To the question of the "sind sculpture" Cover Image

К вопросу о «синдской скульптуре»
To the question of the "sind sculpture"

Author(s): Andrey M. Novichikhin
Subject(s): Archaeology, Cultural history, Ancient World
Published by: Нижневартовский государственный университет
Keywords: Bosporan Kingdom; Sindika; Gorgippia; "sind sculpture»; tombstones; statues-half-figure; reliefs; Sinds; Aspurgians

Summary/Abstract: In 1960—1970 N.I. Sokolsky included two groups of Bosporan tombstones — statues-half-figure and reliefs with hip-or knee-images of the human figure to the monuments of the "sind sculpture". Recent studies give reason to doubt that straightforward ethnic attribution. Statues of half-figure are common to the Bosporus and the whole of the ancient world phenomenon, reflecting the desire of the ancient sculptors to portrait images. Relief gravestones in part without architectural design should be associated with the activities of one of the workshops of the Bosporus city Gorgippia located in the Syndica: they depict the characters dressed in Greek robes and not necessarily portray the Sinds. The only specific group of statues-half-figure soldiers, carrier ethnographic features of the costume Meotian or Meoto-Sarmatian tribes, should be considered sculptural images of Aspurgians — people, settle by Bosporan kings in the I century B.C. in the Eastern Bosphorus to protect against external and internal enemies.