Archaeologists discover clay figurines from Early Iron Age near Halych

Andrii Fihol, junior researcher in the Archaeology Department of the Ancient Halych National Reserve told Ukrinform about this.

"We were working near the defensive rampart in the village of Krylos, near the Metropolitan’s Chambers. We expected to find fragments from the Princes’ period, but instead, we came across a cultural layer from the Early Iron Age. We found two clay figurines of bulls, which testify to the agricultural cult of that time. People created what they saw and used in their household activities," Fihol explained.

He added that the archaeologists also discovered a wheel from a cart and suggested that it could be the only sculpture from the 9th-10th century BC. The discovery will handed over to the collections of the Museum of the History of Ancient Halych.

The Early Iron Age is a period in human history when iron began to be used for making tools. It marked the final phase of antiquity, lasting from the end of the 2nd millennium to the 1st millennium BC. In the territory of Ukraine, this period began in the 12th century BC. The most interesting aspects of the Early Iron Age are associated with the Scythians and Sarmatians.

Metropolitan’s Chambers in Krylos (Halych district, Ivano-Frankivsk region) are a monument of 18th-century architecture. The two-story palace was the residence of the Halych metropolitan bishops, and it also has large underground chambers. Some researchers believe the Metropolitan’s Chambers were built on the site of a princely palace, although this has not been confirmed archaeologically. Today, the building houses the Museum of the History of Ancient Halych.

As previously reported, the entrance tower of the Halych Castle will be opened to tourists next year.