A 400-year-old roast turnip dinner has been unearthed in Russia - a meal believed to have been intended for tsarist soldiers conquering Siberia or political exiles.
The find was made in a large clay pot by archaeologists in Tara, a key fortress town founded in 1594.
The turnip is heavily charred because of a fire in the log-built house where the meal was being readied.
A roast turnip dinner that was left behind by a soldier 400 years ago is discovered in Siberia
The meal was intended for tsarist soldiers conquering Siberia or political exiles
The charred remains were found in Tara, a key fortress town founded in 1594
Archaeologists also found a knitted women's stocking and leather mittens
By Will Stewart for MailOnline
14 February 2017
A 400-year-old roast turnip dinner has been unearthed in Russia - a meal believed to have been intended for tsarist soldiers conquering Siberia or political exiles.
The find was made in a large clay pot by archaeologists in Tara, a key fortress town founded in 1594.
The turnip is heavily charred because of a fire in the log-built house where the meal was being readied.
The charred remains of a roast turnip dinner from 400 years ago was found in a large clay pot, pictured, by archaeologists in Siberia
But the overcooked turnip supper is being hailed as intriguing archaeological evidence at an historic site from which the tsars expanded their sway eastwards to grab Siberia, and eventually to the Pacific.
Professor Maria Chernaya, head of the Laboratory of Archaeological and Ethnographical Research in Western Siberia at Tomsk State University, said: 'One of the interesting finds of this season was indeed the turnip.
'We excavated a big log house (izba), which burned down in the past to be left exactly as it was.
The hearty meal, found in the remains of a log-built house, is believed to have been intended for tsarist soldiers conquering Siberia or political exiles
The overcooked turnip was found intact but later collapsed when archaeologists excavated it from the historic site in Tara
Leather mittens were also found at the historic site, along with a knitted women's stocking and high quality glass believed to be from Germany
'The fire was quite big.
'Near the stove was a big clay pot, called 'korchaga' in Russian.
'It was used not for cooking, but for storing food.
The first map of Tara, a key fortress town founded in 1594, made by Semyon Remezsov and published in 1700
Tara, pictured in modern times, is a town situated at the confluence of the Tara and Irtysh Rivers in Siberia
Tara is significant to historians because it was one of the earliest Russian settlements before they moved eastwards towards Vladivostok
'So there was a turnip, and it was standing near the stove. When the fire began, the temperature was so high that the turnip 'baked' inside this pot.
'When we started to excavate the pot, we saw that something was inside.'
When it was found the turnip had kept its shape, but it later collapsed.
'Of course, when we tried to take it from the pot it lost its shape,' she said.
Fragments of high quality glassware, believed to have come from Germany or the Czech Republic, were also excavated from the site
'Yet we managed to do the analysis and confirmed it was a turnip.
'But also we found out that the turnip had been kept from autumn, for several months, so it was part of the winter stocks.
'This means the house burned down in winter or spring.'
At the same site, archaeologists found a knitted women's stocking from the same era, footwear, as well as high quality glass made in Germany or the Czech Republic, reported The Siberian Times.
The remains of a leather wallet was also pulled from the house, which archaeologists say belonged to wealthy people
The clay pot, known as a 'korchaga' in Russian, was found wrapped in birch bark on top of the remains of a large fire
Tara is one of the oldest towns in Siberia, pre-dating all the the modern cities in the sprawling region.
'Judging by the finds, they had quite good houses. They (possessed) expensive imported things,' she said.
'The common economic level in the city was higher than in most central Russian towns.'
As well as a base for tsarist forces, Tara was home to both political and criminal exiles, among the first people sent to Siberia for punishment.
WHAT WAS FOUND?
The remains of a roasted turnip
Leather mittens and a wallet
High-quality glass from Germany
A knitted women's stocking
A large clay pot wrapped in bark
The team of archaeologists believes that the large log house was burnt down in winter or spring
Professor Maria Chernaya, head of the Laboratory of rchaeological and Ethnographical Research in Western Siberia at Tomsk State University, led the archaeological dig
The find was made in a large clay pot by archaeologists in Tara, a key fortress town founded in 1594.
The turnip is heavily charred because of a fire in the log-built house where the meal was being readied.
A roast turnip dinner that was left behind by a soldier 400 years ago is discovered in Siberia
The meal was intended for tsarist soldiers conquering Siberia or political exiles
The charred remains were found in Tara, a key fortress town founded in 1594
Archaeologists also found a knitted women's stocking and leather mittens
By Will Stewart for MailOnline
14 February 2017
A 400-year-old roast turnip dinner has been unearthed in Russia - a meal believed to have been intended for tsarist soldiers conquering Siberia or political exiles.
The find was made in a large clay pot by archaeologists in Tara, a key fortress town founded in 1594.
The turnip is heavily charred because of a fire in the log-built house where the meal was being readied.
The charred remains of a roast turnip dinner from 400 years ago was found in a large clay pot, pictured, by archaeologists in Siberia
But the overcooked turnip supper is being hailed as intriguing archaeological evidence at an historic site from which the tsars expanded their sway eastwards to grab Siberia, and eventually to the Pacific.
Professor Maria Chernaya, head of the Laboratory of Archaeological and Ethnographical Research in Western Siberia at Tomsk State University, said: 'One of the interesting finds of this season was indeed the turnip.
'We excavated a big log house (izba), which burned down in the past to be left exactly as it was.
The hearty meal, found in the remains of a log-built house, is believed to have been intended for tsarist soldiers conquering Siberia or political exiles
The overcooked turnip was found intact but later collapsed when archaeologists excavated it from the historic site in Tara
Leather mittens were also found at the historic site, along with a knitted women's stocking and high quality glass believed to be from Germany
'The fire was quite big.
'Near the stove was a big clay pot, called 'korchaga' in Russian.
'It was used not for cooking, but for storing food.
The first map of Tara, a key fortress town founded in 1594, made by Semyon Remezsov and published in 1700
Tara, pictured in modern times, is a town situated at the confluence of the Tara and Irtysh Rivers in Siberia
Tara is significant to historians because it was one of the earliest Russian settlements before they moved eastwards towards Vladivostok
'So there was a turnip, and it was standing near the stove. When the fire began, the temperature was so high that the turnip 'baked' inside this pot.
'When we started to excavate the pot, we saw that something was inside.'
When it was found the turnip had kept its shape, but it later collapsed.
'Of course, when we tried to take it from the pot it lost its shape,' she said.
Fragments of high quality glassware, believed to have come from Germany or the Czech Republic, were also excavated from the site
'Yet we managed to do the analysis and confirmed it was a turnip.
'But also we found out that the turnip had been kept from autumn, for several months, so it was part of the winter stocks.
'This means the house burned down in winter or spring.'
At the same site, archaeologists found a knitted women's stocking from the same era, footwear, as well as high quality glass made in Germany or the Czech Republic, reported The Siberian Times.
The remains of a leather wallet was also pulled from the house, which archaeologists say belonged to wealthy people
The clay pot, known as a 'korchaga' in Russian, was found wrapped in birch bark on top of the remains of a large fire
Tara is one of the oldest towns in Siberia, pre-dating all the the modern cities in the sprawling region.
'Judging by the finds, they had quite good houses. They (possessed) expensive imported things,' she said.
'The common economic level in the city was higher than in most central Russian towns.'
As well as a base for tsarist forces, Tara was home to both political and criminal exiles, among the first people sent to Siberia for punishment.
WHAT WAS FOUND?
The remains of a roasted turnip
Leather mittens and a wallet
High-quality glass from Germany
A knitted women's stocking
A large clay pot wrapped in bark
The team of archaeologists believes that the large log house was burnt down in winter or spring
Professor Maria Chernaya, head of the Laboratory of rchaeological and Ethnographical Research in Western Siberia at Tomsk State University, led the archaeological dig
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