Gilded Sewn-On Plaques of the Second Half of the 7th Century from a Burial Ground near the Village of Luchyste (Southwestern Crimea)

Abstract

The work analyzes the results of studying the metal composition of metal and the method of manufacturing sewn-on plaques found in one of the female burials of the second half of the 7th century in the Goto-Alan burial ground near the village of Luchistoe in Southwestern Crimea. It is found that the base of the plaques was stamped from a copper plate and then covered on the front side with a thin foil made of an alloy of silver and gold with a small copper content. Gold and silver are present in almost equal proportions (Ag 50–59%; Au 34–47%), while the copper content varies from 2 to 6%. The hollow plaques were filled with a special paste and then sewn to a leather ribbon which was worn on the head or sewn to the neck of a dress. Thus, we are dealing with an imitation of solid gold jewelry, the manufacture of which required the minimum amount of precious metals. Plaques of this type were most likely brought from the Carpathian basin. Here, on the territory of the Avar Khaganate, there are known finds of sets of such objects created in different variations, and there are also matrices for their manufacture.