Hermonassa — Northern Tuzla Bay Harbour (Taman Bay North)
Hermonassa North Harbour · Tuzla Bay Quay · Hermonassa Bay Anchorage
Archaic to Medieval (580 BCE – 1100 CE)·Ionian Greek / Bosporan / Slavic Tmutarakan·🇷🇺 Krasnodar Krai, Taman Peninsula, Tuzla Bay northern shore at historic Hermonassa (modern Taman), Russia
About
About Hermonassa — Northern Tuzla Bay Harbour (Taman Bay North)
Northern bay harbour of Hermonassa inland of Tuzla Bay northern shoreline, where the Ionian colony's sheltered bay anchorage now lies 1–2 m submerged behind Tuzla Spit north face. 2 m and 4th c. 8 m recorded by 2018 RAS diving and sub-bottom profiling. Founded c. 580 BCE by Ionians (Mytilene/Teos), Hermonassa was Bosporan Asian gateway until medieval Tmutarakan. Northern bay served lagoon cabotage and salt while south handled Strait passage. Curtain base shows mudbrick on stone socle with slingstone scatter.
Why it mattersNorth bay harbour proves dual-basin Hermonassa (bay vs strait); timber quay dates lagoon fish industry and Bosporan salt monopoly.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether curtain is Archaic or 4th c. BCE Bosporan fort
- 02Attribution of slingstone scatter to satyr revolt?
Theories
- 01North handled lagoon economy, south handled transit tolls
- 02Spit breach drowned bay harbour c. 600 CE
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 580 BCE Ionian foundation; northern quays 5th–4th c. BCE
- Period
- Archaic to Medieval (580 BCE – 1100 CE)
- Culture
- Ionian Greek / Bosporan / Slavic Tmutarakan
- Builders
- Ionian Greek / Bosporan
- Purpose
- Sheltered bay harbour for lagoon fish, salt and grain cabotage
- Abandoned
- c. 1100 CE Tmutarakan eclipse and spit breach
- Rediscovered
- 19th c. antiquarian; north bay diving 2018 RAS
- Excavation
- Submerged
c. 580 BCE
Ionians found Hermonassa at Taman narrows
c. 400 BCE
70 m timber fish quay and curtain wall built
2018
RAS sub-bottom profiles north bay harbour to –1.5 m
On the ground
Structures & features
45.2150° N · 36.7180° E · -1 m · 3 mapped features
Timber-Pile Fish Quay (70 m)
quayOak pile fish quay 70 m at –1.5 m
45.2155° N · 36.7185° EAshlar Grain Quay (50 m)
quayAshlar grain quay 50 m at –1.2 m
45.2150° N · 36.7180° EFortification Curtain Base (40 m)
fortificationCurtain wall base 40 m at –0.8 m with slingstones
45.2145° N · 36.7182° E