04 June 2003, 04:56
Sinds
One of the numerous Taman tribes, they early got separate from the others and lived in the 1st millenium BC - first centuries AD on the Taman peninsula and the nearby Black sea coast up to Novorossiisk. They were first mentioned by logographs, then by the Greek and Roman historians Herodot, Pseudo-Skilak, Pseudo-Scymn, Strabon. The main occupations of Sinds were agriculture, fishing, crafts and trade (in the early period - with Urartu, since the VI century BC - with Greeks). They traded both through their own ports - Sind haven, Korokondama, and through the Greek cities founded on the territory of Sindika. The wars with Scythians caused the strengthening of the power of the military leaders. In the V century BC there appeared a state (Sind state). Since the IV century BC Sinds lost their political independence and joined the Bosporus kingdom. Sind nobility was part of the ruling Bosporus aristocracy. Sinds were the most ellinised Black sea tribe: they borrowed their language and literacy, names and customs, participated in Greek competitions and religious cults, wore Greek decorations. Sinds? weapons were of Scythian type. Sind cities were found by archaeologists (site of ancient settlement Semibratneye near Kuban and Rayevskoye near Anapa). Many burial mounds of Taman peninsula and Kuban region (Bolshaya Bliznitsa, Karagodeuashkh, Merjani etc.) are the burial places of Sind nobility. During the first centuries AD Sinds assimilated with Sarmats.
