Steppe traditions of Slavic weaponry and horse trappings in the 5th -7th centuries

This paper reviews items of weaponry and horse trappings discovered at Slavic sites of the 5th-7th centuries (the Prague, Penkovka, Kolochin cultures) which demonstrate the influence of the steppe nomads, the Hun-Bulgarians and the Avars on the warfare of the Slavs. This weaponry includes iron crossguards of bladed weaponry, pikes, hammer-axes, bone bow plates, quiver hooks, heavy trilobate arrowheads, metallic and bone buckles of horse trappings, horn cheek pieces of horse bits. Avar military fashion spread across the western part of the Prague culture area as demonstrated by the finds of Avar belt set; apparently, it is linked to the military and political orientation of the Sclaveni inhabiting the area. A large number of archaeological finds are indicative of direct 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 documented in written sources as well as to small arms. At the same time the battle kit of the Slavic cavalry was more Asian than European. Most finds originate from the forest-steppe belt which stretched from the Upper Don to the Lower Danube where the contact between the Nomads and the Slavs was most likely.