Archaeologists of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered what seems to be a private arsenal of a military commander from the era of Ivan the Terrible, the 16th century 1st Tsar of Russia. The find was made during a rescue dig near Zvenigorod in the Moscow Region, connected with construction of a new Central Circular Highway.

The remains of around 60 village buildings, dated to 16th cent. were uncovered during the dig at Ignatievskoe village, once the homeland of the famous Boyar family of the Dobrynins who served in Tsar’s army. The excavations unearthed a building with a very large underground timber-lined storehouse containing remains of a large private arsenal. Among the finds were helmets stored in leather boxes, kolchugs (a kind of cuirass), sections of military sabres, belts, and arrows.

Such finds were never encountered in Moscow region before, neither in cities and especially not in small villages. The highlight of the items so far uncovered are spiked helmets, practically undamaged by rust, a typical military headgear of Russian knights—spherical helmets adorned with gold and silver.

(after PhysOrg)