Archaeologists discover golden treasure of Hetmanate times in Bila Tserkva (photo)

The gold jewellery, which demonstrates the level of jewellery art of the Cossack state, was hidden in a clay bowl.

In Bila Tserkva, a number of sites dating back to the Old Russian and Cossack periods were investigated in the ancient city, and experts found a large number of diverse and interesting artefacts. This was reported on Facebook on 1 November by the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The unique treasure of gold jewellery turned out to be a real scientific sensation. It was found in the cultural layers of the XVII-XVIII centuries. It is associated with the turbulent historical events that took place during the Hetmanate. The treasure consists of 12 gold items. The total weight is about 28 g and mother-of-pearl beads. They were hidden inside a small ceramic vessel.

The treasure of the Hetmanate

Scientists have called the Hetmanate treasure an extremely rare find of great social and scientific importance. According to experts, it demonstrates how high the level of jewellery art in the Cossack state was. It was decided to transfer all the finds for storage to the funds of the Archaeological Museum of the IA of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. They will decorate its exposition in the future.

The treasure, according to historians, once again demonstrates the importance of professional archaeological protection research during any construction work within the territory of historic cities. The scientists stressed that the preservation of the monument is an obligation under the European Convention on the Protection of Archaeological Heritage, which, unfortunately, is not always fulfilled in a timely manner. The fact of the discovery of such artefacts also clearly shows and illustrates the main purpose of archaeology as a socially important science.

As a reminder, Kyiv residents and guests of the city had the opportunity to attend free excursions.