The paper discusses the journal of the travel through the Crimea in 1786 compiled by Gilbert Romme, who later became a prominent figure of eighteenth-century French Revolution and a “martyr of Prairial.” Although Romme’s main interests during this travel reflected in his journal were related to economy and warfare, he also described numerous archaeological sites in the peninsula. The study of his notes sheds extra light on Romme’s scientific biography and provides much new information on the first stage of archaeological and historical researches in the Crimea.