Archaeology & History

'iPhone case' unearthed in 'Russian Atlantis'

By T.K. Randall
September 14, 2019

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Dating back 2,100 years, the intriguing rectangular artifact was found in the grave of a woman at one of two burial sites in the Siberian territory of Tuva near the Mongolian border.

The area is particularly notable due to the fact that it is submerged in water for several months a year.

The discovery later went viral after archaeologist Pavel Leus posted up photographs on Instagram demonstrating that the object, which is actually a belt buckle, looks rather a lot like an iPhone case.Measuring 7 inches long by 4 inches across, the buckle is actually made of a type of gemstone known as jet and is inlaid with a number of small mother-of-pearl, carnelian and turquoise beads.

It has been nicknamed "Natasha's iPhone" after the name assigned to the woman in the grave.

"Burials at both sites include many decorations for belts and clothing, beads, pendants, earrings, Chinese wu zhu coins, and Western Han mirrors and their fragments," the study authors wrote.


Source: Live Science

Tags: Russia, Siberia