Archaeologists from the V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University and the Crimean Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences have made a remarkable discovery on the Mangup Plateau in the Bakhchisaray region of Crimea. Excavations at the Almalyk-dere cemetery have uncovered the burial sites of noble women, complete with exquisite gold and silver jewelry dating back to the 5th-6th centuries.
The findings were revealed by Valery Naumenko, Acting Dean of the Faculty of History at the V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University. According to Naumenko, the uncovered burial grounds offer new insights into the early medieval elite of southwestern Crimea.
The Almalyk-dere cemetery, located 13 kilometers east of Sevastopol (ancient Chersonesus), is the largest early medieval necropolis in the region. Naumenko explained that the site was not used by the general population but was reserved for an elite group, likely from the Mangup region and the broader southwestern Crimea. Despite looting, several items of scientific interest have survived intact, shedding light on the culture and wealth of the region’s upper classes.
The discovery includes intricate gold and silver jewelry, such as brooches, earrings, belt sets, shoe buckles, and gold leaf appliqué decorations—likely part of women’s clothing. Artur Nabokov, senior researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of Crimea, noted that the artifacts were likely linked to the burials of two wealthy women. One burial contained fibulae (ancient pins) and gold appliqués, while the other featured gold earrings, which are rare in the region. These earrings are believed to have been imported, while the fibulae were likely crafted locally in Chersonesos or the Bosporus.
The jewelry is in remarkable condition, with only one pair of earrings showing signs of damage. These gold earrings, adorned with garnet or carnelian stones, were particularly notable for their craftsmanship. Silver moulded fibulae, covered in gold and decorated with red stone inserts, were also recovered from the site.
Among the most intriguing finds was a decorated “pyxis,” a small container made from animal horn used for storing powdered makeup, such as blush. This artifact further emphasizes the high status of the women buried at the site.
In addition to the Almalyk burial site, the archaeologists also conducted investigations at other notable locations on the Mangup Plateau. These included the Southern Cave Monastery, a 15th-century site with preserved frescoes, and the Muslim necropolis at Mazar-Tepe Hill, which dates from the 16th to the 19th centuries and features complex burial structures and stone fences with towers.
The research at the Mangup settlement is one of Crimea’s longest-running archaeological projects. The Mangup Archaeological Expedition, led by the V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, has now entered its 57th season of fieldwork.
This discovery adds to the growing body of knowledge about Crimea’s ancient elite, highlighting the region’s cultural richness and historical significance during the early medieval period.
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