Are metal detectors allowed? And can all diggers be equated with "blacks"? "Blacks" and "Whites": war at the excavations of the Second World War in Belarus.
August 15 is the Day of the Archaeologist in Belarus. What are these scientists doing? Excavations only? What knowledge does the earth hold under your feet? Archaeologist Vitaly Ashechik told us about nine significant excavation sites, as well as about the Goths who lived near Brest, and the Mongol nomads who attacked Belarus.
For almost four years, Vitaly Asheichik worked in National Academy Sciences of Belarus - a researcher in the department for the conservation and use of the archaeological heritage of the Institute of History. Archeology dedicated to him thesis, master's thesis, the topic of the Ph.D., as well as a significant part of life.
What is the job of an archaeologist?
This is not only excavations, as it may seem from the outside. Or so: not immediately excavations, says Vitaly. First, scientists study the archives, if any historical sources on the desired period, as well as literature on the topic.
— You need to familiarize yourself with what has already been done in archeology before you, understand what questions have remained unanswered, and formulate your own.
Before planning fieldwork, archaeologists study the publications and archival reports of experts who worked before them.
To understand what has been done and what hasn't.
Then, before doing full-fledged excavations, archaeologists conduct reconnaissance.
- They have different shape. The simplest and often the most effective way is to walk through the fields and carefully look under our feet for what lies there, and also pay attention to the shape of the relief. Some archeological monuments, for example, settlements or mounds, stand out in the relief. Some are completely underground, but there are signs that suggest their presence.
What are these signs? For example, previous excavation experience indicates that settlements were often located near water, on the banks of rivers and lakes. Accordingly, archaeologists are looking there. Or artifacts can be located right on the surface - you just need to look at them.
— There is a stereotype that archaeologists need to dig deep, but this is not always the case. Because natural geological processes come into play. It all depends on the conditions of precipitation accumulation. If some artifact fell to the bottom of the lake, most likely, it will quickly be covered with a layer of mineral or organic sediments. But, for example, on the sandy bank of the river, the accumulation of precipitation occurs slowly, the soil can grow only a few centimeters or tens of centimeters over millennia. At the same time, it is being eroded. In many cases, even very ancient artifacts can be found in an ordinary plowed field.
During reconnaissance, archaeologists can lay pits.
— This is a small trial excavation measuring, for example, a meter by a meter. So we determine the layers of the earth, see if they contain any finds. Based on this, we conclude whether there is a prospect for further research here.
Vitaly emphasizes that excavations are not carried out in order to find interesting objects and replenish museum funds with them. It is rather a side effect of the work of archaeologists.
“With the help of excavations, we are looking for information about the past, about the societies that remained in it. Everything we find is a valuable source of information, building material from which we "build" our knowledge of bygone eras.
After excavations, all found artifacts are analyzed and interpreted by scientists. Then the results of the study are formalized in the form of reports, scientific articles or even books, which after some time may be studied by a new generation of archaeologists.
What is an archaeological artifact? To make it as clear as possible, Vitaly draws parallels with the present time, which will someday become the past.
- The person lived, as we are now with you, and in the process of life left traces. Garbage, for example. Today it is centrally transported to landfills. After some time, I am sure, scientists will conduct excavations there. Such projects, by the way, were known in the 20th century. For sociological purposes, archaeologists studied the dumps of the city and compared data obtained from sociological and archaeological studies.
For example, during surveys, people told sociologists that they drank, for example, one can of beer a week. But the contents of their wastebaskets claimed that this was far from the case.
In the Stone Age, people left all the waste in the same place where they processed the material. For example, they butchered an animal to prepare food. When a flint knife broke, they didn't carry it into a non-existent dumpster, but threw it away on the spot. After thousands of years, archaeologists came to this place, discovered artifacts and were able to interpret them - to restore the life of that time.
Vitaly says that it is not customary for archaeologists to compare artifacts by their significance. Often, a small, nondescript find can change the way science thinks about the past, the archaeologist says.
In support of his words, Vitaly gives an example: 10 years ago, excavations were carried out in the Denisova Cave (Altai Territory, Russia). Archaeologists seemed to have found a lot of standard artifacts: stone tools, remains of bones.
- After some time, the experts again turned to the found artifacts, sifted them and found among them several small fragments of human bone. These fragments were sent for DNA analysis - this is how they discovered a new, previously unknown type of person, who is called "Denisovsky". This is an example of how a plain-looking artifact can seriously change our understanding of the past.
Therefore, says Vitaly, on Archaeologist's Day it is more appropriate to talk not about specific finds of scientists, but about places - archaeological monuments that contain value both for Belarusian archeology and Belarusian society.
- It was a non-trivial task - to formulate 9 points. 90 would be easier, - smiles Vitaly. “Because there are thousands of explored archaeological sites in Belarus and tens of thousands more unexplored, which are unknown what they hide in themselves.
1. Berdyzh and Yurovichi
Remains of sites of ancient mammoth hunters. According to the found artifacts, scientists were able to restore life ancient man who lived on the territory of Belarus.
- Number one on this list is the Berdyzh and Yurovichi sites, known to everyone who studied at school. They were opened in the second half of the 1920s. Their research is primarily associated with the name Konstantin Mikhailovich Polikarpovich. These are the earliest of the currently known sites of an ancient man, located on the modern territory of Belarus.
These sites date back to the Upper Paleolithic. They were inhabited by ancient mammoth hunters. Separate artifacts found in Berdyzh indicate that the territory of our country could have been inhabited even earlier, in the Middle Paleolithic era. Then the first person who set foot on our earth was a Neanderthal.
2. Krivinsky peat bog
In these places, scientists have found many objects of organic origin, which gave an idea of what the art and spiritual life of primitive times were like.
— The Krivinsky peat bog is a rather unique place not only for the territory of Belarus, but also for the entire region of Eastern Europe. This is a large lake, and now a drained swamp on the border of the Beshenkovichi and Senno districts, where a group of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements (4-2 thousand years BC) was located.
In the cultural layers of these monuments, buried under peat, organic matter is well preserved, the age of which is 4-6 thousand years. In addition to standard flint tools, ceramics, which can be found in other places, a large collection of items made of bone, wood, amber and other things was found on the Krivinsky peat bog (for example, in Osovets-2). They allow you to find out what primitive art was like, as well as what objects a person used in spiritual life.
3. Mines for the extraction of flint near the modern village of Krasnoselsky
One of the earliest monuments of the ancient "mining industry".
— The mines were opened in the 1920s, and they were explored after the war. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that this is one of the earliest monuments of the ancient "mining industry". Before metals appeared, people used flint as the main raw material in the production of tools. There are similar objects in Europe, but they are very rare, especially such large ones.
There were thousands of mines near Krasnoselsky. This center for the extraction of flint existed for a long time, during 3-2 millennia BC. Unfortunately, it is now mostly destroyed during the extraction of chalk for the local cement plant.
4. Burial ground Brest-Trishin
This monument told scientists that the ancient Germans, the Goths, once lived on the territory of Belarus (although the Soviet ideology denied this fact).
— The barrow-free burial ground was discovered in the late 1950s. It was studied in the 1960-1970s by the Moscow archaeologist Yuri Vladimirovich Kukharenko. The monument dates back to 170-270 years of our era. This burial ground is associated with the bearers of the so-called Velbar culture, which is identified with the tribal union of the Goths.
The Goths are a famous ancient Germanic people who conquered Rome, moved to Spain and modern Africa. Their homeland was located on the shores of the Baltic Sea. At some point, they began to move south. Separate groups of Goths penetrated into the modern territory of Belarus, in the Bug region. On the banks of the Mukhavets in the second half of the 2nd century, several tribes of the Goths lived, who lived here and, of course, died. They were buried right there on the spot. This suggests that the territory of Belarus was involved in migration and historical processes on a European scale.
Ideology is connected with the opening of this monument. Unfortunately, archeology in the 20th century more than once became a means of manipulation. IN Soviet time to say that the Germans lived on the territory of the USSR was a rather bold act. This caused rejection in the scientific community. But this is important, because it shows that not only the Slavs lived here, but also other peoples.
In the burial ground, scientists found jewelry, dishes, and other household items. In pre-Christian times on our territory, things were placed in the graves of people that they used in Everyday life, or those that were supposed to come in handy in the afterlife. The Goths from Brest-Trishino were burned, their things went to the funeral pyre along with them. Therefore, we can restore their material culture.
5. Settlement Maskovichi, Braslav region
Objects with pseudo-runic inscriptions were found here, which indicates the involvement of the territory of modern Belarus in global migration processes.
— The settlement has been known since the 19th century, the most active research of the monument was carried out by Lyudmila Vladimirovna Duchits in the 1970-1980s. The cultural layers of this settlement have preserved the material remains of various cultures of the Iron Age. The most significant moment is associated with the early Middle Ages - the 11th-13th centuries, when this place could be either a border fortress of the Polotsk principality, or some kind of trading post.
The most striking complex of finds from there is more than 100 bones and bone objects with various drawings and inscriptions. The inscriptions were made in runic writing. True, it was not a real Scandinavian language, but a pseudo one. That is, people copied signs in a meaningless order. Most likely, some person who made them learned the technique from someone and simply imitated, having lost touch with the native speaker.
In general, the era of the Middle Ages, like the whole history of mankind, is a constant migration. People have always moved around the planet, went to trade, look for a better share, went on military campaigns. Migration is not a new invention. If there were such finds, it means that the territory of Belarus was involved in the global migration process.
6. Settlement of Vishchin, Rogachev region
One of the proofs that the territory of White Russia was still subjected to attacks by Mongolian nomads.
— This is a private feudal castle of the 12th-13th centuries. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was studied by Eduard Mikhailovich Zagorulsky. Remarkably, the end of the life of the castle is associated with a military episode. It was destroyed by an attack, probably by the Mongols. A huge amount of material has been preserved in the cultural layers. People lived, then one day life stopped - and everything remained there.
Archaeologists have discovered a large number of objects everyday life, jewelry, weapons. This place is also known for the fact that the so-called Vishchinsky treasure was found in the castle wall. It consisted of silver jewelry made using rare techniques. In addition, contained the monetary part. At that time, there were no coins in circulation, so silver was the means of payment. In the hoard, it lay right in pieces - hryvnias. The Vishchi treasure contains all three types of hryvnias that circulated in Eastern Europe at that time.
This archaeological site, as well as, for example, the settlement of Svisloch in the Osipovichi region, allow us to correct our understanding of the history known from written sources.
Svisloch died as a result of a military attack - it was burned. According to the composition of items, weapons, it can be assumed that the attack was carried out around the middle of the 13th century by the steppe nomads-Mongols.
This campaign is not known from written sources. But the findings of archaeologists allow us to say that the Mongol-Tatar nomads attacked the Belarusian lands more often than we thought. Archeology provides evidence that helps to complete history or even look at it differently.
7. Medieval town of Berestye
A well-preserved monument that allows you to see what medieval cities were like.
— The city was first mentioned in 1019. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was excavated by Pyotr Fedorovich Lysenko. Excavations uncovered the wooden remains of houses and streets. Some houses have been preserved up to a height of 12 crowns. This is one of the few objects in Belarus that has become a museum where you can look at the rest of the medieval city.
8. Birch bark letters
They refute the myth that writing was the “lot” of only the rich population.
- We have only three of them: Vitebsk, found in 1959, and two Mstislav, discovered in 1980 and 2014.
Why did I mark them? This interesting phenomenon medieval culture of our region. To some extent, they refute the myth that written culture was part of the elite culture. Allegedly, writing was inaccessible to the general population.
Birch bark letters are an example of everyday writing of the townspeople. These are notes that people passed on to each other. They help to look at aspects of the life of our ancestors directly, bypassing the filters of official written sources. From them we were able to learn the features of the social organization of life, trade.
9. Kuropaty
It was archaeological excavations that made it possible to confirm the stories of local residents and written sources that people were shot here in Stalin's time
- The place of mass executions in the 1930s - early 1940s. Of course, this place is important both for the Belarusian history of the 20th century and the present. An important role was played by archaeologists who participated in the work State Commission involved in the exhumation of the victims.
The results obtained as a result of the excavations made it possible to find out the circumstances of the death of people, to date these episodes. They also underlie the calculations about the number of those killed and buried in Kurapaty.
In addition to the sensational excavations in Polotsk, where artifacts and buildings associated with Euphrosyne of Polotsk were brought to light, there were many interesting archaeological finds throughout the country. The leaders in the number of archaeological sensations are the north of Belarus
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Falcon: the archer was not spared, but they found the gate from the engraving
1579 year
Archaeologists say they did not count on sensations in the Rossony region. Like last year, during the excavations of Sokol, one of the six forts of the archers of Ivan IV the Terrible, they expected to find bullets, arrowheads, and shoe forgings. But they found a bone cross. The rarest, unlike bronze, which is found even in plowed fields. And also - the remains of the owner of the artifact and his warhorse.
The cross was found during the study of the building, as we believe, one of the commanders of the archers. Probably prosperous - he had several sets of horse harness, rich dishes, - says Marat Klimov, candidate of historical sciences from the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences.
There are two plots on the cross: on the one hand - St. Nicholas, on the other - Nikita Besogon. The discovery dates back to September 25, 1579, when Sokol stormed the troops of the Commonwealth, sparing no one. The artifact was found covered with a knife, separate from the remains. Archaeologists have a version: the owner of the cross lost faith in salvation, closed himself in the house, removed or tore off the cross and committed suicide.
Klimov says: a part of the gate, known from an ancient engraving, was also found in Sokol. And at the end of the excavations, they found a basin from where archers could eat. Perhaps a special analysis will reveal food particles on it.
Osovets-2: peat bog spoon
II millennium BC
The Krivinsky peat bog on the border of the Beshenkovichi and Senno regions is a unique region in Eastern and Central Europe in terms of Stone Age archeology. Peat was mined and drained here from the 1930s to the 1980s. At the same time, about a dozen settlements of the period from the early Neolithic to the Bronze Age were affected - this is the 5th - 2nd millennium BC. e.
In a small excavation of this year (12 sq. m.), flint tools, flakes, and ceramics typical of Stone Age monuments were found. But the layer of peat has preserved bone, wooden products and structures, chips. There are those who have not met before.
This year they found 2 amber pendants, one of them intact, a set of pendants made of animal teeth, beads. In general, by objects made of horn and amber (amulets, zoomorphic figurines of ducks, snakes, symbols of the sun), we can find out what the ancestors believed in, - clarifies Maxim Chernyavsky, candidate of historical sciences from the Institute of History. - Not only that - the peat perfectly preserved the bones and scales of fish, small bones of animals.
The main find is a bone spoon. Whole, with a slight dent, because of which it could be thrown away. This is the second such find on the territory of Belarus and the oldest (perhaps even in all of Eastern Europe) - offhand it is given 4 thousand years with a “tail”. The first spoon was found a couple of decades ago in an excavation ... 15 meters from the new find.
Navra: unknown graves of the Krivichi
Burial mound near the village of Navra in the Myadel region in scientific literature mentioned since late XIX century. It was explored in the 1930s and 1980s. Since 2012, the work has been supervised by Nikolay Plavinsky, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Head of the International State ecological institute named after A.D. Sakharov BGU. This year, students and volunteers worked for 5 weeks.
The burial ground consists of 2 mound groups. The main one is 120 mounds, of which 50 have been explored at the moment, says Plavinsky. - This year we started to study the second group of 13 mounds. They unearthed one burial mound in it, but other burials were found nearby in the forest. Judging by them, in the 10th - early 11th centuries, people could be buried not only in mounds according to the rite of cremation, but also next to them, probably in wooden structures on the ancient surface. This is an unknown type of burial for the north of Belarus.
The archaeologist notes that such a discovery is more important than specific material finds, among which the details of women's jewelry that have been on fire should be noted first of all:
In the burial mounds, two mounds were mainly explored, damaged by predatory excavations. Despite the fact that the barrows turned out to be badly destroyed, typical burial goods of the 11th-12th centuries were found in one of them: pots, ornaments and household items.
Krevo: settlement and bone lining
X - XIII century
In Krevo, they continued to explore the ancient settlement of the 10th-13th centuries - a monument of early city culture that appeared before the construction of the Kreva castle in the 14th century.
The expedition was led by Oleg Dernovich, candidate of historical sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of History. He sees a number of similarities with similar settlements in Eastern Europe. In addition, the ancient Kreva hill fort reveals the pages of Balto-Slavic contacts in this region.
This season, a fragment of stone paving was found, - says Dernovich. - It could be a fragment of the decoration of the premises, and part of the paving of the yard. Many animal bones were found. A bone carved overlay was found next to them, but so far its function has not been clearly defined. This overlay is decorative and is also of artistic interest.
Slavgorod: the place of the chronicle battle
984
In 2014, near Slavgorod, in the land of the ancient Radimichi, they found a burial place for a Krivichan woman. Then they discovered a stone with a large trident of Prince Vladimir.
This suggested that the annalistic battle of Peschanka in 984 could have taken place not near Gomel or in the Bryansk region, as they wrote earlier, but near Slavgorod, - says Aleksey Avlasovich, senior lecturer at Mogilev State University. - And the Krivichi obviously participated in this battle - they helped to conquer the Radimichi squad of the Wolf's Tail, the governor of Prince Vladimir.
The trident on the stone, the historian notes, certainly indicates that these lands were included in the Ancient Russia. This year Avlasovich and his students refined the hypothesis at one of the cemeteries in the Slavgorod region. A burial according to the pagan rite of cremation was discovered. And in one of the burials there was a belt set of a combatant in good condition.
BY THE WAY
What else was found at the excavations of summer 2017 in Belarus?
Brest region. Almost two dozen ancient burials, most likely XI-XIII centuries, near the village of Panasovichi, Berezovsky district, as well as a mace 4,000 years old.
Vitebsk region. Two hammers of Thor Scandinavian warriors in excellent condition, fibula, needle with "wolf tooth" ornament and key pendant in the Kordon complex of the Shumilinsky district.
The Grodno region. The foundation of the 16th-century monastery church in the village of Lavrishevo, Novogrudok District.
Minsk Region. A slab from the grave of the commander of Novogrudok Kazimir Malyavsky (died in 1718) in the cemetery near the Church of the Body of God in Nesvizh.
Mogilev region. A fragment of a necropolis of 15 graves in the agricultural town of Radomlya, Chausy district.
A year and a half ago, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus “About the eradication of archeological artifacts and archeological artifacts” came into force in the country. And he immediately made a lot of noise. Archaeologists and historians shouted "Hurrah!" and “they threw bonnets into the air”, but most of the citizens affected by the legal act of the head of state were preparing to go on protest marches, were going to dive into the deep underground and dry crackers, just in case! They were not going to abandon the instrumental search, but no one knew how the situation would develop further. Enough time has passed and, it seems, in Baghdad - everything is calm! Passions subsided, and if you don’t run into trouble, then you can continue to dig into the past of the country. For those who still do not understand a short video.
I explain to those who are in the tank, and still did not enter because of which all the fuss. The decree regulated the use of metal detectors, geolocators and other technical devices for searching for things with history. So now in Belarus it is forbidden to find artifacts older than 120 years old, which have been preserved in the cultural layer, at the bottom of lakes, rivers, swamps, as well as artificial reservoirs. There are a bunch of other "no"s, but that's the main one. At the same time, you can look for lost keys, jewelry, belongings of relatives, no one bothers to rummage through the basements and attics of abandoned houses (only they must be really ownerless, from the word at all) or “grim” the pioneer badge of your beloved grandfather, dropped by him in the heat of the battle for Minsk (on his deathbed, he asked his beloved grandson to find a relic, even indicated the approximate location). Yes, after all, you're just collecting scrap metal. That is, there are many “holes” in the Decree, and not a single normal judge will want to contact you, unless, of course, during your detention they did not find the cross of Efrosinya of Polotsk or the treasure of Napoleon.
At the age of 9, my friend was introduced to instrumental search by his father, it was a long time ago, many do not live that long. The youth grew up, studied to be a historian, bought a sophisticated metal detector and went to the fields. True, he is not the usual "black digger", as, as a rule, scientists call lovers of subject historical research. He calls himself "white", because ... but more on that in an interview with him.
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— Sasha, do you remember your first field trip?
- Still, it was in 1996, my father brought me to the field near the village of Studenka, not far from the crossing great army Napoleon across the Berezina. There is such a road there, some call it Educational, some Gvozdeva - a very promising place to search. The point is this. The French retreated, the Russians hung, in the truest sense of the word, "on the tail." But the soldiers and chiefly the officers fled, having plundered vast wealth. The stretched convoy did not allow to break away from Kutuzov's troops. Therefore, Napoleon introduced a limit on the number of wagons with trophies, so the captain, for example, relied on one wagon, the colonel - two, the general - three. Gendarmes stood at the crossing, and all extra vehicles were simply burned. Can you imagine how much is left? Of course, much was immediately found by local and Russian soldiers, but much was lost. And there is just a sea of forged nails left, they are constantly “raised”, hence the name. In the early 80s of the last century, back in the days of the USSR, one person simply settled here. He was a teacher and he soldered the first metal detector according to some schemes. Legends about his finds still circulate. For the first time, I found a Katkin nickel, such a healthy coin. Well my life has changed...
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- Many people are engaged in digging, what has changed with the issuance of the Presidential Decree?
— You know, at one time I bought a drop dead expensive and very cool device, it cost 1000 euros. It was quite a long time ago, he fought back quickly. Now a simple ICQ (the popular Garrett ACE 250 metal detector) in Poland costs 50 bucks, that is, the financial entry bar has seriously fallen. In my opinion, on the contrary, over the past couple of years, there have only been more lovers of subject search. In Borisov alone, about 1,000 people are doing this, and in Miska, according to my estimates, more than 30,000. So far, I have not heard that there are serious problems with the state. But still, that's not the way to "prohibit". I agree that amateurs interfere with scientists. They simply lack the knowledge, understanding of how to work with artifacts, but they are interested in history. Why not make this type of activity licensed? If you want to walk around with a metal detector, be kind, take courses, pass an exam, get official permission. Everything you find, you first bring to the museum. If a thing is interesting and of historical value, then after evaluation it is bought from you at a commercial price, if not, do what you want. This will be more correct than simply banning, and I am sure that many cool things will remain in the country, and not go to Russia for a third of the cost. I know cases when Muscovites took the finds in 15-20 hours.
- What did you find yourself?
- Yes, I found a little bit of everything, but I've been digging for more than 20 years, now, however, I do it much less: family, work. But cool finds, I'm sure, I have ahead. There were different things. Once with his father, on the Brilevsky field, they discovered the remains of a soldier from the war of 1812, the police were called, and he was reburied. I know that many just pass by, do not want to get involved, so that there are no problems. I don't understand this, in a human way. Yes, and the first thing I would do is make the diggers clean up after themselves, my most popular find is “alcotalers” and bottles, seriously. Almost everyone passes by, and I always take any metal. The earth will always pay back for care. Look, a kilogram of glass costs 10 kopecks, scrap metal - 15 kopecks. Sometimes you go to a clearing, looking for yourself, collecting garbage along the way. In an hour or two you will collect his full car, then you will hand over - 10-15 dollars and earned. In nature, physical education, again did a good deed. The beauty!
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“Well, okay, not you. What people found, I'm sure there is information. What is the income of diggers?
“Now finding a virgin place is unrealistic. I think that 90 percent of the treasures have already been knocked out. I know that in the "golden" days, serious diggers earned more than $ 10,000 a month, and if they found something really interesting, then much more. It was a long time ago, I didn’t see it myself, but the guys said that a man found a ring somewhere in the 10-12th century, on it was the image of the Ascension of Alexander the Great. So this "bolt" instantly went for half a million dollars. Yes, what a long way to go, on the same Brilevskoye field in 2004, the largest treasure in Eastern Europe in the early Middle Ages was found - a sword, a set of weights and about 240 dirhams. Several coins were unique. 2-3 copies worldwide have been preserved. You won't be able to sell it yourself. Therefore, I say that it would be correct to license the type of activity. If they themselves do not need it, then the state can act as an intermediary in the sale, get their penny for it. Everyone is happy!
For 2 hours of walking around the field, the guys did not find anything serious, so a couple of nails, some kind of metal debris, which, as a result, gained about 30 kilograms. Pan Sasha took everything with him, said that he would give it up and get his rightful 4.5 rubles. He estimates the potential of the field somewhere in a ton of scrap metal, and, of course, one can never rule out the possibility of discovering something valuable, both historically and materially. Just do not say that it violates the cultural layer, every year the field is plowed several times (among the finds were the remains of a modern harrow, and a caterpillar track from a tractor). In general, in my opinion, the epic with "digging" and regulating people's activities without permission to search from the Academy of Sciences, but with metal detectors is just beginning. This interesting hobby, comparable to hunting or fishing, and with the right attitude of the state towards people who are passionate about subject search, it can bring a lot.
And the fool found a forged nail.
THIS hobby is treated differently. Some are sure that there is nothing wrong with digging up everything that the earth hides today. And it does not matter who is doing the search - an avid lover of antiquity or an archaeologist. In the view of others, excavations are an occupation exclusively for professionals who will do everything according to the rules: neither the earth nor the artifacts themselves will suffer. Yes, and cashing in on rarities is not in their interests. Everything will go to museums ... So, is it still possible to dig or not? What does the law say? Are metal detectors allowed? And can all diggers be equated with "blacks"?
OLD maps, historical mysteries, unique legends… How can you find out what the earth hides? There are those to whom this secret is revealed. Late fall- fertile time to search for artifacts. The ground has not yet frozen, there is practically no vegetation. Dig - I don't want to. With one of the adventurers, Vladislav Ivanov, we go for "treasures" in the Borisov region ...
Early in the morning we drive up to the field of the local SPK. The weather didn't work out. It's raining. Maybe our mini-expedition will be curtailed without even starting? It wasn't there. Arrived - you need to look. Our companion is not a historian by training, but an engineer. How did you get involved in the unusual?
In the garden in the village I found the so-called wheat cent - a coin with the image of Lincoln in 1909. Then he became interested in what else could be on the site. I bought a metal detector - studied everything. Then he began to search the Internet for old maps, to learn legends - the search area expanded.
A couple of ancient houses stood on the field several decades ago. This was "told" by one of the cards found in the open spaces of the bynet. Since then, of course, the site has been plowed more than once. But the probability of finding something is still high. By the way, on the territory of archaeological sites, and these include, for example, ancient settlements, parking lots, settlements, excavations are strictly prohibited. You can still explore the fields. In the circles of diggers, those for whom the rules are unwritten, to put it mildly, are not respected. Vladislav gives an example:
Often they climb the Brilevskoe field. I don't understand - it's a historical complex. In addition, I think that those who dig up the graves should be severely punished. In the forests, they are still purposefully looking for weapons from the time of the war. And I don't see anything wrong with ordinary diggers. Don't break the law, do it. We also have unspoken rules: do not walk on sown fields, bury holes behind you ...
METAL DETECTOR, pinpointer (a device for searching for small objects), a shovel, gloves ... That's the whole set. Vladislav puts on his headphones and starts to explore - he moves the metal detector from side to side. A beep comes from the headphones. When the signal becomes clearer, it's up to the shovel. Just started digging - first find! However, looking closer, there is nothing special about it.
Perhaps this is part of the hinge from the door, - the guy twists the intricate piece of iron. - Such "rarities" are a frequent find. In the place of the former villages there is a lot of household garbage, bottle caps. In one day, you can dig up several kilograms of scrap metal.
We walk across the field for about an hour. Vladislav does not pay attention to many signals. Why? The fact is that special numbers pop up on the metal detector, which tell an experienced digger what is hidden in the ground. For example, the “scale” for iron is from minus 50 to minus 35. As a rule, if you dig on such a signal, you will get something like our first find.
But here the treasured numbers are displayed on the scoreboard - plus 70. Probably, we stumbled upon the first coin. Digging. This time luck smiled - we get a penny of 1924. Vladislav says that the coin, although Soviet, is quite interesting:
She has a good safety, non-standard edge. The kopeck was the smallest denomination among the coins issued in 1924. Then, by the way, they carried out a denomination - they exchanged old money for new ones. The same will happen with us in July. And this rarity is already history, it will add to my collection.
The Borisov citizen began to UNDERSTAND coins only when he became interested in the “cop”. Now he can easily characterize almost everyone. True, he had not yet come across rare coins. More often among the finds are Soviet. Vladislav dreams of digging up the so-called Sestroretsk copper ruble:
It's interesting to even look at it. This is a giant coin from 1771. Weighs 888 grams. But they were not launched into mass production, only a few dozen test copies were produced. So the probability of finding it is small, but still suddenly someone hid it?
Within two hours, we came across two more coins in poor condition. And suddenly the earth gave us a curious find - a button with an eagle and a crown. As it turned out, among the diggers there are collectors of similar specimens. Vladislav is not among them.
From the inscription, I can only assume that this button is from the uniform of an English Royal Air Force pilot during the Second World War. The value of such things is measured only by whether someone needs it or not. As a rule, I change buttons for coins, which are not enough in the collection.
But what about treasures? We spent almost a whole day searching, but found nothing worthwhile. Is the game worth the candle? Amateurs often have such thoughts, explains Vladislav.
It is almost impossible to find a treasure in the Borisovsky district - everything is dug up and dug up. Important events took place here historical events, and meeting a person with a metal detector here is not a problem. Found a couple of coins, already good. It used to be that for weeks nothing but pieces of iron was pulled out of the ground.
Multimillion-dollar profits, as we learned, do not bring such a hobby. Judge for yourself: for four years, and that is how much Vladislav is fond of studying antiquity, he did not even manage to pay back the metal detector. Basically, he exchanges his finds for others. Creates a collection for descendants. He jokes: “Rather, you will earn on the delivery of scrap metal than on the sale of dug out coins. On the other hand, this way these pennies will not remain in the ground. It is doubtful that archaeologists will create an expedition for the sake of one Soviet coin. They are not interesting for them, but for us, amateur diggers, they are important.”
AFTER a whole day in search of treasures, they were convinced: this is still a hobby. Excitement disappears in a matter of hours, especially if you dig in the ground in the pouring rain. All sorts of ancient pieces of iron do not at all inspire feats, and you just want to throw a metal detector into the attic. But while there are enthusiasts who are ready to endure any discomfort and bad weather for the sake of a few rusty coins, the sellers of these devices will definitely not be left without work. There are several thousand treasure seekers in our country, according to the most rough estimates. Way even this non-professional historians…
TO THE POINT
The easiest and fastest way to buy a metal detector is to order online. At least five suppliers promise to sell it with home delivery in Belarus. Conditionally devices can be divided into several groups - for beginners (180-399 USD), middle class (405-850 USD), professional (725-1770 USD).
REFERENCE "SG"
Can a metal detector be used? The ban on the use of this device is established by the Regulations on the Protection of Archaeological Sites during Land and Construction Works, and Other Activities on the Territory of Archaeological Sites, approved by a Government Decree. According to paragraph 10, excavations and reconnaissance at archaeological sites cannot be carried out without the permission of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
Archaeological objects include “material objects or their complexes that arose as a result of human activity and were preserved in a cultural layer or at the bottom of natural or artificial reservoirs: fortified settlements (ancient cities, settlements, castles), unfortified settlements (parking lots, settlements, separate housing ), burial mounds and ground burials, individual burials, necropolises, mausoleums and other burials, ancient buildings and other objects of economic and industrial purposes, fortifications, religious buildings (temples, monasteries, sanctuaries, places of worship, stone crosses, cult stones, stone statues, obelisks), infrastructure of land, water and water-land routes, monetary and material treasures”.
Sputnik correspondent Stanislav Androsik compiled a rating of the most interesting finds.
Many discoveries were made during the summer season of field research. Now scientists are studying their findings, and we will remember the five most important relics that have enriched Belarusian history.
Older than Tutankhamen
In the Vitebsk region, on an ancient peat bog, candidate of historical sciences Maxim Chernyavsky.
The most important thing is that it has been completely preserved in unique natural conditions. At the same time, the age of the find is approximately four thousand years, which means that it is older by a whole thousand years than the famous burial mask of Tutankhamun.
Maxim Cherniavsky said that this is the second such discovery in Belarus, and the first was found literally ten meters from the second and is now stored in the Academy of Sciences.
Scientists were also able, thanks to characteristic signs, to establish that four thousand years ago this bone spoon was used by a right-handed person.
Hammer of Thor
It's no secret that the ancient trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed through the whole of modern Belarus along the rivers. For a long time, Belarusian archaeologists have found various artifacts related to the Viking Age.
This year, for the first time, students of the Faculty of History of BSU during excavations found three completely preserved amulets of the Normans -
According to Vitaly Sidorovich, the head of the archaeological practice of the history department of the Belarusian State University, the uniqueness of this find lies in the fact that, as a rule, amulets were made of iron, which is subject to destruction.
Historians have determined that "Thor's hammers" were made in Scandinavia at the turn of the 9th - 10th centuries AD. They were found at the settlement of Kordon, which was a trading outpost of the Varangians in the north of the modern Vitebsk region.
By the way, the settlement of Kordon is much older than the famous Gnezdovo, which is located near Smolensk. Belarusian historians expect that many more finds will be made thanks to research at Kordon.
Seal of the patroness of Belarus
One of the most mysterious figures in Belarusian history is the personality of Euphrosyne of Polotsk. Her name is associated with the construction of a beautiful architectural monument - the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, and the famous cross made by Lazar Bogsha, which was lost and recently restored.
Archaeologists have been exploring the territory of the Spaso-Evfrosinevsky Monastery in Polotsk for several years now. In August, during excavations near the temple built by the first Belarusian saint,
This is a special hanging seal, which was used in the Middle Ages in Belarus to fasten important documents. According to the characteristic images and the inscription on the seal - "Lord, help Your servant Ofrosinya for many years," archaeologists determined that the artifact belonged to Euphrosyne of Polotsk herself.
Vitovt Chess
In Grodno, the reconstruction of the Old Castle continues, which is seriously criticized by historians. During the preparatory work, excavations were carried out on the territory of the castle.
Archaeologists have found a chess piece made of bone. The boat, according to scientists, is not only made in the image and likeness of real ships that were used in the Middle Ages, but also dates back to the 14th century, when Vitovt was the Grand Duke of Lithuania.
A similar discovery was made in Grodno back in 1931. A similar figure was found on Castle Hill by the founder and director of the Grodno Archaeological Museum, Jozef Edkovsky.
Cross of the Livonian War
Belarus because of its geographical location repeatedly became the theater of hostilities. During excavations under the supervision of senior researcher of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Marat Klimov in the Vitebsk region, the size of a palm.
Historians studied the territory of the former Sokol fortress, which was burned during Livonian War in the 16th century. Scientists believe that the cross belonged to the commander of the archers from the army of Ivan the Terrible.
The unique circumstance is that archaeologists know the exact date when the cross was buried in the ground. The fortress Sokol was burned down by the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under the leadership of Stefan Batory on September 25, 1579.
