The Khuman Belt from the Area of Tomasevac

MARIN BRMBOLIC, Institute for the protection of cultural monuments, Pancevo An almost complete specimen of luxuriously manufac- incised cross-cutting wavy lines forming irregular square tured belt is stored at the Department of archaeology of fields. Each field is half-covered by incised wavy lines, the National Museum at Pancevo. It was found in the appearing in shape of isosceles triangle. vicinity ofTomasevac, district of Zrenjanin. The Museum The end of thebeltis manufactured of two thin plates purchased it 10 -15 years ago, whereas the data onprecise of silver sheet (size 14 emx 4 em; Fig. 1/2, 2a). They are location and finding circumstances are lacking. I attached one to another bya short nail with globular head. Parts of the belt manufactured of gilded silver sheet In this way a girdle inserted between two silver sheet and a massive buckle are preserved. The parts stored in plaques was fixed. This part of belt is slightly damaged. theMuseum are: a buckle linked to its extension by a hin- At one side its border is straight and at another side it is ge, anopposite part of the belt, and six appliques (Fig. 1). slightly narrowed and rounded. Outer surface is gilded Amassive ellipsoid buckle, polygonal in section (size and decorated with same motives and techniques as the 5.5 emx 3 em), is made in casting technique (Fig. l/1a). belt partwith hinge. Inner surface is smooth, partly damIts width varies between 2,2 em at the frontal part and I aged, with visible traces of hammering. Three forms could be distinguished among six speciem at therear, where it turns into a hinge. Atriangular catch which secures thepin point is accentuated at the sad- mens of preserved appliques, which were also manufacdle-like center of the buckle. The buckle is linked to a rec- tured by hammering: crescent, floral and shield-like. The tangular inverted plaque (size 14.3 x 2 ern) by a hinge. crescent-like applique (R = 4.3 em) is made of silver sheet The plaque is made of silver sheet in hammering tech- with gilded outer surface. It is flat andbears tiny traces of nique. Tiny traces of hammering are clearly visible at its hammering. (Fig. 1/3). Three small circular openings at its rearside. Borders of the plaque are inverted andfixed by borders were used for fastening the girdle. Applique edges five small nails. Globular nail heads are visible at the are curved, hence it had a massive appearance at the girouter surface of plaque. Obviously, they served to fix an dle. Fastening holes also appear at thefloral applique (R = inserted girdle of leather or cloth. Only outer surface of 34.3 em; Fig. 1/4)). Outer surface of this applique is flat the belt was gold gilded and decorated by geometric and divided into six segments by thin wavy incised lines which meet at its center. Its edges are also slightly curved motives. Arectangular field (size 13.5 em x 3.2 ern) is decorat- and rounded. The remaining four appliques are shield-like ed by straight, thin, wavy incised lines. It is filled by (size 4 em x 4.2 em; Fig. 1/5-8). Their points are sharp and sides are slightly rounded, while theedges are curved. Circular openings appear at all specimens, including the I I wish tothank most cordially to Mrs. R. Svircevic, director of two damaged ones. Outer surfaces are decorated by thin the National Museum at Pancevo, for her consent to make drawings wavy incised lines forming lozenges (Fig. 1/7), triangles of the parts of belt garniture. A short version of this work was pre(Fig. 1/8), and checkered pattern (Fig. 1/6). Incised lines sented atthe annual meeting oftheSerbian archaeological society at are carefully executed at all parts of the belt, and outer Brezovica in May 1996.

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Fig. 1- Tomasevac, parts of the beIt

The Khuman Belt from the Area ofTomasevac

275

surfaces were surely gilded after completing the decoration. Forms of buckle and appliques, technique of decoration, material used for metal parts, as well as the similar finds - mainly from Hungary, may all imply that the belt found bychance in the vicinity ofTomasevac belonged to a certain Khuman dignitary. It is also indicated by the evidence showing that all similar belts represented grave inventories. The Khuman graves with preserved belt components were uncovered in Russia, Moldavia and Bulgaria. However, the buckles found inthem are different from the one recorded in the vicinity of Tomasevac. The closest analogy is represented by the find from a Khuman grave at Felsoszentkiralyi in central Hungary (Fig. 2).2 Apart from the preserved belt components manufactured of silver sheet, this grave contained a saber, arrowheads, coat of mail made of metal scales, a knife, and a whetstone.' The belt was completely preserved, and it consisted of fourteen shield-like appliques, and fifteen appliques in form of double fleur-de-lis. The belts from Felsoszentkiralyi and Tomasevac are slightly different in respect to size, decorative motives and shape of the appliques. However, the buckles are almost identical and they areunique in the noted region. Silver sheet parts of belt are decorated byhammering and incision. Shield-like appliques from the grave inHungary with rounded lower point in form of so-called "Spanish shield" date from XIV century. The appliques from Tomasevac have sharp lower point and are somewhat later indate, from mid-XIII to mid-XIV century.' Certain assumptions may be implied related to the arrangement of appliques ona leather orcloth girdle. We consider an idea of K. Szabo, who reconstructed the belt from Felsoszentkiralyi, acceptable.' According to his reconstruction, we may suppose that crescent-like and floralappliques found at Tomasevac were fixed to the main girdle. The shield-like appliques could therefore befixed to tongue-like parts vertically suspended from the main girdle (Fig. 3). Meaning of the shield-like appliques is
Palcozi - Hervath, A. Felsoszentkiralyi kun sirletet, Cumeniq I, archeologia, Keeskemet 1972,177-201. 3 Idem, 177-20 I. 4 Idem, 177-201. 5 Idem, 180.
2 A.

variously hypothesized. Some consider them as decorative elements only, while certain Hungarian scholars find similarities between incised ornaments at the shield-like appliques and the emblems ofaristocratic families. Apart from Felsoszentkirlyi find, the graves with similar finds are discovered at Csolyos and Kigy6spuszta, also in Hungary. However, a single fact which relates these finds to the one from Tomasevac is that they were ascribed to Khumans. They are entirely different in appearance, especially regarding the buckles. In all the noted graves the deceased were ofmale sex. Previous research indicated that the Khumans constructed small, lm - 2 m high mounds above the grave pits. All these graves belonged to Khuman leaders dating back to a period before Khumans were overpowered byHungarians.s According to Hungarian scholars, one may not relate the finds from Felsoszentkiralyi, Csolyos and Kigy6spuszta to a period ofAvarian orHungarian settlement, although certain similarities were noted. This type of belt is ascribed to Khumans and it is assumed that they brought it in the second halfof XIII century, and that it was subsequently accepted by Hungarians.' 1. Dienes suggests that this type of belt was used in Byzantine and Bulgarian courts inXIII-XIV centuries. It had a wide distribution inEastern Europe between VII and X centuries, and could be considered as a prototype of a so-called "Bulgarian belt".' It was always manufactured ofsilver and silver sheet inhammering technique, without gilding. Written sources imply that the finds of so called "Hungarian belts" (cingulum ungaricumi were present in the Balkans in XIV century." They are manufactured of silver and silver sheet by hammering, with gilded surfaces, thus entirely corresponding to the belt found in the vicinity ofTomasevac. Apart from the graves discovered in Hungary, the Khuman graves were discovered in the South Russian Plains. However, Hungarian archaeologists assume that Felsoszentkialyi find, and hence also the Tomasevac find,
177-201. 177-201. S I. Dienes, AKarancslapujtoi homoglalas kori bv es mordvinfoldi hasonmasa, Arch. Ert. 91 I, 1964, 33-37. A. Paloczi-Horvath, op.cit., 189. 9 A. Paloczi-Horvath, op.cit., 177-201.
7 Idem,

6 Idem,

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Marin Brmbolic

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Fig. 2 - Felsoszentkiralyi, part ofthe belt from a grave

The Khuman Belt from the Area ofTomasevac

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could not be related to the finds from Russia. Adifference is obvious as regards both the buckle forms and the technique ofmanufacture ofthese luxurious belt decorations. Such a luxurious type ofbelt undoubtedly belonged to a Khuman dignitary, and not to an ordinary warrior. J. Kovacevic suggested as well that the belt was a symbol of power. 10 In the West, it played a role of a symbol in the knighting ceremony. Belts were manufactured of gold or

Russians, Petchenyeges, Turks, Bulgarians and Alani, took place in the Byzantine army as hired soldiers.'! Together with Russian army the Khumans were defeated atthe river Kalka in 1223, having opposed to a new threat coming from the East - the Mongolians. After the Tatarian conquest, the Khumans were displaced and received into the service of John Batatzes - the Byzantine emperor, as the stratiotes in frontier territories. IS Large masses of

Fig.3 - Tomasevac, reconstruction ofthe belt (after K. Szabo)

silver articles of various shape attached to a leather or cloth girdle. I I The Khumans, orPolovci orKipcaki arrived from the East in XI century. The main part of Petchenyeges, who ruled inthe South Russian Plains since the end ofIX century, was driven away by Khumans to the territory of modern Romania. The Khuman conquests endangered the borders ofRussian counties. The united Russian army was defeated in 1068 at the river of Alta. After having plundered Kiev in 1093, the belligerent Khumans or Polovci advanced to the West without hindrance." In their advance, the Khumans approached the Byzantine borders. In the end ofXI century, together with the Byzantines, they won over the Petchenyeges. But, already inthe beginning of XII century - around 1114, the Emperor Alexius I confronted the Khumans, his previous allies, when they broke into the Byzantine territory." After they were defeated, the Khumans, along with
101. Kovacevic, Srednjovekovna nosnja Slovene, posebno izdanje,knj. CCXV, Istorijski institut, knj.4, Beograd, 1953, 174-179. II Ibid; 174-179. 12 M. Brandt, Opec povjest srednjeg vijeka, Zagreb 1980,567. 13 G. Ostrogorski, Istorija Vizantije, Beograd 1969, 340. 14 Ihid.. 349.

Khumans broke into the Balkan peninsula during XIII century." The presence ofKhumans in modern Voivodina is witnessed by a large number oftoponyms. It is assumed that toponomastic of former Hungary was broadely influenced by Khumans and Petchenyeges.!' According to toponomastic of Voivodina, the names of places such as Bac, Curug, and river Karasica for example, derive from Avars, Petchenyeges and Khumans." According to certain elements such as the technique of manufacture, material, gilded silver, shape of shield-like appliques and buckle, we may assume that the single find ofKhuman belt noted inour territories may bedated to the end ofXIII and first halfof XIV century. It was a period when the Khumans settled in the areas of modern Voivodina, having abandoned paganism and accepting Christianity under the Hungarian influence.
Translated bv Ivana RADO VA NO VIC
15 Ibid., 415. 411. 17 Petar Skoko .... Vojvodina I, Novi Sad, 1939.109-127. 18 Ihid.. 109-127.
16 Ihid.,

UDK 739.1.033.2(497.113):904-034"653"