DISCOVERY OF GOLD ORNAMENTS IN THE CHERSONESUS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 53, 27 January 1880, Page 3

DISCOVERY OF GOLD ORNAMENTS IN THE CHERSONESUS.

❖ The Ciicrsonesus appears still to be rich in antiquities, notwithstanding the explorations and plunderings that have taken place by Huns, Tartars, and Cossacks during hundreds of years. In St. Petersburg the Hermitage contains a very interesting and valuable collection of costly relics, many of them in gold, beautiful specimens of Greek art found in some of the tombs in the neighborhood of Kcrtch. Among the choicest are the laurel leaves of the finest gold which adorned the victor’s brow, with other objects carrying the observer back to the every-dry life of the period. In the tomb of a woman were found the very box of vci’million and the stencil with which the owner added to her charms some 2000 years ago, her “ household gods ” buried with her, and now unburied, showing that the customs of the fair sex of twenty centuries past were identical with modern times in the matter of outward adornments. From an account published in the “Journal de St Petersburg” it appears that valuable treasures are yet to be obtained in this rich field of antiquities, as will be seen from the details of the very costly gold ornaments that have just been discovered by the fortunate director of the Kerch Museum. Ho found, in the early part of September, near the road between Tcmruk and the station of Sennaia, a tomb of the 3rd century, before the Christian era, in the reign of Persidas 11. (/), King of Bosphorus. The tomb must have been that of a highly-born damsel. It was found to contain a gold collar of the thickness of an ordinary lead pencil in one piece, -ornament with a lion’s head at each end; a gold crown, an inch wide, the outer part formed of rings linked together and ornamented with fine stones, in the centre is a swan, with Cupid on its wings; gold ear-rings with two pomwnuDiPos of oval form, and a small piece of malachite in the centre ; a gold chain with figures of a sheep’s head at the ends ; gold earrings with pomegranates ; a very heavy chain; ear-rings of very fine woikinanship; two bracelets of heavy work : a round gold broach and pin representing Venus holding Cupid in her arms ; four gold leaves; a pearl collar with clasp amulets ; three ve*y small gold rings ; a silver flagon; a silver lachrymatory; a silver vase ; cup ; silver spoon ; remains of silver articles ; and a tooth of the young girl.