MAJOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY AT
GORNA PORTA IN OHRID
During a supplementary archaeological intervention at the site Gorna Porta in Ohrid (the street between Gorna Porta and the Church of the Holy Mother of God Perivleptos and the Icons Gallery) on the 18 th of July 2009 we discovered a tomb (marked as tomb nr. 167) from the “Gorna Porta” necropolis of the ancient Lichnidos. In 2002 the necropolis was being investigated to the north of this street, towards the bulwark of Ohrid's citadel. This tomb is located at only 6 metres to the south of tomb nr. 132 (2002) where a golden mask, a golden hand and numerous other golden, silver, bronze, amber and ceramic items had been discovered. The tomb pit is at a depth of 2.20 – 2.50 m from the street surface and it is enclosed with amorphous stone and stone slabs (external dimensions of the tomb: 2.00 h 1.00 m). It is positioned at southeast-northwest. In the interior we discovered remains of an inhumed young female (preserved parts of the skull and teeth), as well as numerous offerings of gold, silver, bronze, amber and ceramics. Particularly impressive is the set of gold foil items, all decorated in the same manner with linked lines in the shape of the number eight (connected concentric circles with a calotte sculptural execution in the central part). A golden foil in the shape of eye-glasses was placed on the eyes of the deceased female; a golden rhomboid plate on her mouth and a big discoid plate decorated with a rosette covered the part of the body at the heart. A golden belt (40 cm) covered the part between the chest to the bellybutton. All these items had a ritual function as mask on the face and the upper part of the body. Besides these ritual items, we discovered two golden earrings with conical granulated pendants at the head; four bronze and silver bracelets with snake heads at the ends; two bronze spiral bracelets at the legs; long silver chain with decorative ends; one decorative glass amphoriskos in between the chain, one double silver omega pin, amber pearls for a necklace decorated with parallel notches, big amorphous amber items etc.
According to all indicators, this burial can be chronologically placed in the first half of the 5 th century BC, i.e. during the rule of Alexander I Philhelen (498 - 454 BC). (Pasko Kuzman) |
