СЪКРОВИЩЕТО ОТ ЧЕРКОВНА, ТЪРГОВИЩКО И СЪДБАТА НА СРЕДНОВЕКОВНИЯ МИСИОНИС
THE TREASURE FROM CHERKOVNA, TARGOVISHTE DISTRICT AND THE FATE OF THE MEDIEVAL MISSIONIS

Summary/Abstract: This article offers for the first time a comprehensive analysis of the interesting treasure of boyar jewellery from the late 14th c., found in the land of the village of Cherkovna, Targovishte District. It was accepted by the National Archaeological Museum in 1928, but so far only the silver gilded goblet (bowl) has been published with its gorgeous imagery, and then as a photograph only. It turned out that along with it in the treasure, there are two pairs of ear-pendants – made of gilded silver and pure gold. It was localised not far from one of the medieval fortresses there and next to two early Christian churches uncovered in the 1980s, one of which was rebuilt and used in the 14th c. It is of great importance that the treasure from Cherkovna was found only about 5 km southeast of the ruins of the great ancient and medieval city of Missionis, which was called Kosovo during the Middle Ages and according to Ottoman chroniclers had put up great resistance to the Ottomans. The article presents an iconographic and stylistic analysis of the objects from the hoard and concludes that the goblet was made on commission in Western or Central European workshops. Some of the images of dragons and lions are distinctly heraldic in nature. The ornaments are made in the typical style of earrings and ear-pendants worn by Bulgarian women in the 14th c. The treasure from Cherkovna belonged to a noble family from Missionis/ Kosovo and was hidden immediately after the city was captured by the Ottomans in the late 14th c. It is very much like a number of similar small treasures found near Dolishte, Dobrogled and other villages north of the city of Varna. These were the most valuable objects of the aristocracy, which were also a distinction of the noble rank for men and women.

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