Russian archaeologists have discovered this summer 23 birchbark manuscripts in Velikiy Novgorod. According to academician Andrei Zalizniak, who studied these finds, most of them relate to a certain Yakim, who lived in Novgorod at the turn of the XII and XIII centuries.
Most likely, the scientist claims, Yakim was the author of these letters, but the academician does not rule out the possibility the man had dictated these letters to an unknown scribe. The manuscripts relate to economic affairs and those of the church. Two messages are addressed to a woman named Miloslava.
The scientist refers to the finds as “a wonderful result, a minor miracle, no less”, as this is the first major discovery in Velikiy Novgorod since the 2009 archaeological season.
The first ancient birch bark manuscript was found in this city in 1951, after which archaeologists consequently unearthed 996 birch-bark epistles. Andrew Zaliznyak hopes that the jubilee ‘thousandth’ manuscript will fall into their hands already this year, and surmises that some of the new finds may well relate to the same Yakim.
Source: The Voice of Russia [July 16, 2010]