[gothic-l] Re: Whence the Eruli

[george knysh]

--- troels_brandt <trbrandt at post9.tele.dk> wrote:
I do not like to exclude
> historians just
> because the archaeological remains are not found -
> concluding "on the
> basis of the available evidence" as you mention
> below.

*****GK: One should naturally give historians as much
latitude as possible. But in this particular case the
archaeology clearly overrides Ablabius. Science never
closes any doors of course, but until there emerges
SOMETHING to support the Gothic historian, and given
the fact that his thesis (Eruli=Eluri=Palus
Maeotis)can be explained in terms of a simple Dexippan
misunderstanding, the conclusion must be that the
Eruli should be sought further to the northwest. That
would hardly be the only statement in Jordanes
requiring revision. Historians can lie or be mistaken:
archaeological remains, unless concocted (like the
Piltdown man) cannot. And when history,
archaeology,and linguistics converge, as they
frequently do, we have the best of all worlds.******

> > *****GK: One can always hope to make new
> discoveries.
> > My points only stand "on the basis of the
> available
> > evidence".
>>(TB) Unfortunately I have lost my notes about
Shelov's
> result.

****GK: I am working from memory also.*****

 (TB)As far as I
> remember he wrote 35% Sarmath/Alanes, 8% other
> barbarians while the
> rest were Greeks and Romans - meaning that the
> region was not totally
> dominated by the Sarmath/Alanes.

*****GK: The city itself wasn't. But the hinterland
was.*****

(TB) I do not know what
> he ment about
> barbarians.

*****GK: Probably Sindo-Maeotians. I might add that
there were also no Slavic names in the epigraphy. The
famous "Antas" which Soviet interpreters made much of
was a good Iranic name.*****
>
> (TB)What about the old town of Asov at the other
side of
> the mouth? By
> the way had Don according to my map several mouths
> meaning often
> changing landscape and swamps around the mouth.

*****GK: As far as I remember the archaeological
evidence covered (investigated) all this area.*****
>
>(TB) I know it has been mentioned before, but when
> reached the Goths
> Crimea according to archaeology?

******GK: I believe the first sporadic evidence is
from the mid-3rd c., as we would expect from the
historical accounts. But there was never any "massive"
Gothic settlement there until the 5th century, and
then it was in the mountain areas, to the east of the
Chersonesos "chora".*****


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