Pilgrims from the Province of Scythia

The ampullae are the most representative artefacts that confirm the phenomenon of pilgrimage, as practised in the early Byzantine period by the inhabitants of the province of Scythia. The scope of the present material is the research carried out on the eight ampullae that have been discovered so far in the region between the Lower Danube and the Black Sea. These small ceramic containers were used to bring holy water, oil, or blessed soil from the famous Christian pilgrimage centre of Abu Mena, in Egypt, as well as from the Anatolian area of Asia Minor. The finds from Scythia originate in five urban centres spread across the Lower Danube limes (Capidava), on the western coast of the Black Sea (Istria, Tomis, Callatis), or even in the middle of the province (Ibida). The artefacts are datable to the second half of the 6th century and the first decades of the 7th century, which suggests intense spiritual activity in this space, which was experiencing political and military instability during this period, as confirmed by written sources. Despite these realities, it seems that the phenomenon of pilgrimage, a feature of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire starting with the 4th century, continued to manifest intensely in Scythia, despite the numerous obstacles that would ultimately cause the fall of the Danubian limes.