More than 140,000 archaeological artifacts have been discovered in Moscow in 15 years

Over the past 15 years, archaeologists have discovered more than 140,000 artifacts in Moscow. This was announced on Thursday, July 2, by the press service of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage.

The ministry noted that the centuries-old history of the capital continues to open new pages of the past. Among the finds are tools of ancient hunters and gatherers, remains of Slavic settlements, fragments of fortress walls, ancient pavements, various buildings and household items. According to experts, such artifacts allow us to better understand what people's lives were like in different historical eras.

One of the most ancient finds were fragments of a ceramic vessel discovered in 2019. About ten potsherds of dimpled-comb ceramics date back to the IV millennium BC.

Another unique find was an old "corporate" seal found in 2017 on Bersenevskaya Embankment. The artifact, made of an alloy of copper and tin in the XV–XVIII centuries, belonged to the establishment "Vytegorsky tavern", writes "Moscow 24".

The department also recalled the treasure discovered in 2015 in the Zaryadye area during the study of the estate at the end of the XVI — first half of the XVII century. Archaeologists found a jug, a flask and a cup containing about 43 thousand silver coins with a total weight of more than 20 kilograms. The total value of the treasure was 380 rubles, an amount comparable to the salary of a Streltsy colonel for 7-10 years of service.

A new archaeological season started in Moscow in June. Currently, research is underway at 30 urban sites, including Kitaygorodsky Passage, Baumanskaya, Derbenevskaya, Sadovnicheskaya Streets, Akademika Tupolev Street, Kutuzovsky Prospekt and the Kolomenskoye Museum Reserve. In total, excavations are planned to be carried out at more than 100 addresses by the end of the year, according to the Moscow City News agency.

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In May, two unique coins of the second half of the 17th century were discovered by metropolitan archaeologists during research in Kitaygorodsky Passage. After the restoration, the rare numismatic specimens will be transferred to one of the Moscow museums.