SAEDNEWS: Forgotten treasures from centuries past were buried just off a walking path in a Lithuanian park. Lush green grass and rich orange soil had kept these 600-year-old secrets hidden until today.
According to Saed News’ social service report, the National Museum of Lithuania announced that archaeologists conducted excavations in part of Verkių Regional Park this spring. Located on the outskirts of Vilnius, the capital of this European country, the park features green spaces, forests, and a large historic manor.
Excavations in the park in 2008 led to the discovery of dozens of graves and medieval artifacts. The full extent of this medieval cemetery has remained a mystery since then, and archaeologists hoped to finally solve it.
During recent digs, researchers uncovered another pair of graves dating back 600 years, from the same 13th–14th century period as the rest of the cemetery.
X-rays reveal the adornments of a 600-year-old woman. Her bejeweled crown is visible on the right side of the image.
One of the medieval graves belonged to a middle-aged woman, whom archaeologists described as wealthy and exceptional. X-rays show her decorated with 600-year-old jewelry, including a spiraled brass crown, a necklace made of shells, beads, and metal hooks, and a bracelet and ring on her hands.
She was likely buried with a cloak. Archaeologists noted that two keys and a ceramic vessel were placed beside her, and a bell lay near her feet. In the Middle Ages, bells were considered protective objects and were often buried with women.
The second 600-year-old grave contained fewer artifacts.
A broken ceramic vessel was also found in another medieval grave.
Archaeologists removed much of the cemetery material for laboratory analysis. These findings will be reconstructed and eventually displayed at the National Museum of Lithuania.
Lithuania is a country in northeastern Europe, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east, Poland, Kaliningrad, and Russia to the south, and the Baltic Sea to the west.
