Kuloba

(Kul’oba), a barrow of a Scythian chieftain of the fourth century B.C. discovered in 1830 near the city of Kerch’.

A stone crypt, built in the Greek style, was found beneath the mound of stone. The deceased wearing clothes and headgear embroidered with gold plaques, was buried in a wooden sarcophagus. There was a gold torque around the neck with representations of mounted Scythians on the ends and gold bracelets around the arms. A complete set of offensive and defensive weapons was also found in the tomb. The grave of the principal deceased was accompanied by the grave of his wife or concubine. The gold ornaments on her ritual dress and the electrum vessel decorated with representations of Scythians are excellent examples of work by Greek jewelers. A servant or slave was buried near the south wall of the crypt. The tomb contained amphorae with wine, bronze kettles with meat, and bronze and silver dishes. The barrow resembles the royal Scythian barrows of the Lower Dnieper Region of the fourth and third centuries B.C.