(source: Marcela Ballová)
Back in the 7th century, this man belonged to the upper echelons of Avar society—a member of the heavy cavalry, the military elite of the their army. Upon his death, he was laid to rest not only with a complete set of weapons and armour but also alongside his horse, fully equipped.
The grave of this man was uncovered during an archaeological survey conducted in the spring of 2017, prior to the construction of Hungary’s M35 motorway. The Avar burial site was found near the southwestern outskirts of the village of Derecske.
Today, the exceptional find is on display at the Gemer-Malohont Museum in Rimavská Sobota, southern Slovakia.
A remarkable discovery
“The uncovered grave is of extraordinary importance due to the armour found,” said Alexander Botoš, an archaeologist at the hosting museum, in a press release.
According to Botoš, it is the first complete lamellar cuirass from the Avar period to be unearthed in an undisturbed state and removed directly from its original burial position. The grave contained the remains of a man aged between 30 and 35 years.
“He was buried with a full set of military equipment, including an iron sword with gilded and silver fittings, a bow mounted with antler plates, a quiver containing iron arrowheads and decorated with carved antler and bone plates, an iron spear, the said armour, and a gilded silver warrior’s belt,” Botoš added.
A warrior and his horse
The warrior’s body had been placed in an oak-plank coffin. Alongside him, his horse was interred—fully outfitted.
“The horse had an iron bit in its mouth, a saddle decorated with antlers, a pair of iron stirrups, and a bridle with breast and restraint straps, all adorned with gilded silver pressed fittings,” Botoš explained.
The rider was given the name “Kerény”—an archaic Hungarian first name.
Lamellar armour reconstructed
According to information provided on museum display panels, parts of the finds were successfully preserved, including fragments of the belt fittings, which had been almost entirely degraded by soil conditions.
The reconstructed lamellar armour consists of more than 500 roughly rectangular iron plates (lamellae), each pierced with holes approximately 2.5 mm in diameter, and connected by a 6.5 cm wide metal chain. “The armour protected the upper torso, thighs, and shoulders. The shape and size of the lamellae varied according to their position,” the museum explained.
Traces of leather—originally used in the construction of the armour—were also found. However, the animal species could not be identified. During the reconstruction, experts used cowhide and linen thread treated with beeswax.
An international attraction
The exceptional exhibition, titled The Kagan’s Rider, will be on display at the Gemer-Malohont Museum in Rimavská Sobota until August 31.
Before arriving in Slovakia, the exhibition had already impressed visitors at the Déri Museum in Debrecen and the King Saint Stephen Museum in Székesfehérvár. Selected finds were also shown in Schallaburg, Austria, and Halle, Germany.
©My Novohrad
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