Two Worlds, One Hoard: What Do Metal Finds From The Foreststeppe Belt Speak About?

Abstract

This chapter has a double goal. First, it focuses on artifacts, such as human or animal-shaped mounts, as well as fibulae with human or animal decoration of the so-called style. It also discusses various artifact categories represented in hoards of bronze and silver. In particular, the chapter describes the anthropomorphic representations, zoomorphic representations, and brooches of the Dnieper class that are also known from the hillfort site at Pastyrs'ke near Cherkasy. The hoards of silver and bronze often include simpler dress accessories, such as trapeze-shaped, circular, and rectangular pendants and mounts. The hoards of bronze and silver may be viewed as belonging to two worlds at the same time. On one hand, some of them include luxuries most typical for the world of the nomads; on the other, they also include ornaments otherwise found on settlements of the sedentary population of the forest zone. Keywords: animal-shaped mounts; anthropomorphic representations; Cherkasy; Dnieper class brooches; early medieval hoards; forest-steppe zone; human-shaped mounts; pendants; zoomorphic representations