November
20
/ 2016
By Olga Gertcyk / The Siberian Times Over 300 years old, jetons - used in lieu of coins or for counting - were found along with artifacts hoarded by the Northern Selkups. The finding and other intriguing and varied items were made during a dig in Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region, close to the Taz River. Exactly how the 'jetons' which bear Louis XIV's image came to this remote part of Siberia is not known. Anthropologist Olga Poshehonova said a Russian-German team found 'seven similar counting tokens that depict Louis XIV'. Other discoveries - some dating to the 12th century - were 'several iron knives with handles with enamel decorations produced by Russians' and an intriguing 'lion figurine' of uncertain origin. The
