V 309. Bosporus.Inscription of Kosmas, IX-Xth centuries C.E.
Monument
Type
Wall block.
Material
Limestone.
Additional description
Wall block from the tumulus vault. Fully preserved.
Place of Origin
Bosporus.
Find place
Kerch.
Find context
"Tsarski" (Royal) tumulus, dromos, vault.
Find circumstances
1956, survey of A.A. Shalkevich.
Modern location
Kerch.
Institution and inventory
In situ (?), no inventory number.
Autopsy
Non vidi.
Epigraphic field
Position
On the front.
Lettering
Graffito; slightly elongated letters. Alpha with a loop.
Text
Category
Commemoration (?).
Date
IX-Xth centuries C.E.
Dating criteria
Palaeography, nearby graffiti.
Editions
L1. Amelkin2001, 242.
<div type="edition" xml:lang="grc">
<ab>
<lb n="1"/>Κοσμᾶς.
</ab>
</div>Translation
Kosmas.
Commentary
The text was inscribed after the dromos of the Tsarksi tumulus had been filled, a new entrance cut through the vault and a church set up inside (see Shalkevich 1976, 162–164). The text is commemorative. The shape of alpha and a drawing of a spear nearby (for more details, see Amelkin 2001) suggest that the inscription was made in the IX-Xth centuries.
On the name, see commentary to V 237.
Images
© 2015 Andrey Vinogradov (edition), Irene Polinskaya (translation)
You may download this inscription in EpiDoc XML. (This file should validate to theEpiDoc schema.)