Original scientific paper
Amethyst and Fluorite Jewellery of Medieval Kyiv – Problem of Identification
Natalia Khamaiko
orcid.org/0000-0002-7396-0315
; Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine; The Leibniz Institue for History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO), Leipzig, Germany
Olena Zhurukhina
; Scientific research department of the Museum of Desiatynna church history, Kyiv, Ukraine; The Leibniz Institue for History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO) Leipzig, Germany
Viktor Nesterovskyi
; Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Abstract
The article studies the archaeological finds of amethyst and fluorite discovered in medieval complexes in Kyiv. Despite the fact that archaeological objects made of these minerals are widely known throughout Europe, there have long been difficulties in the precise identification of fluorite products. This was partly due to knowledge of the use of amethyst in Byzantine jewellery. The purple colour inherent in this mineral became a reference marker for such determinations. While fluorite has a fairly wide range of colours, including yellow, blue, green, pink, purple and even shades of grey. However, in the 10th and 12th centuries, it was mainly purple or purple-green fluorite that was used to make beads. This caused some confusion and most of the jewellery identified by archaeologists by eye was recorded as amethyst. Professional re-examination of these objects allowed the material to be accurately defined as fluorite. These definitions coincide with those of similar beads in Moravia, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria, reflecting the general trend of fluorite beads in Europe in the 10th-12th centuries. Another feature is that amethyst
inlays are found in Kyiv as an element of expensive gold jewellery, while fluorite is used for more democratic necklaces.
Keywords
jewellery; amethyst; fluorite, Kyiv; Early Rus’
Hrčak ID:
329719
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2024.
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