Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: This paper reviews items of weaponry and horse trappings discovered atSlavic sites of the 5th–7th centuries (the Prague, Penkovka, Kolochin cultures) whichdemonstrate the influence of the steppe nomads, the Hun-Bulgarians and the Avars on thewarfare of the Slavs. This weaponry includes iron crossguards of bladed weaponry, pikes,hammer-axes, bone bow plates, quiver hooks, heavy trilobate arrowheads, metallic andbone buckles of horse trappings, horn cheek pieces of horse bits. Avar military fashionspread across the western part of the Prague culture area as demonstrated by the findsof Avar belt set; apparently, it is linked to the military and political orientation of theSclaveni inhabiting the area. A large number of archaeological finds are indicative ofdirect influence of the steppe nomads on warfare of the Slavic populations in the 5th–7th centuries. It applies, first of all, to Slavic cavalry the existence of which is documentedin written sources as well as to small arms. At the same time the battle kit of the Slaviccavalry was more Asian than European. Most finds originate from the forest-steppe beltwhich stretched from the Upper Don to the Lower Danube where the contact between theNomads and the Slavs was most likely.
Author: Kazanski, Michel
Institution: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Language: Russian
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2962830205
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