MINSK, 11 July (BelTA) - Archaeologists found a piece of an amphora with a Scandinavian rune on the Menka River, Andrei Voitekhovich, the head of the Department of Archaeology of the Middle Ages and Modern Times at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, told BelTA.
The archaeological excavations continue on the banks of the Menka River. The season started in early June. About a hundred artifacts were found. “But it is important to note that there are individual finds, i.e. artifacts, and there are mass finds, for example, fragments of ceramics. For example we have unearthed several thousand details of ceramics. The most important and interesting find is a piece of an amphora with a Scandinavian rune discovered recently,” Andrei Voitekhovich said.
There are also household items among the finds. “If we take Ancient Russia, several keys to the locks were found, all on one site. Five arrowheads were excavated. And as for jewelry, we found a fairly rich temporal three-bead ring,” the archaeologist added.
The excavations on the banks of the Menka River are carried out near the village of Gorodishche, so the locals are constant witnesses of archaeological searches. “No complaints have been made so far. In general the locals come and bring their children with them. Very often they show their findings and give them to us, for example, sherds,” the historian added.
The excavations involve students of the historical faculty of Belarusian State University. “The students are eager and interested. That's the major they chose. Some of them will be involved in archaeology in the future. Before that we had volunteers from various universities: BSUIR, BNTU and others. I can say that the students are as eager as professional historians, and perhaps even more. All these things are new to them,” the archaeologist noted.
The excavations on the Menka River are an important part of a long-term scientific program to study the social and economic processes and cultural relations in Belarus during the medieval period.
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