Согласно сообщениям византийского историка Феофана и патриарха Никифора, вскоре после распада Великой Болгарии не последовавшие вслед за Аспарухом за Дунай орды булгар Батбаяна были покорены хазарами, продолжавшими стремительно расширять свои владения на западе. В результате некоторые из них вынуждены были покинуть степи Северного Причерноморья и Приазовья, мигрировав в Подонье и Крым.
Resulting information of more than of half a century study of Turkic-Bulgarian monuments dating to the end of the 7th - the mid-10th centuries in the Eastern Crimea is given in this article. Chronologically they are divided into two groups. The monuments dating to the end of the 7th - the first half of the 8th centuries are referred to the first group; monuments dating back to the mid-8th - mid-10th centuries - to the second one. The earliest archaeological layers are traced in several settlements (Ptashkino, Geroevka). Primitive buildings in the form of ground dugouts and earth houses covered by stones reflecting the initial periods of the Turkic- Bulgarian’s settling are associated with them. There are practically no funeral monuments dating to this period. The most archaic features are characteristic only for the burials near the settlement of Geroevka-VI.