Treshchotka

However, in 1992, an archeological dig in the city of Novgorod found two wooden boards, which, by the hypothesis of Vladimir Ivanovich Povetkin, were parts of a 12th-century treshchotka.

The treshchotka is made of a set of 15 to 20 thin oak planks, which are about 16 to 18 centimeters (approximately 6-8 inches) long.

To play a treshchotka, the player holds it by the ends with both hands, generally level with the chest or head, and vary the motion between brusque and smooth to produce crackling and clicking sounds.

The treshchotka was used during peasant wedding ceremonies where instruments could have been decorated with ribbons, flowers and sometimes jingle bells.

This use of the treshchotka may have performed not only a musical role but also served some mystical function, perhaps protecting newlyweds from evil spirits.