Gocha R. Tsetskhladze – författare

Tios/Tieion was intended to be a publication of the proceedings of a conference held at Filyos (ancient Tios/Tieion) in 2020. The conference had to be cancelled in common with other events due to Covid 19, though with the hope that it might take place eventually, a hope undermined by the sudden and premature death of Gocha Tsetskhladze, the co-organiser. Instead, we have a volume of ‘Precedings’, written when thoughts of the conference had not yet been abandoned. Several of the papers focus on aspects of Tios itself (the Acropolis, the Lower City and Coin Finds, written by scholars involved in the excavation). Its place in ancient geography and cartography is considered before we move on to the indigenous inhabitants of the surrounding area, the immediate and greater region (Paphlagonian Hadrianopolis, Hadrian’s visit to the region, the nature of the Phrygian kingdom), then the Turkish Black Sea region (rock-cut tunnels, Roman Heraclea Pontica, St John Chrysostom’s Monastery), and outwards to the western, northern and eastern shoreb /nb /nbs of the Black Sea, their inhabitants and hinterlands (monumental architecture in the temenos of Apollonbbn/ ia Pontica; Archaic Greek transport amphorae in the Getic hinterland; early Greek pottery in settlements  and burials of the northern Black Sea region; the house of Pythes at Berezan; the Sindoi; religious customs at Tarasova Balka; the Mordvinovskii Barrow; and finally Greeks and locals in Pichvnari in Colchis). Overall, there are 21 chapters and 27 authors, drawn from Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria and beyond.

The Black Sea: Hub of Peoples and Cultures (8th Century BC–5th/6th Century AD) presents the Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities, held in Thessaloniki in September 2022 and dedicated to the memory of Prof. Alexandru Avram. This volume continues the tradition of bringing together leading scholars from across Europe and beyond, showcasing new research on the diverse cultures, interactions, and archaeological discoveries that shaped the Black Sea region in antiquity.

Despite the challenging global context in which the Congress took place, it successfully facilitated scholarly exchange on topics ranging from Greek colonisation and local indigenous societies to trade networks, religious practices, and imperial influences from the Archaic to Late Antique periods. The volume comprises contributions from specialists in archaeology, history, and numismatics, as well as reports on new excavations and projects, reinforcing the Black Sea’s role as a crucial crossroads of civilisations.

Maintaining the high standards set by previous congresses, this publication offers fresh perspectives and significant advances in Black Sea studies, ensuring its place as an essential resource for scholars of the ancient Mediterranean and Eurasian worlds.