The most challenging question regarding the defensive settlements of the Pontic forest -steppe is the reason behind their construction at all and size. The most frequent interpretations centre around two questions: were they to protect from external threats (i.e. the nomads) or were they the result of a carefully planned construction strategy related to the economic and social pressure from the Greek colonies in the Black Sea region? it is also possible that both explanations are true.The emergence of hillforts in the Early iron age in Ukraine is a cultural phenomenon that eludes comprehensive descriptions or interpretations. as a conglomerate of 'microcosms' of variable sizes and perhaps functions, fortified settlements share two planes: space and time.The hillforts were constructed in the borderland between the steppe and the forest, the region is defined in the physical geography of Ukraine as the forest--steppe. much more humid than the steppes, it is taken to be the most optimal * institute of archaeology, adam mickiewicz University,

This article considers finds from the Scythian monuments of the North Black Sea area that can be connected to local jewelry production from the 7th century to the end of the 4th century BCE. I wish to draw attention to the problem of prolonged bias in this area of study. The prominence of the famous masterpieces by West Asian artisans (Lyta Mohyla and Kelermes Kurgans) and of the Greco-Scythian goldwork from the North Pontic kurgans (Chortomlyk, Solokha, Tovsta Mohyla, etc.) invited the view that the vast majority of the gold objects that the Scythians used during their lifetime and later took into their graves were imported rather than locally produced. Instead of trying to consider all artifacts that could potentially be Scythian-made, my goal in this article is to review the direct archaeological evidence of local jewelry production in the form of punches, matrices, and recorded cases of workshops at Scythian settlements. Gathering this evidence, as I will argue, gives us compelling insight into the high level of Scythian goldsmithing from the beginning of Scythian culture in the 7th century BCE and its improvement and adaptation of new techniques in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, probably in the context of intensified cultural exchanges between Scythians and Greeks.

The article focuses on the research results of Severynivka hillfort fortifications. In 2009 a rampart and a moat on a cliff on the south floor-level side. In 2012-2013 there was made a rampart and escarp sections in the north-eastern part of the fortification. Separate stages of its construction are distinguished; the possible reconstruction of the defensive structures is suggested.

This is the first publication of the barrow 6 of burial ground placed near Vodoslavka village in Novotroitskyi district of Kherson Oblast of Ukraine. Under the small mound of soil 1.4 m height two wealthy persons were buried in the same catacomb with two entering pits. Due to stratigraphy observation, the funeral rate in this case had two phases. Firstly, the body of Scythian noble warrior was placed in the grave in his armour and with weapon. Near him on the West his horse was putted in separate small grave. Some time since, the woman’s corpse dressed in ceremonial gown with gold decoration was placed near man in his grave. Lately, the grave was robbed (probably not long time since funeral rates). But robbers used the second entering pit for their purpose. It is very uncommon, that after taking some of the grave goods and disturbing the upper part of bodies, thefts have leaved in the second entering pit the animal sacrifice (?) — horse corpse. The grave goods demonstrate the high social level of the two Scythians. The man was buried with representative set of weapon: set of ranged weapon, spears and javelins, scaled armour and antique greaves. On the woman’s skeleton the number of gold clothes decorations were recorded. Besides that, the set of silver table ware was found inside the catacomb, and the entrance to the grave was lock with wagon parts. The analysis of the gold appliquйs and rings, armour, weapon and silver vessels shows the time of burial — second—third quarter of the 4th century BC. The area, where these noble Scythians found their last resting place, was strategically important at that time. This barrow was built on the way that leaded from the Bosporan Kingdom to the center of the Scythia in the Dnieper River area.

In 1895 Yulia F. Abaza made the archaeological excavations near Vasylkiv village of Zvenyhorod district. The found materials were given to the Archaeological museum of Kiev Saint Vladimir Imperial University that has not survived till nowadays. In 1899 these artefacts were presented as one Scythian burial mound assemblage at the 11th Archaeological Congress exhibition in Kyiv, though the analysis of collection’s items demonstrate their cultural and historical broad range. There are ca. fifteen vessels of Trypillia and one — of Middle Dnieper cultures. The biggest part of the assemblage under discussion is presented by two horizons of Scythian Age. Also one sword belongs to the Sarmatian culture. This diversity makes impossible to assume belonging of all described items to one archaeological complex. A little bit later the finials (pole-tops) discovered by Yulia F. Abaza were published as finds from Kaniv district (B. I. and V. A. Khanenko) or as the finds from the Mezhirichka from Balta (A. A. Bobrinskii). The last passport was recognized by scholars and was repeated in a lot of analytical papers. However no paper mentioned these finials among the finds explored by Yu. F. Abaza in 1895 at the barrows near Mezhirichka village. It is absolutely clear now that their interpretation as the Mezhirichka’s finds was mistaken. The arguments on the matter are fully described in the paper. Now due to our «investigation» the main part of collection of Yulia F. Abaza’s excavation in 1895 in Zvenyhorod district was reinvented again. Now almost all artefacts from this works near Vasylkiv village (modern Cherkasy Region of Ukraine) are kept in National Museum of Ukrainian History. The one finial was given in 1950 to M. F. Sumtsov Kharkiv Historical Museum.