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Monday, 20th July 2009 (1041 views)

A gold funeral mask is among the items that were found in a recent excavation of Macedonian tombs dating back to the 5th century BC.

The 17 graves from the Macedonian-Hellenistic period contained an assortment of jewellery, with one young female noble found to have been buried wearing a funeral mask consisting of thin gold eye-covers and a gold plate for the mouth.

A plaque with an engraved sun had been placed on her chest, EarthTimes reports. Other items found in the tombs included gold chains and objects made from amber.

"This kind of a mask is unique for the Balkans," said Pasko Kuzman, head of the Macedonian department for cultural heritage.

"Several gold plates were found in [the] Aegean region, but this kind of combination in one grave is unknown."

The tombs are located in Ohrid, south-western Macedonia.

Macedonian minister of culture Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska told news organisation MRT that the findings confirm the country's history, culture and identity.

 

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