Harness Accessories from Stâncești, Mihai Eminescu commune, Botoșani County, 5th c. BC.

Assemblage of harness accessories made of 8 objects: a zoomorphic frontlet (prometopidion) (MNIR inv. no. 89575) and two appliques (wings) for cheeks (MNIR inv. no. 89576, the second not exhibited), made of gold sheet; two zoomorphic appliques (horns) made of bronze sheet (MJBT inv. no. 14425 and 14426); a snaffle bit with two zoomorphic cheekpieces (with bird-shape ends) of bronze (MJBT inv. no. 1149 and 1150) and an iron mouthpiece (MJBT inv. no. 14424) A very rare assemblage of harness accessories, a testimony of the civilisation of the nomad riders of the steppes about mid I millenium BC. Objects of Scythian style discovered in a Getic millieu, by archaeological excavation made more than half a century ago, on the second fortification from Stâncești. Assemblage reconstructed in first showing and display for this exhibition, the objects being part of a sumptuous harness set, which most probably represents a horse mask, the most western discovery of this kind, according to date. One can only presume how such a prestigious good characteristic to the Scythian world might have come along in a Getic habitation: either as a trophy of war or a long-distance gift between high rank people, in both cases the horse being part of the exchange, but also one can consider the plundering in ancient times of a Scythian tumulus from the North Pontic area which contained as well burials of horses fitted with richly decorated bridles. By the number, type and style of the bridle accesories, these artefacts resemble the ones of a series of Scythian finds North to the Black Sea and the Euro-Asian steppes, but also to a representation from the Thracian millieu. The symbols of certain figurative elements of certain components of this mask are special, allowing an insight about certain spiritual belief of the ancient population (Greeks, Scythians, Thracians) on the western shore of the Black See on the 5th c. BC. Text: Corina Borș PhD Photos: eng. Marius Amarie Equestrian scale model: Cătălin Burtea Drawing: Radu Oltean © NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF ROMANIA