Archaeologists have shown what the ancient Ukrainian Easter egg looked like during the times of Kyivan Rus (photo)

Ancient Ukrainians also painted eggs. They also made toys out of them - egg rattles. True, the eggs were molded from clay.

This became known from the post of Anton Korvin-Piotrovskyi, an archaeologist and scientist, deputy of the Ukrainian Archaeologists' Association, on Facebook. In particular, he published a photo of what Easter eggs looked like at the beginning of the 12th century.

Read also: Why eggs are painted on Easter: traditions and beliefs

"It was found near the village of Khrinniki in the Rivne region in 2013. It is made of clay, hollow, with a ball or stone inside, which gives it the function of a rattle. It is decorated with an ornament that resembles waves - a symbol of water and ears of corn - a symbol of fertility," he described an archaeological find.

According to him, it is in the exposition of the Rivne Regional Museum of Local History.

Previously, the representative of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Denys Kozak, told Radio Svoboda in an interview that archaeologists managed to find this clay Easter egg on the bank of a reservoir in the Demydiv district of the Rivne region. The expedition was carried out by the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This is the beginning of the 12th century, Kyivan Rus. In Volyn, this is the first whole pysanka of such antiquity. Pieces used to be found in mounds. And this one is so whole... The price for it is unbelievable. And it still rattles - as if it was made yesterday... A deeply ethnographic thing. waves are like a symbol of water, and the ears of corn are a symbol of fertility. They put a sacred meaning in it, without a doubt. They put a stone there, then covered it with clay, and it turned out like a rattle. It was believed to have a magical effect," said the scientist.

And this is what the Easter egg of the Mezhybizka fortress, which was found in 2012, looked like.

As a reminder, UaPortal wrote about how to paint eggs with wine.

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