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Chorna
mohyla (black grave) burial mound. 
The
majestic burial mound Chorna Mohyla is located near Yeletskyi
monastery in Chernihiv. It is one of the biggest Old Russian barrows
of the 10th century which has remained till now. The legend tells
that there lies prince Chornyi, who was the founder of the town and
gave it his name. The
proportions of the barrow are impressive: the diameter is 40 m,
circumference is 125 m, the present height is 11 m. In the past it
was moated with the ditch 7 m wide. In 1872-1873 the mound was
explored by famous native Chernihiv archeologist Dmytro Yakovych
Samokvasov.
A
man and a woman were buried in the mound according to the cremation
ceremony. They were buried in complete
ammunition and occupied the middle part of
the bonfire site. Near the man there were some arms ─
two swords, a sable, a spear, a saddle
with stirrups, some shreds of hauberk, a helmet, arrowheads, and a
shield with copper binding at the feet. Near the arms there was an
iron vessel with sheep bones and bronze brazier with coals. By the
feet of the buried man two saddled horses were lain. Among the things
connected with the woman there were ten sickles by the feet. There
were twelve buckets staying semicircle in the western part of the
bonfire site, but only iron binding and two iron vessels remained. A
lot of jewelry, belt tips, gold and silver ingots ─
remains of melted in the fire jewelry,
a bronze vessel with knucklebones ─
dice, keys, locks, axes, chisels were
found where the deceased were lain.
The
primary burial mound was 7 m, then there was a funeral feast ─
competition in honour of the dead
person after which the barrow poured over. At the funeral
feast place two richly ornamented drinking horns, made out of
aurochs horns with silver binding were found. The most interesting is
the binding of the bigger horn with marvelous frieze, where fabulous
beasts, birds and people are depicted. In addition two reaping knives
and a bronze vanity of Scandinavian god Thor were found at the
funeral feast. These finds are considered as donations which
satisfied the status of the dead during his life. In the mound three
Byzantine coins, the earliest one of which was minted in 945-959
years by Kostyantyn the VII, called Porphyrogenitus and his son
Vasyliy, were found. According to this coin the mound is dated to
960s — prince
Svyatoslav epoch.
Most
of the Chorna Mohyla finds are kept at Moscow historical museum. The
part of exhibits which was given by D. Samokvasov to Kyiv University
museum and to someprivate collections was lost. | |
