Bulgarian coastal fishery from the Upper Palaeolithic till nowadays reveals remarkable evolution in terms of used fishing gears, utilization areas and targeted species. Greek colonization of the Bulgarian coast began at the end of 7th century BCE. At that time more advanced fishing gear were introduced into the fishing industry in Bulgaria. In the newly formed Slavic-Bulgarian state, both in early and middle Medieval periods, fishing developed under the influence of Byzantium, which continued to develop shipping and trade in the western Black Sea cities near Constantinople, as well as places near to the Danube River and in Crimea at the same time. For almost five centuries (1396 - 1878), Bulgaria became a province of the Ottoman Empire. Different types of rents and confiscations of the fish were introduced. After liberation from Ottoman rule, the Bulgarian fishery lost a large share of its significance for the national economy. Fishing continued to be a backward, non-isolated branch of material production, which did not play a significant role in the country‘s economy. Active Black Sea fishing began with the introduction of trawling into the Black Sea fishery in 1921. In 1948, the fishing cooperatives voluntarily disbanded and became part of the state enterprise, together with their assets and liabilities. Until 1990, government efforts focused mainly on large-scale fisheries. It is only after this date that the number of small-scale fishing vessels increased rapidly, now making up the bulk of the fleet. At present, the Bulgarian fleet operates exclusively in the Black Sea and 95.28 % of the Bulgarian vessels are <12 m in length, and most of the vessels use set gillnets as their preferred gear type.
Fishing is a natural occupation for the inhabitants of any maritime town, and Crimean Cherson is no exception. According to archaeological research, fishing was already highly developed from the very beginnings of the town, established during the Greek colonisation period. In the 2nd century BCE, fish was used to produce garum, a fish sauce. This is documented through the many finds of fish vats, large structures in which garum was made, the production of which continued in Cherson at least until the 11th century CE.This paper focuses on the archaeological features that show evidence for the extensive processing of fish in Cherson. Furthermore, it considers the importance of this “industry” for the economy of Cherson, and the probable consequences, given the stable income, for the development and status of Cherson within the Byzantine Empire.
This paper presents an analysis of the environmental conditions for fishing and fish processing in Tanais, southern Russia, on the broader background of the territories surrounding the Sea of Azov. Although historical sources indicate that fishing played a crucial role in the region’s economy during Hellenistic and Roman times, archaeoichthyological sources show that the amount of fish as well as the species represented archaeologically in the area vary substantially. In the authors’ opinion, ecology is the main factor impacting fishing: interregional differences and changing environmental conditions around the Sea of Azov. The region has been divided into three areas according to current environmental conditions, given the similarity between the present-day climate and that of Hellenistic times. This paper discusses the diachronic changes in catches, availability of fish, the impact of climate and changes in the water basins that affect species composition, focusing especially on the Don delta.
In this paper, we discuss possible waterscape exploitation of Razelm-Golovița lagoon system in Antiquity using a new paleo-environmental reconstruction and a revision of relative and absolute chronologies of the evolution of the southern Danube Delta in relation to the historical development of the Greek settlements of Orgame, Caraburun-Acic Suat and Istros. The sites are located in a highly dynamic fluvio-lagoonal environment with diverse physical contexts and complex processes at play, including sedimentary budget, proximity to fluvial mouths, relative sea level mobility, currents, and littoral drift.Through a geoarchaeological perspective of these ancient Greek settlements, we propose a new approach to understanding the factors at play in the territorial exploitation of the natural resources. By conducting a multi-proxy high-resolution analysis of three new sedimentary cores and a study of the micro-ecologies of the ancient colonial territories, we obtained a novel picture of the natural potentialities of the lagoons in Antiquity and the role of eco-determinism and of social and political choices in their exploitation.Furthermore, we investigate the horothesia, a legal document that outlines Istros’ territorial borders, and served as a legal tool for regulating access and control of the lagoon resources. The analysis of this document in relation to the paleo-environmental reconstruction and historical context provides insights into how the cities adapted to the changing environmental conditions and political instability in the region. Ultimately, our research underscores the interconnectedness between the exploitation of natural resources, environmental dynamics, and social and political factors in shaping the development of ancient Greek settlements in the Danube Delta.
The settlement site and polytechnics cemetery of the Classical period at Pichvnari has yielded useful material for the study of ancient history and culture of the eastern Black Sea area. During the whole Classical period, local Colchians and Greek settlers peacefully co-existed in the area. It is clear from the archaeological finds that Pichvnari was the economic, cultural and religious centre of its surrounding chora over a long period.Pichvnari occupied a vast territory, extending to the environs of the Choloki-Ochkhamuri confluence near the sea, in an area of sandy soil. This situation, together with the particular climatic conditions, significantly impeded the survival of organic materials (bone, leather, fabric, wood, etc.). Despite this fact, the materials of Pichvnari cemetery and settlement site still reveal much information.Among various industries, fishing was a major activity thanks to the proximity to rivers and the sea. An especially large stone sinker, weighing 3.8kg, points to the use of very large nets, and thus sea fishing on an industrial scale.Many pebble weights used for sinking fish-nets of an elongated, oval form, with a groove hacked at their widest parts (to attach them to the net) were found. They vary in length between 7 and 11.5cm, and in width between 6 and 8cm. Apart from bronze hooks, various numbers of lead weights for nets were also found. An entire net with sixty lead weights was deposited in one burial. Similar items were found at Tsikhisdziri and Gonio-Apsarus, to the south, not very far from Pichvnari.Undoubtedly, fishing and the production of dolphin oil were carried out on a commercial scale. It is likely that, as in other centres of the Black Sea area, the bulk of salted fish was exported towards the Greek world, where there was much demand.
