Siberian driver Nikolay Tarasov makes a precious Bronze Age catch.
'At the last second I looked at it more closely - and I saw a face'. Picture: Tisul History museum, Kemerovo region
The 53 year old fisherman's net got entangled in the river and, as they say, the rest of the story is history, very old history indeed.
'Me and a friend were walking on the river bank with nets, when suddenly it got stuck with something,' he said. 'I found the object, freed the net and was about to throw it back in the water - but at the last second I looked at it more closely.
'And I saw a face.
'I stopped and washed the thing in the river - and realised it wasn't a stone of an unusual shape, as I thought earlier - but a statuette.'
It has almond shaped eyes, a large mouth with full lips, and a ferocious face expression.
'I needed to sit down when the experts told me that this object was carved at the very beginning of the Bronze Age'. Picture: Tisul History museum, Kemerovo region
'On the reverse side on the head the carver etched plaited hair with wave like lines. Below the plait there are lines looking like fish scales,' he said.
'I went to the local museum - and experts there quite literally jumped for joy, and quite high!
'I knew when I looked closely at my find that it must be not even a couple of hundred years old, but older. But I still needed to sit down when the experts told me that this object was carved at the very beginning of the Bronze Age.'
Nikolay found the treasure in a river near his home in Tisul, Kemerovo region.
The curators of his museum passed on the find to experts in Kemerovo city, where they dated it to more than 4,000 years old, and explained it had been carved in horn which has later fossilised.
Marina Banschikova, director of Tisul History Museum: 'Quite likely, it shows a pagan god. The only things we have dated approximately to the same age are a stone necklace and two charms in the shapes of a bear and a bird.
'Nikolay has given us this treasure free of charge. He didn't ask for any kind of compensation' - though it is probably worth more than if it was made of gold.
'Now we have to devote more time studying his find'.
Lucky and generous, 53 years old Nikolay Tarasov. Picture: Nikolay Tarasov
The area around Tisul is known to have been inhabited in ancient times. Currently the theories are that the statuette belonged to the Okunev or Samus cultures.
'To sell it and make profit? What are you talking about?' asked Nikolay.
'People should see it, and learn the history of their region. It was quite clearly precious for the museums of any country'.
Archeologists discovered a new stone bracelet, two sharp pins, a marble ring and fox tooth pendants.
Comments (16)
I would like to know... how big is it?
. Thanks
The only issue I have with this article is the reference to pagan god. It could be a self portrait or a portrait of a family member who passed away..there's no justification for the "pagan god" ref..
Thank you for donating it for the good of all!
And btw theories in archaeology suggest that in this time religions begin to spread, there are multiple finds for example pointing out the belief of sun gods, not only in local groups of people. its though that with the evolution of metallurgy (connected with trade) had its influence to religions aswell. another good example is in the greek religion which started in the bronze age aswell. not sayin you are wrong theres still much to find out and really much i did not considere here or know of....its hard to debate, and there are new studies, that older theories of an population developing a social network due to trade are atleast not exactly right, and that they had even less contact with other human groups than before in neolithic times.
And btw theories in archaeology suggest that in this time religions begin to spread, there are multiple finds for example pointing out the belief of sun gods, not only in local groups of people. its though that with the evolution of metallurgy (connected with trade) had its influence to religions aswell. another good example is in the greek religion which started in the bronze age aswell. not sayin you are wrong theres still much to find out and really much i did not considere here or know of....its hard to debate, and there are new studies, that older theories of an population developing a social network due to trade are atleast not exactly right, and that they had even less contact with other human groups than before in neolithic times.
Будет теперь продвинуть науку и историю русской культуры.
It is great to know this discovery will increase interests in the distant past of Russia before the Kievan Rus'.