Armour from the catacomb grave from Gospital'naya street in Kerch (excavation 1891 of professor Y. A. Kulakovsky)

The article is introduced the almost unpublished materials from catacomb grave, investigated by Professor Y. Kulakovsky in 1891 at the Gospital'naya street in Kerch. Now the main part of the finds is in the State Historical Museum (Moscow) and some are in the State Hermitage (St. Petersburg). Among the most interesting finds are remains of one (or, probably, two) armour. The armour was made of 7 types of lamellar, most of which has a cut on one side or shaped edges. According to its' construction and decoration this armor is very close to some protecting armament of Avars in Central and Eastern Europe. However, he has direct analogies with the numerous archaeological finds and depictions of such protective armor in the Middle and Central Asia. This armour has undoubtedly a Central Asian origin. Considered protective armor from Kerch as well as the catacomb grave could be dated to the second half of VI - VII centuries AD.