Skip to content

← Home

Sakharna Golovka Settlement

The Sakharna Golovka settlement is an important archaeological site of the Kyzyl-Koba culture dating to the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages, located on the terraced slopes of Mount Sakharna Golovka on the right bank of the Chorna River in the Inkerman Valley (South-Western Crimea).

Overview

The settlement functioned as a satellite of the fortified center of Uch-Bash, controlling the ford across the Chorna River and land routes from the Inkerman Valley to the Karakoba and Balaklava Valleys.

Archaeological surveys and excavations at Sakharna Golovka were conducted by Oleksandr Takhtay in the 1940s and S. F. Strzheletsky in the 1950s. The research by Evelina Kravchenko in 2009–2013 made it possible to integrate source materials from Sakharna Golovka into the overall synthesis of the paleoeconomy of the Inkerman Valley.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Topography and Function: The settlement is located on the bank of the Chorna River opposite Uch-Bash. It formed a unified socio-economic and defensive micro-region together with the Uch-Bash plateau.
  • Pottery Production: Remains of ancient pottery kilns for firing ceramics were discovered at Sakharna Golovka. The site is one of the main sources for reconstructing the ceramic craft of the Kyzyl-Koba culture.
  • Archaeological Finds: Ceramic vessels (large storage jars, cups, strainers), stone and bone artifacts, as well as a significant amount of osteological remains from domestic and wild animals were found in cultural layers and storage pits.
  • Connection with Uch-Bash Chronology: Materials from Sakharna Golovka synchronize with the pre-Taurian and Taurian periods of Uch-Bash's existence (12th–7th centuries BCE).