow considering Chersonese an intermediate centre through which the vessels in question were imported to the northern countries, Rus’ian towns in particular. Non-commodity character of these vessels arrival to the Northern Black Sea Area is confirmed by the small number of their finds in those Crimean centres that are thought to have been supplied through Chersonesan market. The collection expands the distribution area of the regarded vessels and increases the number of their finds in closed and narrow-dated assemblages.