Russia is stealing Ukrainian history again

Excavations are taking place at the early medieval Almalyk-Dere cemetery on the Mangup plateau, near Sevastopol. The new finds show that it belonged to elite members of the society that spread across southwestern Crimea from the end of the 4th century to the 6th century. Archaeologists first excavated part of the Mangup plateau in the 19th century, and it has been systematically studied since the 20th century, Channel 24 reported.

As always, this cemetery brought surprises. Despite the brutal looting of these complexes, they remain of independent scientific interest.
– says archaeologist Valery Naumenko from the “Crimean Federal University”, who is currently plundering the Ukrainian complex for Russian invaders.

According to the statement made by Russia, Naumenko and his colleagues are carrying out excavations together with archaeologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The sixth-century Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea wrote that the Mangup region was then part of the Christian principality of Gothia, founded in southwestern Crimea by the Goths who refused to follow Theodoric the Great during his invasion of Italy in 488.

The new finds come from two crypts dating to between the fourth and sixth centuries. According to the report, the jewelry appears to be worn by women. Fibulae (brooches), gold earrings, belt pieces and shoe buckles were found in the cache, as well as gold leaf appliqués that were probably sewn onto the collars of clothing.

A collection of jewelry that will probably be exported to Russia / The photo was taken by the so-called “Crimean Federal University”

Researchers believe that these Artifacts testify to aristocratic funeral rites in this place.

Most likely, rich women were buried in both graves where the objects were found.
– commented another black archaeologist, Artur Nabokov, from the Crimean Archeology Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

He added that the earrings were probably imported, while the fibulae were made in Crimea.

The earrings are particularly elegant and made of gold studded with red semi-precious stones such as garnet or agate; A pair of fibulae were cast in silver and then covered with gold leaf and red stone inlays.

Fibulae or brooches used to fasten clothes / Photo taken by “Crimean Federal University”

One of the crypts also contained an ornate pyxis container made from animal horn and used to store cosmetic powders such as blush, the report said.

Mangup’s rocky plateau is dominated by the Mangup Kale fortress, the oldest parts of which date back to the sixth century. It was still in use even in the 15th century. There is also archaeological evidence of prehistoric settlements in the region dating back 5,000 years.

Gold earrings / Photo taken by the so-called “Crimean Federal University”

Gold earrings / Photo taken by the so-called “Crimean Federal University”

During the latest expedition to the region, researchers also examined a 15th-century Christian “cave monastery” and a Muslim cemetery used between the 16th and 19th centuries after the Ottoman Turks took control of the region, the report said. It is unknown how many artifacts Russia stole from these cities.