Pantikapaion

Pantikapaion was an ancient Greek colony founded by Milesian settlers c. 600-575 BC on Mount Mithridates at the western shore of the Kerch Strait in Crimea. By the early 5th century BC it became capital of the Bosporan Kingdom, thriving on grain exports of approximately 400,000 medimnoi annually to Athens, plus salted fish and slaves. Excavations since the 19th century have uncovered over 20 urban structures from the 6th-5th centuries BC, a 2nd-century BC prytaneion, gold torques, Scythian-style jewelry, and extensive necropolises with richly furnished tombs blending Greek and local styles. The city declined after nomadic invasions c. 370 CE.