 Charax site | |
 Interactive map of Charax | |
| Official name | Археологічний комплекс "Фортеця Харакс" (Charax Fortress archaeological complex) |
|---|---|
| Type | Archaeology |
| Reference no. | 010035-Н |
Charax (Ancient Greek:Χάραξ, gen.: Χάρακος) is the largestRoman military settlement excavated in theCrimea.[1] It was sited on a four-hectare area at the western ridge of Ai-Todor, close to the moderntourist attraction ofSwallow's Nest.
Themilitary camp was founded underVespasian with the intention of protectingChersonesus and other Bosporean trade emporiums from theScythians.[2] By the end of the 1st century AD, the Roman forces were evacuated from the peninsula. Several decades later the camp was restored by avexillatio of theLegio I Italica; it hosted a detachment of theLegio XI Claudia at the end of the 2nd century. The camp was abandoned by the Romans in the mid-3rd century.
The ruins of the camp were discovered by Peter Keppen in 1837; he estimated the length of thedefensive wall at 185sazhens (395 metres). Keppen identified the site with Charax (from the Greek word for "fortification"), the only Roman camp recorded in Crimea. Although there is no evidence that Charax was situated near Ai-Todor, the name stuck. Intrigued by Keppen's publication, CountShuvalov funded the first (and rather amateurish) excavations of the site in 1849.
In 1896, excavations were resumed under the supervision ofGrand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia, who had his summerdacha constructed in the immediate vicitinity of the ruins and the 1865 lighthouse. The excavations lasted for fifteen years and yielded a great number of Roman coins and bronze artifacts.Michael Rostovtzeff, who oversaw the excavations on behalf of theSt. Petersburg University, classed Charax as an "entire Roman city", rather than just a fort, as was previously thought.[3] A museum of archaeological finds was opened at Charax in 1907.
Further exploration of the site, undertaken by Vladimir Blavatsky in 1931-35, revealed remains of two public water basins,thermae, and anaqueduct. There were also a gymnasium and a sanctuary outside the walls. Blavatsky and his followers lent their support to Rostovtzeff's theory that the most ancient line ofcyclopean walls at Charax was erected by theTauri before the arrival of Romans,[4] a theory which since lost much of its popularity. They also hypothesized that thecastrum had beenslighted by retreating Roman soldiers, in order to avoid its seizure and use by the enemy.
44°25′45″N34°07′19″E / 44.42917°N 34.12194°E /44.42917; 34.12194