A team from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered a lead seal attributed to Prince Yaroslav I the Wise (978–1054) during rescue excavations at Yaroslav’s Court in Veliky Novgorod, according to RBC.
This is the second seal of Yaroslav found in Novgorod; the first surfaced in 1994 at the Trinity excavation. Specialists said the new find was the first to be identified in the context of Yaroslav’s Novgorod period.
Researchers described the artifact as one of the oldest Russian seals and linked it to Yaroslav’s administrative activity in Novgorod, where he could certify documents. The Institute said the find broadened understanding of the administrative systems of Kievan Rus and confirmed the presence of an 11th‑century urban public center at Yaroslav’s Court, where there had been no direct evidence.
One face shows Saint George with a spear at his right shoulder, similar to the 1994 seal, which also depicted the saint with a spear and shield. The obverse carries a princely sign in the form of a trident with a circle atop the middle prong, with traces of a circular Greek inscription divided at the top by a cross, according to Gazeta.ru.
Petr Gaydukov, deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology, said the discovery offered new data on the administrative culture of the early 11th century and on the first century of Novgorod’s existence, which is poorly reflected in written sources.
Experts said the seal’s design echoed coins minted by Yaroslav in Novgorod in the early 11th century; only eight of these coins, known as Yaroslavl Silver, are known, and the parallel allowed researchers to attribute the seal to Yaroslav’s Novgorod administration between 1010 and 1019.
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