Finds of Strap Adornments of Early Medieval “Heraldic” Syle from the Collection of Kherson Local History Museum

In the paper, archaeological finds of strap adornments of early Middle Ages from the collection of Kherson Local History Museum (Novooleksiivka, Novochornomoria and Kalanchak) are analysed. This jewellery entered the museum’s collection in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, these archaeological finds were not published and are unknown to the broader scientific community. In November 2022, during the robbery of the Kherson Local History Museum by the Russian occupiers, a number of finds (including jewellery from the early Middle Ages) were taken to an unidentified location. Their further fate is uncertain. In Novooleksiivka, a fragment of an iron sword and a T-shaped belt mount were discovered by chance (fig. 2). The items from Novochornomoria were excavated in a burial in 1961 during the research of I. D. Ratner. These are a gold temple pendant (fig. 3), three buckles and three square-shaped belt mounts (fig. 4). Two buckles, a T-shaped belt mount and two shield-shaped belt mounts were discovered in Kalanchak (fig. 5). However, the author was not able to fully process a series of findings from this site. These are a fragment of a hollow strap-end, a fragment of a T-shaped belt mount (?), a horizontally symmetrical belt mount and a tongue from a buckle. All these adornments of the belt set from the collection of the Kherson Local History Museum find analogies among the materials of the early Middle Ages, namely, the so-called “Heraldic” cultural-chronological horizon (530/570–670/700). Also, in general, they can be dated to this time. Although, the date of belt set items from Kalanchak with granulated collar can be narrowed down to the second half of the 7th century. Such products are included in type IV belts, which are becoming widespread among nomads at this time, according to O. I. Aibabin. In addition, it should be emphasised the proximity of these items (nos. 3 and 4) to finds from Rozdolne (Portove), Sary-Bulat tract and the Berthier-Delagarde Collection of Crimean Jewellery in the British Museum. Perhaps they are items of the same workshop. All the abovementioned data should supplement the information about the distribution of various kinds of products among nomadic antiquities of the Early Middle Ages. Also, different finds from these burial sites show not the same social component. After all, products inlaid with granulated collar and semi-precious stones could belong to representatives of the wealthier strata of the nomadic community. It should be noted that the information on archaeological finds under discussion is the only thing which is left after they were stolen by the Russian invaders.