Bata — Cape Pashennaya Anchorage (Gelendzhik Bay North)
Bata Pashennaya · Batskoe Cape Harbour · Bata Gelendzhik Roadstead North
Archaic to Hellenistic (550 BCE – 50 BCE)·Sindian / Milesian Greek / Bosporan·🇷🇺 Krasnodar Krai, Black Sea coast, Gelendzhik Bay cape Pashennaya (ancient Bata), Russia
About
About Bata — Cape Pashennaya Anchorage (Gelendzhik Bay North)
Cape anchorage of Bata (Batskoe Gorodishche) on Cape Pashennaya in Gelendzhik Bay northern Black Sea, where the Sindian-Greek emporium's cape roadstead now lies 2–5 m submerged off the Gelendzhik headland. 8 m and pithos storage pit alignment at –2 m surveyed by 2017 Kuban University diving and side-scan. Founded c. 550 BCE by Milesians or Sindoi, Bata was Black Sea timber and slave emporium until 1st c. BCE Mithridatic disruption. Cape roadstead sheltered northeasters and handled cabotage to Gorgippia and Toricos.
Pithoi contain Sinopean amphora lids.
Why it mattersCape roadstead proves Bata dual harbour (lagoon + cape); Sinopean lids date Pontic timber trade and Bosporan slave exports.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether breakwater is natural reef enhanced or built
- 02Attribution of pithoi to Sinopean timber camp?
Theories
- 01Cape handled sea ships, lagoon handled barges
- 02Mithridatic disruption drowned cape works via quake
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. 550 BCE Milesian/Sindian foundation; cape works 5th–4th c. BCE
- Period
- Archaic to Hellenistic (550 BCE – 50 BCE)
- Culture
- Sindian / Milesian Greek / Bosporan
- Builders
- Sindian / Milesian Greek
- Purpose
- Cape roadstead for timber, slave and cabotage trade
- Abandoned
- c. 50 BCE Mithridatic wars and siltation
- Rediscovered
- 19th c. antiquarian; cape diving 2017 Kuban
- Excavation
- Submerged
c. 550 BCE
Bata emporium founded on Gelendzhik cape
c. 430 BCE
50 m breakwater and quay built
2017
Side-scan maps cape roadstead to –3.5 m
On the ground
Structures & features
44.5670° N · 38.0550° E · -3 m · 3 mapped features
Rubble Breakwater (50 m, armour blocks)
breakwater50 m breakwater at –3.5 m off Pashennaya Cape
44.5675° N · 38.0555° EAshlar Quay (40 m)
quay40 m quay at –2.8 m
44.5670° N · 38.0550° EPithos Storage Pit Alignment (8 pits)
storage8 pithos pits 1.2 m diameter at –2 m with Sinopean lids
44.5665° N · 38.0552° E