ANTIQUITIES OF THE III—I CENTURIES BC IN THE FOREST-STEPPE DONETS REGION

For the territory of the forest-steppe part of the river basin. Seversky Donets, as well as for the entire Dnepro-Donets Forest-Steppe as a whole, the period of the last three centuries BC is the least studied. First of all, this is due to a very limited range of archaeological sources. The article gives an analysis of materials relating to the III—I centuries. BC, obtained mostly as a result of the excavations of the author, involving a few previously known random finds. In addition to the single random finds found on the surface, the main array of artifacts associated with the period under consideration is presented in the materials of the excavation of the Tsirkuni settlement. It is still the only monument in the forest-steppe Donets region on which objects are found, which, according to the general context, can be dated to the last centuries BC. Among them are fragments of imported pottery ceramics, iron brooches, a hook, a petioled three-bladed arrowhead, several types of buckles, a bronze ring with rounded protrusions. These findings allow us to talk about the continuation of life on some forest-steppe monuments of Scythian time in this period and only to suggest the ethnicity of new migrants in the territory, among which could be both late Scythians and Eastern nomads (late Sauromats, Sirmatians, Siraks).