Tomsk State University: Classical philology Majors are interning at Chersonesos
Students of the Faculty of Philology are doing an internship at the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos, Crimea. Classical philology majors study ancient manuscripts and work at archeological sites, and this is the first internship agreement between TSU and the National Preserve, initiated by the students and faculty of the Department of Classical Philology. Coordinator of the internship for the Preserve’s part is Anna Namoylik, researcher, Candidate of Science in History, archaeologist, and epigraphist.
“Anna Sergeyevna took great care in preparing all classes, lectures, and excursions. Classes are taught by a researcher of the Preserve. Stanislav Ryzhov, for example, gave us a lecture on the fort of Chersonesos and on the reconstruction of ancient mosaics. Kseniya Ushakova gave us a tour on the most interesting exhibition for us –the ancient period of the town’s history,” the students note.
TSU students work with various types of ancient texts: official documents, like the civic oath of Chersonesos, proxenies, correspondence regarding taxes, dedications, epitaphs, and other texts such as lapidary inscriptions, graffiti, and stamps of ancient Chersonesos.
“We are studying the fundamentals of paleography, for example, which elements can help in dating the manuscript, what the silhouette of the letter Σ or Π can say about its age, and how to define space in stone inscriptions.”
Researchers Valentin Doroshko and Alexandr Romensky gave lectures on Roman and Byzantine history. Maksim Tiurin explained the differences in inscriptions of amphoras of various Greek poleis, and Tatyana Prokhorova let students in on a secret of estampage (an impression of an inscription made on inked paper): what it is, what it is for, what techniques of estampage are used now. Moreover, the students wash ceramic pieces found during the current archeological excavation. Perhaps, out of the thoroughly cleared fragments, they can put together a whole amphora.
The partnership between TSU and the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos will be continued.