Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 330–342
Abstract
Naturalistic figural art is rare in the Merovingian period. However, during the period of Christianisation (late sixth/seventh century AD) one can observe a considerable increase. One of the motifs – a victorious equestrian – arrived north of the Alps in the late sixth century, most probably with Frankish warrior groups who took part in the wars in northern Italy. Image carriers were part of prestigious horse equipment. However, north of the Alps the motif was transformed completely from that of the warrior’s world into the female world.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 314–327
Abstract
Apart from being a status marker with strong ritual connotations it is suggested that the horse in prehistory is a liminal agent between sea and land. As gender he represents land. The ship is as female as the sea. But the gender is contextual and culture specific. The connections of the horse with the ship are attributed to the opposition between the two elements. Since this opposition belongs to maritime cultures in the North the structural “cosmology” in question may have filtered over also to inland agrarian conditions. Symbols are polysemic and may even have represented different things to different social classes, like in recent times.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 305–313
Abstract
Abundance of horse graves and very expressive horse-offering rituals are well known in the Central region of Lithuania. But principally the new material has been obtained after the investigations of burial ground in Marvelė. Horse graves are usually found separate from human graves, composing special parts of “horse graveyards” in the cemeteries. Arrangement of these parts with horse graves are related to local micro-landscape. The natural and cultural elements with memory signs embody the environmental cosmology and are involved into the mythology. The horse burial places suggest the ceremonies of public displays. The horse becomes a contributor which helps to cross the border between mythological spaces.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 295–304
Abstract
Authors present problems connected with horse sacrifices in Early Middle Ages in Prussia. Discoveries nearby Poganowo site IV hill-fort, create new possibilities to discuss about Prussian religion in Early Middle Ages. Stone statue, cairns, hearths and remains of sacrificed horses have similarities to numerous cult places in Europe and in Asia.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 283–294
Abstract
Briefly presented in this paper are the results of the 2007 and 2008 excavations at the complex of ancient sites at Ogresgala Čabas. Particularly significant discoveries were made in the Liv cemetery site, which presented a surprising diversity of grave practices, among which particularly significant are the stone circles surrounding the graves, the offerings of artefacts, the sacrifice of a horse and possible sacrifice of a woman. Considering the horse graves at Ogresgala Čabas, in the cemetery adjacent to Daugmale Hillfort and the offerings of horse body parts at cemeteries in the Lower Daugava area, it seems that the horse played a greater role in Liv mythological belief and ritual than has been assumed hitherto.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 278–282
Abstract
The harnesses of the north European war booty bog finds comprise the only source of information about the mounted warriors in military context. Their equipment suggests that the Germanic military riders probably had the same fighting and riding style as the Roman cavalrymen. Nevertheless, qualitative analyses indicate that the mounted warriors belonged more to a military and social elite, than to a uniformly equipped cavalry.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 270–274
Abstract
In The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia there is a description of “divine trial” in Turaida (Latvia), where the “horse of destiny” was used to decide the fate of Christian preacher in the Turaida brother Theodoric. The overall depiction of the trial bears strong likeness to Germanic traditions account of which comes from as early as the writings of Tacitus, in 98. However, the historical context shows similar patterns of mythological thought both with the Livs, the Balts and Germanic tribes. Also similar is the role of the horse in the mythology of these peoples.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 254–269
Abstract
This article summarises the evidence of the military and agricultural significance of the horse, as well as of the Pagan beliefs and ritual practices reLated to horses found in the archaeological excavations in the Latgallian and Selonian territories relating to the Iron Age. During the Iron Age, the role of horse is growing; the fact is reflected in diversity and quantity of harness items and cavalryman’s equipment found in the excavations. Although the existence of horse cult in all the peoples that lived in territory of present Latvia and surrounding territories is indisputable, there are significant differences in the common beliefs and ritual practices defined by the social development of the society, by mutual trade relations, interaction of cultures and, probably, even by the migration of people.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 242–253
Abstract
This article analyses symbolic horse burial rites in the East Lithuanian Barrow Culture of the tenth–eleventh centuries. Single imitative inhumations and cremations are the dominant forms of horse cenotaphs. A variety of group imitative burial forms also was practiced. Funerary rites for symbolic and actual horses were coexistent, and no chronological or spatial differences between them are observed. Grave goods in burials of symbolic horses indicate lower status. Imitative burials of horses were carried out by those who had no resources for the sacrifice of the animal itself as a grave good. The social implications of horse burials or symbolic burials gained substantiality along with growing military activity and social stratification.
Journal:Archaeologia Baltica
Volume 11 (2009): The Horse and Man in European Antiquity (Worldview, Burial Rites, and Military and Everyday Life), pp. 229–239
Abstract
The article studies the tactics of Slavic mounted units in the army of Belisarius during the Gothic war in Italy. The texts of Procopius of Caesarea show that the Slavs and the Ants during the Gothic war were part of the Hunnic detachment and were mounted archers, like the Huns who conducted battle at distance, avoiding a close contact with the enemy. Beyond all doubt, the Slavs and the Ants, or rather a small part of them, learned this fighting technique from the Huns, whose neighbours they were on the Lower Danube and in the wooded steppe of the modern-day Ukraine.
L’article est consacré à l’étude de la tactique des troupes montées slaves dans l’armée de Belisaire durant la guerre gothique en Italie. Les textes de Procope de Césarée montrent que les Sclavènes et les Antes faisaient partie du corps de cavalerie hunnique et étaient des archers montés, comme les Huns. Ils combattaient à la distance sans entrer en contact direct avec l’adversaire. Sans aucun doute il s’agit d’un groupe limité qui a appris ce type des combats auprès les Huns, avec lesquels ils voisinaient dans la steppe forestière et sur le Danube inférieur au 5e-6e s.