Guard Fortifications of the 13th Century in “Khersakei” and Crimean Gotia
Journal: Povolzhskaya Arkheologiya (The Volga River Region Archaeology)
Year: 2020

The Seljuk expansion of 1217–1225 and the first appearance of the Mongols in the territory of the peninsula in 1223 stimulated the construction of guard fortresses in the vicinity of Kherson and Gotia, controlling the passes and routes to the valleys of the mountainous Crimea. In this time period (1220–1230s), in addition to the 12 Early Byzantine fortress towns (6th – 12th centuries), a total of 24–25 new fortifications appeared in the deep mountain regions and along the southern bank of the pe