Archaeologists are completing their research on a unique quiver found in the center of the capital.
The quiver was found during archaeological research in the Kadashevskaya Sloboda. It took specialists many months to recognize a unique specimen in the blackened piece that had lain in the ground for centuries.
“The quiver itself is made of leather and embroidered with gold threads entwined with high-grade silver wire,” Konstantin Voronin, general director of the Metropolitan Archaeological Bureau, describes the find. It is he who shows her "VM".
The dark part keeps traces of past patterns - of course, time did not spare them. There are also traces of decoration - luxurious curls made of rare metals at that time. Small holes are also visible - the leather parts were sewn very carefully, the holes are located symmetrically, close to each other.
- A similar quiver, only made of fabric, is kept in the museums of the Moscow Kremlin. This is Saadak - the quiver and bow of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, dating back to 1673. The craftsmen also knew then - the subtlest work was performed by Prokofiy Andreev.
The Kremlin specimen combines silver, fabric and the skin of a domestic goat. It was skillfully embroidered, it was distinguished by gilding, niello and carving.
Saadak - a set of weapons for a horse archer. It consisted of a bow in the beam and arrows in a quiver, as well as a special cover. It was widespread among the Turkic peoples, Mongols, and also in Russia until the 17th century.
The artifact found in the Kadashevskaya Sloboda could have been lost during the Time of Troubles - at the beginning of the 17th century, that is, this quiver is older than the one that belonged to Alexei Mikhailovich. Then, by the way, such a part of the rich weapons was already out of use.
- The quiver we discovered belonged, presumably, to a noble local horseman, and this luxurious sample was made in the late 16th - early 17th centuries. It was richly painted with pigments, - continues Konstantin Voronin. - The structural parts themselves, as studies have shown, were sewn from animal veins, which indicates that the quiver from Kadash was made by Turkish artisans.
In the Time of Troubles, the noble cavalry was on a special account, later, of course, it loses its key role in the army. And it was replaced in the middle of the 17th century by the regiments of a new system and a completely different type of weapon - firearms.
Moscow archaeologists will continue their research, but the season is actually closed for them this year.
“All major work this season has already been completed,” says Konstantin Voronin. - Now work is underway only on Petrovka. We also plan to make new discoveries next season. Now is the period of scientific work.
Top 5 finds of 2019
This season, during the excavations, fragments of a Japanese earthenware vase of the 18th century were found, which experts have almost restored. This season, a small English horse was found - an elegant and expensive toy that a wealthy Moscow family could afford at the beginning of the 20th century. They found her on Vostochnaya Street. Among the finds are old Turkish and domestic smoking pipes, a Dutch cigarette holder. Among the new artifacts - bone writing from the 15th – 17th centuries, medical supplies - glass vials and a syringe from the 19th century. In the course of the landscaping work on Ilyinka, the foundation of the Great Cross Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was found.
Alexey Emelyanov
Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the City of Moscow
Over ten thousand archaeological finds, including many household items, toys, medical supplies, and others, were made in Moscow this year. In 2019, archaeologists worked at more than a hundred sites, and a third of the total volume of artifacts found was made as a result of accompanying work on the comprehensive improvement of the city. The work was carried out not only in the historical center of Moscow, in Kitay-gorod and on Gogolevsky Boulevard, but also in old districts, including Medvedkovo and Lefortovo. Many artifacts indicate that Moscow has always had excellent connections with different countries.
