Metal Crosses Excavated at the Cave Church of Kil’se-Tubiu in the South-Western Crimea
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20466857 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Valentin Gantsev (0000-0001-6097-1923, V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Russian Federation, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Pages | 95–112 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-30 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Античная древность и средние века (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0320-4472 • E-ISSN: 2687-0398 |
| Publisher | Ural Federal University (PUBLISHER • RU) |
| DOI | 10.15826/adsv.2025.53.006 |
| OpenAlex | W4417322756 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
The cross possesses a prominent place in Christian liturgy and piety. This is particularly evident from various crosses discovered by archaeological excavations of churches and cemeteries in Byzantium, Rus’, and other regions. No exception is the excavations at the area at the entrance of the cave church of Kil’se-Tubiu, located to the north of the ancient town of Mangup, on the slope of the mountain of Cherdakly-Bair. The excavations uncovered eight metal crosses. Three votive crosses, made of a thin silver sheet and adorned with a punch-work ornament, are reliably dated to the second half of the ninth and first half of the tenth centuries. Along with ceramic finds, they confirm the chronology of the construction of the church and uncover the early stage of Kil’se-Tubiu in the theme period of the history of Mangup. Following the promotion of the Gothic bishopric to metropolis in the late-thirteenth century, construction and renovation of the churches built in previous period in this area intensified. Five crosses belong to the Golden Horde Period in the history of the monument (late thirteenth and fourteenth century): fragment of a processional or altar bronze cross decorated with “drop-like” medallions at the ends of the arms, votive crosses of bent iron rods with elongated lower arm, a cast bronze underwear cross, and a Greek cross carved from a silver plate. These church artefacts, with their parallels known in other Byzantine sites, indicate a relatively high level of Christianisation of the population of the upper Karalez Valley. Additionally, they show a certain unification of religious relics within the Gothic Metropolis
Altar · Bronze · Byzantine architecture · Cave · Chronology · Excavation · Liturgy · Population · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · Byzantine Studies and History · Eurasian Exchange Networks
| Highly cited | No |
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