An amulet with snake skin from pereyaslavl ryazansky

In medieval worldview, leather objects were often regarded as attributes of magical rituals. The article presents the results of studying a unique leather artifact with organic filling discovered during excavations in the Kremlin of Pereyaslavl Ryazansky (modern Ryazan) at the Vvedensky excavation site. The find comes from the mid-15th century cultural layer. Examination of the contents of this leather bag revealed particles of a snake, which gives grounds for attributing the find as a medieval amulet. Despite church prohibitions, the tradition of wearing such talismans is well known from written and ethnographic sources and is observed among a number of peoples. This first leather talisman found among the archaeological material of Pereyaslavl Ryazansky confirms the fact that the snake cult, which had originated in the Palaeolithic, continued to play an important role in worldviews of later periods. The leather amulet with a particle of a water snake makes it possible to clarify certain aspects of Russian medieval beliefs.