Сергей Хаврин

The paper explores a set of weapons from grave 33 of the Kichmalka II
cemetery located in the Zolsky District of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, the Russian
Federation. The set consisted of a long sword and a short sword of the Mediterranean
origin that had ferrules extended on to the shafts (Fig. 1). The X-ray examination has
shown that the ferrules were made when the blades with broken shafts were repaired
(Fig. 2). Stylistically similar items have been so far found only among the artifacts of
the Tsebelda culture (Fig. 3). The authors assume that such weapons were exported
from the Tsebelda area and reached the North Caucasus population in the 5th – early 6th
centuries. A component of the sword-belt (a large amber pendant bead with a plaque made
in the cloisonné style) and parts of the short sword scabbard also find stylistic parallels
among the weapons associated with Mediterranean or Early Byzantine military traditions
that absorbed Late Roman, Sasanid and nomadic elements.

The present paper considers the results of metal analysis of coins from two hoards (a monetary one and one of coins and goods) of the Roman period found in 2008 near the village of Koporye in Leningrad oblast. The coins and metal goods (fragments of a neck ring and two bracelets), with the exception of one silver denarius, are made from brass. All of the coins belong to two monetary denominations of the Roman Empire — sesterces and dupondii. The date of concealment of hoard no. 1 is 160/170 AD. That of hoard no. 2 is 140/150 AD. These dates are additionally confirmed by chemical analysis of the metal of the coins: the content of zinc according to S. Fleming’s diagram and the ratio of contents of zinc and tin after P.T. Craddock. The similarity between the chemical compositions of the alloys of the articles and coins along with the latter’s strong wear suggest that these objects were used as raw materials for manufacturing personal ornaments.