Against evil spirits. Amulets of the ancient Merya people were found near Yaroslavl.

Archaeologists have explored an ancient burial ground dating from the 9th to 11th centuries, located near Rostov the Great, and discovered 14 artifacts, 10 of which are copper women's jewelry. 

"These elegant objects are silent witnesses to the tastes and beliefs of the Merya people, the Finno-Ugric tribes who inhabited these lands. The central character is a semi-tubular pendant. It once rang and 'noised' when moved, warding off evil spirits or simply delighting the ears of its owner."- рассказал Head of the Archaeological Department of the Rostov Kremlin Alexey Karetnikov.

According to him, each pendant is unique in the world, as it was cast in a single piece. Although not all of the pieces have survived intact, the elegance of the work is astounding.

The Meryans are a chronicled tribe, an ancient Finno-Ugric people who lived in the Upper Volga region in what is now the Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Vladimir, northern and eastern parts of Moscow, and western Kostroma regions of Russia. Archaeological sites associated with this people, dating from after the 11th century, unknownThe Meryans assimilated the Slavic population of the central regions of North-Eastern Rus'.

Research at the burial ground continues. Scientists hope that even this small excavation will reveal more about the culture and way of life of this vanished people. 

Photo: Rostov Kremlin State Museum-Reserve