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Archaeologists discover 11th-century artifacts near Minsk
MINSK, 1 June (BelTA) – Archaeologists have uncovered unique 11th-century artifacts near Minsk, BelTA has learned from Andrei Voitekhovich, Head of the Department of Medieval and Modern Archaeology at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
At the Small hillfort of the archaeological complex on the Menka River, archaeologists from the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), led by Andrei Voitekhovich, uncovered unique artifacts preserved in a layer left by an 11th-century fire: fragments of a charred wooden plate and pieces of ancient birch-bark kitchenware.
The Institute of History described the find as exceptionally rare for Belarusian lands.
“Organic items made of bone and wood are very poorly preserved at the Menka complex, even though they were an essential part of medieval daily life,” Andrei Voitekhovich said. He noted that during excavations of the rampart at the Large hillfort in 2023-2024, archaeologists found 12 fragments of wooden shovels, most household items and kitchenware previously discovered consisted mainly of clay pots. “Now, by a fortunate turn of events, we have found a beautifully carved large wooden plate preserved in the fire, with traces of food. We now know that people did not simply eat from pots, they also had well-crafted, high-quality plates,” he explained.
According to the archaeologist, the object survived because it became carbonized during the blaze. “This is an absolutely unique discovery. It is the first such find in the 70 years of research at the Menka complex and, in general, a very rare find for medieval towns,” Andrei Voitekhovich added. Archaeologists plan to continue annual excavations at the site. At the moment, we are conducting excavations as part of the hands-on training for students from the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts.”
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