Coins of Swedish Soldier and Ritual Burials Found

Scientists from the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHMC RAS) completed a study of 249 coins found during archaeological work at the site of the Swedish fortress Nyenskans, located on the Okhta Cape (at the confluence of the Okhta River and the Neva). Among the finds, two collections stand out: the contents of a soldier«s wallet and coins from ritual burials. The results were announced on 21 July.

Excavations were conducted over an area of about 30,000 square meters from 1993 to the 2010s. The Nyenskans fortress existed here from 1611. The vast majority of coins were lost singly in everyday life, but two sets are of particular interest.

A compact group of 14 coins was discovered beneath the Dead Bastion, built during reconstruction in 1661–1666. The bastion«s embankment covered an earlier cultural layer. Within two meters were found:

• 11 Swedish copper öre minted in 1627–1629;
• 3 silver coins, including a rare öre of Charles IX from 1611.

All coins were in excellent condition, which is rare for these areas. Archaeologists concluded that this was not a random scatter but a single complex—likely a lost wallet.

According to IHMC RAS researcher Konstantin Gorlov, the composition and condition of the coins indicate they belonged to a lower-rank soldier of the Swedish garrison. At that time, soldiers often stored small savings in copper coins. Later, during the construction of the bastions, this layer was covered by a multi-meter embankment, turning the find into a time capsule, which ensured good preservation.

The second important complex consists of 11 copper coins of Queen Christina, found in ten burials at the garrison cemetery southeast of the fortress. Coins were placed inside coffins, usually near the head or chest of the deceased. They have no holes or traces of attachments, so they were not used as decorations. This rite is associated with echoes of the ancient tradition of the «obol of the dead»—coins given to the deceased as payment for a place or for afterlife needs, originating from the myth of Charon. According to archaeological data, this custom was practiced at Nyenskans from the mid-1630s to the mid-17th century, as long as the necropolis functioned.

In addition to Swedish coins, Russian silver kopeks of Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, and Vasily Shuisky were found on the Okhta Cape. They are concentrated in the northeastern part of the cape, which, according to scientists, indicates the location of the trading post «Nevskoye Ustye» with a customs house that existed before the arrival of the Swedes (before 1611). Active trade with Russian merchants took place there.

The excavations also allowed tracing changes in monetary circulation:

• in earlier layers (before the destruction of the fortress in 1656), copper öre of Gustav II Adolf and Queen Christina predominate;
• in later layers, after 1666, coins of Charles XI appear, belonging to the final period of Nyenskans« existence.