Tenth-century Hoard from the village of Korobkino in Kursk Province

Abstract

In 1915, near the village of Korobkino, Kursk Province, a hoard of seven silver bracelets and a solid dating from 923–924 was found. The article determines its place in the historical and cultural context of both the region and Eastern Europe as a whole. It has been established that these decorations are not characteristic of the Romny antiquities. It is evident from the design of bracelets with tied ends and the use of thick wire, polyhedral in section. Gold coins were found mainly on the territory of Rus. The solid from Korobkino is the only find in the vast area of the Romny archaeological culture, which fact emphasizes the peculiarity of the complex. The author suggests dating the hoard within the second–third quarters of the 10th century AD. In general, its composition demonstrates the synthesis of northern (Scandinavia) and southern (Byzantium) contacts of the population of the emerging Rus culture. The owner of the hoard was related to the druzhina (prince’s retinue) layer of society. No other traces of such a distinct “Russian presence” concentrated in one complex have been found in the Severian land so far.