On the Seal of Byzantine Skribonos Excavated at Mangup-Doros. An Historical and Archaeological Commentary
Journal: Materials in Archaeology History and Ethnography of Tauria
Year: 2023

In 2021, the excavations of an early mediaeval street on the site of the palace of Mangup discovered an early Byzantine lead seal featuring an eagle on the front side and a cross-shaped monogram of Greek letters on the back side. The monogram reads Ἐλευθέριος, σκρίβονος; the seal dates from 550–650 AD, most likely from the late sixth to the first half of the seventh centuries. Skribonoi (scriboni) formed an elite unit of bodyguards of the Byzantine emperors, established under Justinian I (527–56