Tamga Series on a Vessel from Artezian Hillfort: Context of the Artifact

The Artezian Hillfort, located in the European Bosporus, plays a crucial role in understanding early Greek-Sarmatian interactions from the 1 st century BC to the middle of the 1 st century AD. A significant series of Sarmatian tamga signs — the oldest found in the Northern Black Sea Region — has been discovered at this site, connecting various areas of Sarmatia. In 2006, within the Artezian citadel, a fragment of an earthenware jug with a horizontal row of various tamgas was unearthed, dating back to a layer associated with a fire from 46/47 AD. Originally, there were likely around eight tamgas on the jug. Similar traditions have been noted in the Iranian world, particularly in Transoxiana (Kangju, Bactria), suggesting different contexts for the use of such graffiti. The signs on the vessel are associated with Sarmatians who inhabited the region north of the Crimea. The tamgas on the Artezian jug can be viewed as symbols of unity, representing the alliance of several clans. Prior to the mid —1 st century AD, a series of single tamgas on ceramics and astragali had been documented in Artezian, indicating their owners lived to the north and west of the European Bosporus. The context of many of these tamga finds — often associated with Roman and Bosporan household ceramics — suggests the infiltration of a small group of Sarmatians into the fortress. Recent high-quality photographs have also allowed for clearer examination of the placement and shapes of tamgas on a “dedicatory” stone slab from the first half of the 1 st century BC, which was originally mounted on the fortress wall.