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| Sensational Finding at Samoil Fortress -
Golden Mask Alike the Trebenista Ones Excavated
(Vest, 3.10.2002) - This is an epochal discovery for the Macedonian, Balkan and European archaeology since it sheds additional scientific light to the widely famous Trebenista necropolis near Ohrid. The tomb and all the items found in there date back to 5th B.C. pointing to the oldest burial within the Lichnidos necropolis.
A golden postmortem mask and a golden glove with a golden ring were discovered at the Samoil Fortress three days ago (Monday, 30 September). The mask points to the family of the world famous Trebenista masks two of which, unfortunately, have been appropriated by the Belgrade Museum, and two others by the Sofia Museum.
“This is an epochal discovery for the Macedonian, Balkan and European archaeology since it sheds additional scientific light to the widely famous Trebenista necropolis near the village of Gorenci, in the vicinity of Ohrid, where four widely known golden masks were discovered 100 and 70 years ago. The tomb and all the items found in there date back to 5th B.C. pointing to the oldest burial within the Lichnidos necropolis,” said Pasko Kuzman, Director of the Institute Museum in Ohrid.
The mask and glove were found in a tomb with around 70 funeral items made in various materials: pottery, amber, glass items, iron, bronze, silver and gold.
Currently, the golden mask and glove, said Kuzman, are placed under special treatment for chemical analysis of the char and earth adhered to some parts of their surfaces.
What Kuzman hinted during the initial archaeological excavations of the Samoil Fortress, that its treasure was yet to be seen, has only been confirmed with the latest finding. The Institute Museum in Ohrid is full with samples from the Fortress which are additionally explored for more precise identification.
“During the extensive work on systematic archaeological excavations and restoration of the Samoil Fortress in Ohrid, beside the North Wall, we discovered a number of graves and tombs with different structures that belonged to people in antique Lichnidos, today’s Ohrid. The chronological span of those funerals was 5th B.C. to 5th A.D. Most graves belonged to the Macedonian-Hellenic period and are rich in various archaeological material: ornamental pottery dishes; iron, bronze, silver and golden items, which according to their features belonged exclusively to Macedonian oldest ethnicity,” says Kuzman, head of the archeological excavations at the Samoil Fortress.
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