FEB 21, 2013 09:30 AM ET // BY OWEN JARUS, LIVESCIENCE
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Gold Brooch
This fibula-brooch, despite being only 2.3 by 1.9 inches in size, contains intricate decorations leading toward the center where a rock crystal bead is.
VALENTINA MORDVINTSEVA
Hidden in a necropolis situated high in the mountains of the Caucasus in Russia, researchers have discovered the grave of a male warrior laid to rest with gold jewelry, iron chain mail and numerous weapons, including a 36-inch iron sword set between his legs.
That is just one amazing find among a wealth of ancient treasures dating back more than 2,000 years that scientists have uncovered there.
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Among their finds are two bronze helmets, discovered on the surface of the necropolis. One helmet (found in fragments and restored) has relief carvings of curled sheep horns while the other has ridges, zigzags and other odd shapes.
Although looters had been through the necropolis before, the warrior's grave appears to have been untouched. The tip of the sword he was buried with points toward his pelvis, and researchers found "a round gold plaque with a polychrome inlay" near the tip, they write in a paper published in the most recent edition of the journal Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia. (See Images of the Warrior Burial and Artifacts)
The remains of three horses, a cow and the skull of a wild boar were also found buried near the warrior.
Image Gallery: Ancient Treasure Trove Discovered in Russia
Owen Jarus, LiveScience Contributor | February 20, 2013 12:57pm ET
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Burial of a warrior
Credit: Courtesy Valentina Mordvintseva
The grave of a male warrior who was laid to rest some 2,200 years ago in what is now the mountains of the Caucasus in Russia, shown here in a diagram of the warrior's skeleton and numerous artifacts
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