The Discovery of Mongolian Armor in the Yelets District

Abstract

On the settlement of Ryabinki 2, dating from the late 11th – early 14th centuries, near the town of Yelets (Verkhnedonskoye field Right bank) under the turf compactly lying armor plates, an on-belt tip with a gold application, and baidana rings have been found. Similar armor plates, rectangular, elongated, with the top edge rounded in the form of an arched design, and the opposite edge straight, were in service in the Mongol army. The on-belt tip is typical of the Kamensk stage of the Askiz culture. If the discovery of Mongolian armor is still the only one in the Upper level in the Don region, the stone plates of the Askiz culture and other military equipment associated with it are already known on 9 monuments of this region and have not yet been found outside of it in the South-East of Russia. The appearance of these finds on the monument could have occurred in the middle or third quarter of the 13th century together with the Mongols, whose activity resulted in the revival of trade relations in the Don basin.

Keywords

• archaeology
• armor
• mongols
• time plate
• baidana
• imported ceramics
• rural district of yelets
• south-east of russia
• askiz culture