Museum complex

Reconstruction of a horse harness from a Scythian royal burial barrow Kozel

The northern Black Sea region
IV century BC
The Scythian period
Iron, bronze, silver, gold
2.2-28.3 cm
From: excavations by I.E.Zabelin, 1865
Showcase 13

A Scythian royal burial barrow Kozel of IV century BC was examined in the northern Black Sea region in the 1865 by one of the founders of the State Historical Museum Ivan Egorovich Zabelin. During the excavations of the burial barrow 11 horse’s burials were discovered with, bridles for a head, a neck and a saddle made of silver, gold, bronze and iron. The burials of horses were accompanied by graves of two horse grooms. The head harness of a horse included iron snaffle bits and psalia that helped to drive a horse, and also different details of a bridle – a nasel, cheek guards, round plates and strap catches made of silver and gold. A nasel and a head band with standing out sculptures head of an animal with a long neck and a front shield were placed on the forehead bridle belt. Round gibbose plates with bails on the reverse side were fixed on the cross spots of belts. In the lower part of the showcase details of a neck and chest adornment of a horse that contained massive bronze plates and pendants-lunulas, made of thin metal sheet and small bronze bells, are presented. All these items were bounded by an iron chain. According to modern knowledge about social structure of the Scythia of the IV century BC, in the burial barrow Kozel members of the royal family, relatives of the Scythian tzar could be buried.
Exhibits' purpose of use – part of a ceremonial horse harness complex.
Uniqueness - Items that were found in the burial barrow are similar to the artifacts of the Scythian period of the northern coasts of the Black Sea.

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