O ZNACZENIU ARCHEOLOGICZNEGO KONTEKSTU ZNALEZISK TAKŻE W BADANIACH HISTORYKOW W ZWIĄZKU Z NOWSZYMI HIPOTEZAMI NA TEMAT ATRYBUCJI TZW. BRAKTEATÓW TAMAŃSKICH

The author presents the state of research and a critical review of existing hypotheses, as well as a historical summary of issues related to the dating and attribution of the so-called Taman bracteates. It is an excellent example of the importance of the archaeological context, without which any interpretation is doomed to be based on more or less probable hypotheses. The author does not believe it possible today to attribute these „bracteates” to Vsevolod II Olgovič or to Mstislav Vladimirovič, at least for now; he is also critical of any consideration in this context of the seal attributed to Michael Oleg Svyatoslavič, as this artifact may very well be a modern fake. He shares the doubts of some researchers regarding the authenticity of newer finds of single „bracteates”. He favors distinguishing three separate „bracteate” types: the first, bearing the so-called sign of the Rurikids, should be viewed as being of 11th c. date (it resembles the sign on coins of Svyatopolk I), whereas the other two, both with representations of the archangel Michael, would be of 12th and 13th c. date respectively. The source base today is insufficient in the author’s opinion to determine who issued these so-called Taman bracteates and when. The situation may change with new finds coming from archaeological contexts.