NUMISMATIC MATERIAL FROM EXCAVATION 132
Numismatic material from the excavations of Bolgar settlement were attributed and studied by S.A. Yanina, V.V. Zhiromsky, G.A. Fedorov-Davydov, D.G. Mukhametshin, P.N. Petrov, A.I. Bugarchev and others. The study of coins of from a particular excavation provides interesting information on the socio-historical topography of medieval Bolgar town. Excavation 132 located on the rock terrace of the Volga river generally features Golden Horde coins dating back to the period between the 1240s and the first half of the 14th century. No coins of late 14th - early 15th centuries have been discovered in this territory. A total of 44 % of coins discovered at the excavation were minted in the 1330-1340s, which is considerably less than the number of coins minted in the 13th century. Over 54 % of coins discovered at the excavation were minted at the Bolgar mint, which exceeds the number of these coins from other excavations. Of special interest is the presence of a 10th century dirham indicating that this area of the settlement was populated as early as at the beginning of the 10th century. Coins of the 10th century were discovered in the coastal strip of the Volga river an the area of Jerusalem gulley. A comparison table of coins from excavations 132, 139, 123 and 140 with a breakdown into circulation periods demonstrates a significant difference in terms of the composition of the findings. Excavation 139 located in the centre of the settlement has provided rather extensive numismatic material. A hoard of silver coins with a total of 12 items was discovered at the excavation. Its composition is characteristic of 14th century hoards and consists of coins from Uzbek to Murid. Considering the earliest coin, its hoarding corresponds to 763/1362.