The Small Bells from the Cemetery of Ust’-Al’ma
The many-year-long excavations of the cemetery of Ust’-Al’ma uncovered a multitude of small bronze bells in the graves from the first century BC to the first half of the third century AD. In total, there are 314 specimens forming a category of grave goods. From the formal features, there are reasons to divide the finds into 10 types. Most of the bells are locally manufactured, presumably in the barbarian environment. There also are striking imported artefacts produced in the provincial Roman workshops. Quite remarkable is the group of finds formally resembling the Roman-made artefacts, but probably produced in the Northern Black Sea Area or in the Crimean Peninsula after the Roman models.