Excavations near Staraya Russa turned into a sensation
An unknown animal, the sight of which stirred up the Internet, was discovered by the Old Russian archaeological expedition. During excavations on the Cathedral Square of Staraya Rusa, archaeologists came across a very strange whistle in the form of … Zhdun.
The old Russian Zhdun has an atypical body: he is depicted standing on four legs, and a collar flaunts on a short neck.
At first, archaeologists called the whistle a dinosaur, but even a quick glance at the figurine is enough to understand: this is Zhdun.
Sculpture by Dutch artist Margrita van Brifort, which became a meme
It is noteworthy that despite the age of three hundred years, the find is well preserved: the whistle is almost intact, however, the muzzle is slightly chipped off.
“To be honest, we do not know who it is,” the head of the expedition Pavel Kolosnitsyn admitted to Komsomolskaya Pravda.
It is noteworthy that despite the age of three hundred years, Zhdun is well preserved Photo: Old Russian Archaeological Expedition of NovSU “ VKontakte ”
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According to Kolosnitsyn, a toy can be anything: a seal, a dog, or even an overweight bird that has grown legs for stability.
- Medieval craftsmen depicted animals in a very conventional way. An elephant could be sculpted in the form of a fat horse, and four legs could easily be attached to a bird, the archaeologist said.
Scientists have yet to figure out the origin of Zhdun. Perhaps the collar depicted on the animal's neck will give a clue. So in the Middle Ages it was customary to depict either a turtle dove or a dragon. But it is already clear that this is not an ordinary find. Firstly, whistles with such muzzles have not yet been found, and secondly, the Russian Zhdun can shed light (or rather sound) on the holy of holies: the musical world of ancient Russia.
- We know very little about the sound world of Ancient Russia. After all, sound is something that is very difficult to preserve and convey. Fortunately, the whistle we found is perfectly preserved. And there are four holes on it, and Zhdun can publish simple melodies. So the find, whoever it is, will tell scientists a lot of interesting things, - said Kolosnitsyn.
EVGENIYA KOROBKOVA