ФУТЛЯР ДЛЯ ПАПИРУСОВ ИЗ УСТЬ-АЛЬМИНСКОГО НЕКРОПОЛЯ В ЮГО-ЗАПАДНОМ КРЫМУ

In 1996 an area containing elite burials dating from the 1st century AD was discovered within a Late Scythian necropolis. Tomb 620 occupied a prominent place among the rich burials. Among the numerous and various fi nds one of particular interest was an object later identifi ed as scrinium (capsa, cista, κiστoς, τeνχoς) - a case for storing papyrus texts. The fi ne whittled sticks found together with the case are oµфαλoi or umbilici - small sticks attached to the end of scrolls. This extremely rare fi nd provides archaeological confi rmation of the fact that objects of «high culture», such as Roman items connected with writing, storing and transporting texts, had made their way into the barbarian world of the North Pontic region.