Russian archaeologists have found rare gold jewelry, including a necklace, earrings, and pendants featuring the image of the mythical Gorgon Medusa (the Greek woman with serpents for hair), in the Crimean Peninsula. This discovery was made during excavations at the "Kiz-Ul" mound near the city of Kerch in Crimea. A spokesperson for the Russian "Archaeology" Foundation stated to journalists that the gold jewelry was uncovered by volunteers while cleaning one of the ancient tombs in the "Kiz-Ul" cemetery, near the village of Yakovinkovo in Kerch, Crimea.
The collection of jewelry includes a fragmented gold necklace, a gold earring shaped like a lion biting its tail, and a large gold pendant featuring the image of Medusa. The spokesperson cited Oleg Markov, head of the restoration department at the archaeology foundation, who noted that the image of Medusa was widely used among the Roman military aristocracy. It is known that the image of Medusa was even placed on the armor of Roman emperors such as Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius. It seems the image of her head was intended to protect the owner of this artifact.
All the archaeological pieces discovered during the excavation have been transferred to the Eastern Crimea Historical and Cultural Museum in Kerch.
