Important archaeological discovery in the Russian city of Veliky Novgorod. A team of researchers from the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences has unearthed a treasure buried in more than 1,800 silver coins and pieces of goldwork from the 10th centuryas reported by the institution itself through a statement published on its website.
“The discovery of a treasure containing money and objects hidden by its owner in a hole dug in the mud has become an unexpected event, a real sensation,” emphasize the archaeologists. According to the Institute, the set, weighing approximately 3 kilograms, “contains approximately 1,800 whole or fragmented silver coins and more than 80 silver ornaments.” Excavations were carried out in the area which previously occupied the Liudin district, located in the southwest of medieval Novgorod, the Great New City and the oldest city in Russia. Its prince Rurik was the founder of the dynasty which ruled the country for 750 years.
“In a small excavation (with an area of 132 square meters), five meters of cultural stratum were studied in detail”, in which around 1,500 objects were found, including lead seals and merchandise seals, decorations for costumes and other useful objects. common. Among the discoveries, according to the Efe agency, archaeologists highlighted a coin in the shape of a silver ingot from the 14th century and a document written on birch bark dated from the 12th century.
Some of the ironworks forming part of the set.
Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences
However, the treasure hid many other surprises: it contained coins such as a drachma of the Sassanid emperor Khosrau II, known as Parviz the Victorious (591-628); a Germanic denarius from Otto the Great (king of Eastern France from 936 to 973); eight denarii from Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogeneta (945-959) and one from Byzantine Emperor John I Curcuas, called Tzimisces (969-976). Some of these drachmas have holes that indicate they could be strung with thread, according to Russian experts.
The majority of the treasure consists of Kufic drachmas from the Middle East and Central Asiaincluding 500 whole coins: drachmas of the Arab caliphate printed by the Umayya and Abbasid dynasties in the territories currently occupied by Iran, Iraq and Turkey. Besides the coins, the treasure contained 83 ornamentsincluding glass beads, eight of which were made using the millefiori technique, a gilded bronze pendant and 72 silver ornaments: rings, buttons, crosses, charms and beads.
The Vozdvizhensky treasure before cleaning.
Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Due to the condition of the pieces, some of which show signs of repair and wear, archaeologists believe that it is a family treasure and not a cache of goldsmith scrap, which usually contains fragments of cut objects or bars of molten metal. According to the Institute of Archaeology, “this is the fourth case of discovery of a treasure from the end of the 10th century during the entire period of archaeological studies of Novgorod.” an “absolutely exclusive” case which still remains to be studied.
All products are made from high quality silver with great skill and come from the hands of highly skilled artisans. These are probably the remains of two or three necklaces and are distinguished from the “jewellers’ treasures” by ingots and carved remains, which contain silver jewelry sets and glass beads. It appears that the owners were actively using the jewelry: many silver beads are badly worn due to prolonged use, and two pendants show signs of repair, the researchers noted.
