Neapolis Scythica
Neapolis Scythica, located in the interior of the Tauric Chersonese in present-day Crimea, served as the capital of the Royal Scyths from the third century BC. This ancient city is notable for its role in the Hellenization of the Scythian people, influenced by interactions with the nearby Cimmerian Bosphorus. Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of a permanent Greek settlement, highlighting a blend of cultures in this region. The city was fortified with robust stone walls and featured significant architectural structures, including a double-colonnaded building and numerous Hellenistic houses, adorned with painted and stuccoed decorations.
Among its notable burial sites, a mausoleum with seventy-two opulently furnished tombs suggests the presence of royal family members from between the second centuries BC and AD. Another necropolis showcases smaller chamber tombs that were embellished with wall paintings illustrating Scythian life and customs, such as hunting. Neapolis Scythica thrived until the third century AD, when it fell into decline due to invasions by Sarmatians, Alans, and Goths, marking the end of both the city and the Royal Scythian kingdom.
Neapolis Scythica
(near Simferopol)
A city in the interior of the Tauric Chersonese (Crimea). From the third century BC it was the capital of the Royal Scyths, a military people whose King Palacus is shown on horseback on a relief; another monarch, Scylurus, is mentioned on a Greek inscription. This and other archaeological evidence indicates that the Scythians underwent a considerable degree of Hellenization—under the influence of their frequently hostile neighbor, the state of the Cimmerian (Crimean) Bosphorus; indeed, the presence of a permanent Greek settlement in the town seems probable.
Before 200 it was surrounded by powerful stone, mortar-bonded walls, of which the main gate was flanked by towers. Remains within the perimeter of these fortifications include a double-colonnaded tile-roofed edifice, and a number of prosperous Hellenistic houses with courtyards and painted and stuccoed walls. The city's cemeteries are monumental and varied. Particularly notable is a mausoleum that contains seventy-two lavishly furnished tombs, probably belonging to members of the royal house who lived between the second centuries BC and AD. Another necropolis contains small chamber tombs furnished with niches and adorned with wall paintings depicting Scythian houses and hunting scenes. The city, like the Royal Scythian kingdom itself, ceased to exist in the third century AD, when the Tauric Chersonese was overrun by Sarmatians, Alans and Goths.