#silver plate

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 29 January 2025

The hardy annual or biennial Lunaria annua (honesty, Chinese money, grandpa's specs, money in both pockets, moon seed, penny flower, satin pod, silver plate, white satin, silver dollar) has a number of varieties with purple, white or lilac coloured flowers and some have variegated foliage. The major display feature of all these is that in autumn and winter after flowering there are flat, round, silvery seed pods. The plants will readily self-seed to provide a succession of plants.

Archaeologists have discovered a silver plate decorated with an image of a topless Scythian goddess in an ancient cemetery in the Ostrogozhsky district of southwest Russia. The plate depicts Argimpasa, a goddess associated with human and animal fertility, surrounded by mythical creatures.

The plate dates to between 900 B.C. and 200 B.C., when a people called the Scythians flourished in the region. The Scythians were semi-nomadic and were renowned for being excellent warriors who could move quickly across the battlefield. "None who attacks them can escape, and none can catch them if they desire not to be found," the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (circa 484 to 425 B.C.) wrote in his book "The Histories." The Scythians were also known for their elaborate gold-working skills.