MOSCOW, October 2 (RIA Novosti) – A stash of jewelry predating the 13th-century Mongol invasion has been discovered at an excavation site in the central Russian city of Ryazan, an archeologist said Wednesday.
The treasure trove, unearthed in an old artisan district, contained 80 pieces of jewelry – including bracelets, necklaces and tiaras – as well as jewelry-making tools and raw gold and silver ingots.
“It is the 17th such treasure trove found in Old Ryazan,” said Igor Strikalov of the Russian Institute of Archeology.
The trove’s contents and location prompted archeologists to assume that it could have been a storage place used by a skilled jeweler.
“With the help of this discovery, we are deciphering a small page from the history of this city and the tragedy that took place here,” Srikalov said.
Old Ryazan was the first Russian city to be sacked by the Mongol horde of Batu Khan. In December 1237, the medieval city was almost totally destroyed, and it never fully recovered.
