600-year-old crown found in treasure-filled burial at park in Lithuania. Take a look
Buried near a walking path at a park in Lithuania sat the forgotten treasures of centuries long gone. The well-kept green grass and orange-tinged dirt hid the 600-year-old secrets — but not anymore.
Archaeologists excavated a section of Verkių Regional Park this spring, the National Museum of Lithuania said in a May 15 news release. Situated at the outskirts of the European country’s capital city, Vilnius, the park boasts greenery, forests and a large old manor.
Excavations at the park in 2008 uncovered a dozen graves and artifacts from medieval times, the museum said. The extent of the medieval cemetery remained a mystery ever since.
Archaeologists hoped to finally solve that mystery.
During the recent excavations, archaeologists found another pair of 600-year-old burials, the museum said. The graves dated to the same 13th to 14th century period as the rest of the cemetery.
One medieval grave belonged to a middle-aged woman. Archaeologists described it as abundant and exceptional.
An X-ray shows the 600-year-old jewelry adorning the woman. A crown made of coiled brass sits on her head. A necklace of shells, beads and metal hooks adorns her neck. A bracelet and rings decorate her hands, the museum said.
The woman was likely buried in a cloak. Two keys and a ceramic pot were placed by her side, and a bell was left near her feet, archaeologists said. During medieval times, bells were believed to be protective items and often buried with women.
The second 600-year-old grave did not have as many artifacts, the museum said.
Archaeologists removed a large section of the graves and analyzed them in a laboratory. The finds will be restored and transferred to the National Museum of Lithuania.
Lithuania is a northeastern European country bordering Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east, Poland and Kaliningrad, Russia, to the south and the Baltic Sea to the west.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the National Museum of Lithuania.
This story was originally published May 17, 2024 at 3:15 PM with the headline "600-year-old crown found in treasure-filled burial at park in Lithuania. Take a look."
