An ancient settlement, known as Stena 1, has been excavated in the southwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula, revealing significant insights into its historical context. First discovered in 2016, the site underwent extensive rescue excavations in 2018, covering over 3000 square meters, primarily due to road construction.
Researchers from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences have dated the settlement to between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE, identifying it as a temporary dwelling site. They also suggest that a late medieval structure found at the site could be interpreted as a boundary wall.
Located on the left bank of the Belbek River, the settlement features a massive wall constructed from large stones, which gave the site its name. Nearby, archaeologists uncovered two significant burial grounds, including one known as Frontovoe 3, containing 332 burial structures, predominantly dated from the late 1st century BCE to the early 5th century CE.
The findings reveal two burial groups: one associated with the late Scythian archaeological culture and the other linked to migrating barbarian populations during the late Roman period. In total, 31 archaeological objects were identified within the settlement, including a stone structure attributed to modern times and 29 pits from the late Bronze Age, one of which contained a child’s burial.
Among the artifacts discovered were numerous fragments of pottery featuring distinctive incised ornamentation, linking the pits and burials to the Kizil-Kobin archaeological culture.