Avari

[ARES III]

https://www.lastampa.it/tuttoscienze/2022/04/27/news/dalla_mongolia_a_costantinopoli_l_archeogenetica_risolve_il_mistero_degli_avari-3151019/amp/

[ARES III]

 

The Avars (And Their Belts)

by S. Caza (Otlichnik)

The Pannonian Avars (as distinct from the modern Avars of the northern Caucasus), sometimes called Pseudo-Avars by the Byzantines, were an alliance of Eurasian nomadic groups from the Asian steppes. In this way they were similar to the Huns of the 4^th– 5^thcenturies

By the time they inhabited the Pannonian basin, the Avar confederation was primarily Turkic but likely also included, Mongol, Tungut, Uralic, Germanic and Slavic tribes or elements. The contemporary Bulgars were an alliance with the same general ethnic mix, but located to the east, and then southeast, of the Avars.

In 567/568, the Avars, with the help of the Lombards, defeated the Gepids and took over the Pannonian basin. The Lombards moved into northern Italy (Lombardy) and the Avars established the First, or Early, Avar Khaganate. From 582 to 584 the Avars captured Sirmium, Singidunum (Belgrade), and Viminacium. At first relatively large, this Khaganate shrank until it encompassed little more than the Pannonian plain by the early 7^thcentury.

In the Middle Avar Period, in the late 7^thcentury, the Avars allied with the Balkan Slavs to defeat the Bulgars and retain their independence. During the Late Avar Period, in the 8^thcentury, new steppe tribes, including Turkic Onogurs, Iranian Alans and Mongolian peoples, joined the Avar Khaganate, likely introducing the new griffon and tendril decorative styles.

The Avar Khaganate was conquered by Charlemagne’s Franks, allied with the Slavs, in the 890s. The Avar’s “ring”, or "hring", their fortified capital encampment, was sacked and the Avars were converted to Christianity. The Khaganate fell apart, with the Avar population falling under the Frankish and Bulgar states. Avar identity generally faded, though some pockets remained in the Great Hungarian Plain until the arrival of the Magyars in the late 9^thcentury, and in eastern Austria (Burgenland) under the Franks.

 

Avar Periods

Avar history is generally divided into the Early, Middle and Late periods. However, there are several variations of the dating among historians. Below are two.

Diam

Early Avar: 568 – 650/670

Middle Avar: 650/670 – 700

Late Avar: 700 – 800/820

Stadler

Early Avar I: 568 – 600

Early Avar II: 600 – 630

Middle Avar I: 630 – 655

Middle Avar II: 655 – 680

Late Avar I: 680 – 720

Late Avar II: 720 – 760

Late Avar III: 760 – 822

 

Avar Belt Sets

Most Avar-related items today are from belt sets, which were an important component of Avar identity.  Interestingly, based on the excavations of several thousand undisturbed Avar graves, only approximately 10% of male Avar graves contained belt sets.  This likely indicates that they were restricted to a warrior and/or village leader class. (Szenthe, 2019, p.296.)

Avar belt sets consist of a confusing array of parts. They can be divided, and dated, based on decorative styles.  Breuer (2005) has classified them based on shape and design.

 

Buckles

Avar buckles were sometimes plain, but usually had an integral decorated plate.

Avar belt buckle (Breuer type 4A) with integral plate (with Lily or Tree-of-life decoration).

 

 

Buckle plate, Geometric Circular Lobe style, Late Avar III period.

 

Belt Plates

There are three main types of Avar decorative belt plates.

Tiny decorative plates were used on various part of the belt, including along the narrow main body of the belt, above the hanger-plates on the thicker part of the belt (on the wearer’s backside), and/or on the many short leather straps that hung down from the belt. These tiny plates were usually triangular, pointed, or half-round, usually with a floral design. They had small holes for attachment, and maybe a big hole for decoration, and had a plain flat back. They were likely attached with tiny rivets, though some may have been sewn on.

Two tiny Avar belt plates (Breuer type 2A) with vegetal style decoration. The left has three small rivet holes, the right has two (top and bottom).

 

Medium-sized decorative plates were used on the narrow main part of the belt. They were attached to the belt with rivets.

A medium-sized belt plate. This plate is one-sided and was fastened to the belt with two rivets but has no hinge for a hanger.

 

Medium-sized hanger plates were similar to decorative plates, but had a hinge on the bottom from which a small pendant hung. Hanger plates with pendants were used on the wide part of the belt. The tiny pendant is often confusingly similar to the tiny decorative plates, but has a hinge at the top. These tiny pendants either hung below the belt, or on the side of the belt and likely jangled.

Three different Avar belt hanger-plates with pendants (with different decoration styles) and one separate pendant.

 

Strap Ends

There are two types of Avar strap ends. Though strap ends often looked very similar to belt plates they were usually two-sided and were attached in a different manner. Instead of being riveted to the belt they were hung from the end of a strap. They therefore had a recess for the strap at their top.

Confusingly, many Avar strap-ends were made in two parts. The two sides of the strap end were fitted over the leather strap and attached together with small rivets. This was likely a more secure means of attachment to the strap than the one-part strap ends, which only accommodated a short length of strap.

Medium-sized strap ends were used on the bottom of the many short leather straps that hung down from the belt.

Three medium-sized strap ends (with Lily style decoration). They are two-sided and have each have two rivets, in small lobes at the, to affix the strap end to the strap.

 

One large strap end was used on the end of the belt itself. These rarely survive whole today.

Broken upper-half of a large Avar strap end (with S-tendril style decoration). This one-sided plate was riveted to an identical back plate, with the leather strap sandwiched between.

 

Belt Set Styles

The type of decoration (animal, floral, vegetal, etc.) used on belt sets varied over time as did the shape of the belt plates.  There are many different, often conflicting, typologies of Avar belt set styles.  I have gone with the most recent, Szenthe (2013) for the Late Avar period.

Surprisingly, Avar belt sets did not consist of belt fittings with only one design. Instead, several different styles of belt fitting could be found in any given belt set.  This only ended in the late Avar IIIa period when sets consisting of only the Floral Geometric Horizon or Geometric Circular Lobe style were common. (Szenthe (2019), p. 301.)

 

 

Early Avar (EA) Period Styles  [circa 568 – 650/670]

 

Early Avar belt sets contained either Byzantine styles, such as the “Mask” or the Martynovka styles, or plain fittings (in silver or iron).  Only buckles were cast, other parts were made of stamped or sheet metal.

 

Byzantine Mask Style

•     Circa 575 – 600.

•     A Byzantine, not Avar style.  Obsolete by Early Avar era, but still occasionally found in Avar graves.

•     Simple plates with round and other shaped holes.  Some looked like a mask.

•     Rarely appeared as full sets, just pieces here and there.  Possibly trophies. (Daim, 2003, p.478.)

 

Byzantine "Mask" style belt plate.  Used during Early Avar Period.

 

Byzantine "Mask" style strap-end.  Used during Early Avar Period.

 

 

Martynovka Style:

•     Circa late 6^thand early 7^thcentury.

•     Plain metal, with stylized linear and scroll style incised decoration

•     Aka Tamga style.

 

 

Middle Avar (MA) Period Styles   [circa 650/670 – 710]

 

Strap ends had waisted edges and a pointed end.  Most fittings, other than buckles, were sheet metal or stamped.  Other cast fittings appear at the very end of MA Period.

 

Stolbica I Style:

•     Circa late 7th and early 8^thcentury.

•     X-lattice, often openwork.

 

Short strap-end with X-form lattice openwork, from Middle Avar II Period.

 

 

Griffon & Tendril Style

•     Circa late 7th and early 8^thcentury.

•     Rectangular belt plates with griffons.

 

 

 

Late Avar (LA) Period Styles   [circa 710 – 820s]

 

Belt sets are far more common.  Many fittings are cast. Strap ends can be either 2-sided or 1-sided.

 

 

Late Avar I and Late Avar II [circa early to mid 8^thcentury]

 

Late Avar I

 

Belt plates are rectangular and oval.  Strap ends have slightly waisted edges and pointed end, but usually less pronounced than in the Middle Avar period.

 

Avar strap end with "Wavy" or "Tooth" design.  Unknown style type.  Note waisted sides, pointed end and flat reverse.

 

 

Late Avar II

 

Belt plates are shield, pentagonal and round shaped.  Strap ends have parallel edges and a rounded end.

 

 

Late Avar Animal Style

•     Used in both LAI and LAII periods.  Circa 700 – 760

•     Also called Griffon & Tendril style.

•     Rectangular hanger plates, with griffons continue from MA period.

•     Almost-square decorative plates with griffons.

•     With vegetal S-tendrils and circular lobes, but the small leaves / lobes are round with dimples. (Unlike later pointed or leaf-shaped lobes.)

•     Strap ends have a slight waist, slightly pointed bottom, and flat top.

•     All fitting types are often in openwork design.

 

Half of a symmetrical silver-plated belt plate with animal design.  Likely Late Avar I period.

 

 

Shield-shaped hanger plate in Late Avar Animal style - tendrils only.

 

Strap-end in Late Avar Animal style, griffon on one side with tendrils one the other.  The slightly waisted sides and rounded end mean this is a late example of this style.

 

 

Strap-end in Late Avar Animal style, though with tendrils only.  Note the waisted sides, pointed end and round dimpled lobes (see right hand image).

 

Two strap-ends in Late Avar Animal style, though with tendrils only.  Note the waisted sides, pointed ends and round dimpled central lobes.

 

Short strap-end in Late Avar Animal style, though with tendrils only.  The sides are now parallel though the end is still slightly pointed.  The central lobes are small domed circles.

 

 

Heart Style

•     This is actually a sub-style of the Late Avar Animal Style.

•     Aka Mikulcice style.

•     Circa 730 – 760.

•     Uses a heart-shaped floral palmette vegetal design instead of the tendril and lobe with round lobes design.

 

Broken upper half of large Avar strap-end in Heart style.  Late Avar II period.

 

 

Late Avar Horizon Style

•     Circa 730/740 – 760

•     Almost-square griffon plates, but not hangers, still in use.

•     Also uses tendril and lobe vegetal designs, usually more intense with more petals than for the Animal style.

•     Oval or shield-shaped hanger plates.

•     Strap ends have parallel sides, round bottom, and flat top.

•     Many fittings are often in openwork design, usually with lots of small holes.

 

 

Late Avar III  [circa late 8^th to early 9^th century] 

 

Belt plates are strap-end shaped (oblong with one flat or squared-off end).  Earlier belt hanger plates are wider at the top (rounded end).  Later they have parallel edges.  Strap ends have parallel edges and a rounded end.  Sets have the most fittings, up to 30/belt.  Strap ends often have animal heads at top.  Made of bell bronze, with more lead than earlier normal tin bronze. 

 

Geometric Circular Lobe Style

•     Circa mid to late 8^thcentury, likely used into 9^thcentury.

•     Also called Geometric Scrollwork style, Floral-Geometric Horizon style or Aleppo style.

•     With vegetal S-tendrils and circular lobes, but the small leaves / lobes are more natural, leaf-shaped, pointed or hook-shaped with dimples. (Unlike earlier round and dimpled lobes.)

•     Strap-end shaped hangers.  Belt plates and hangers have slightly pointed bottoms at first, then rounded bottoms.

•     Strap ends have parallel sides, round bottom, and twin pointed or rounded “ears” or lobes on top, each for one rivet.

•     Most fittings are solid plates with stamped or etched design.  Little if any openwork.

 

Belt buckle plaque in Geometrical Circular Lobe style.

 

Belt buckle plaque in Geometrical Circular Lobe style. 

 

Belt plate (not hanger) in Geometric Circular Lobe style.

 

 

 

Two Avar hanger plates in Geometrical Circular Lobe style.

 

Four more hanger plates in Geometrical Circular Lobe style showing the wide variety of tendril forms.

 

Half of a two-piece strap-end in Geometrical Circular Lobe style.  This is probably an early version as it has a flat top with no "ears" or lobes.

 

 

Two part medium-sized strap-end in Geometrical Circular Lobe style, held together with three rivets.

 

Two-part medium-sized strap-end in Geometrical Circular Lobe style, held together with two rivets.

 

 

One half of a two-part medium-sized strap-end in Geometrical Circular Lobe style.

 

 

Two separate halves of medium-sized strap-ends in Geometrical Circular Lobe style.

 

 

Two separate halves of medium-sized strap-ends in Geometrical Circular Lobe style.  These fine examples have openwork, which is scarce for this type.

 

 

Upper half of one side of a large two-part strap-end.  Decorated in Geometrical Circular Lobe style.

 

 

 

Final Avar Phase Style

•     Last Avar style introduced. [Csaba]  

•     Circa late 8^thto early 9^thcentury.

•     Axially-symmetric small-sized vegetal designs, known as Lily, or Tree-of-life.

•     Initially with clear vegetal decoration, but later examples have a “degenerate” style consisting mostly of unadorned rims and holes.

•     Strap ends have parallel sides, round bottom, and twin animal-head “ears” or lobes on top.

•     Most fittings are openwork design.

 

Two early, wider-top, hanger plates, in Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.

 

Two hanger plates, one with small square pendant, in Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.

 

Two more hanger plates, one with small triangular pendant, in Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.

 

Hanger plate with loop for pendant, instead of hinge, in Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.

 

Two tiny belt plates (Breuer type 2A), in Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.

 

 

Three strap-ends in early (finer) Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.

 

Two strap-ends in middle (beginning to degenerate) Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.

 

Strap-end in Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.  This example has no openwork, unlike most examples of this style.  The reverse is also flat.  This was a one-piece strap-end.  The strap attached to the top where a tiny flat plate (missing) was attached with two-rivets.  This style of attachment had generally dies out in the LAI period.

 

Strap-end with unique bar method of attachment, in Final Avar Phase (aka Lily or Tree-of-life) style.

 

 

Thick with Beaded Rim

•     A sub-style of the Final Avar Phase style.

•     Strap ends are very fat or thick and have beaded borders.  Most are one-piece, but two-piece examples exist.

•     Solid cast bronze but made in imitation of intricate hollow multi-piece Byzantine goldwork.

 

Two one-piece thick strap ends with beaded rims, from Late Avar III Period.

 

One half of a two-piece thick strap-end with beaded rim, from Late Avar III period.  

 

 

Incised Vine-leaf Style

•     A sub-style of the Final Avar Phase style.

•     Also called stabchenranke (“stick-vine”) style.  Often used with Scaled Frame strap-ends (below).

•     Small solid (i.e. no openwork) strap-end shaped hanger plates with floral design incised or punched on surface.

 

Three belt hanger plates, on with pendant, in Incised Vine-leaf Style, from Late Avar IIIb Period.

 

 

Scaled Frame Style

•     A sub-style of the Final Avar Phase style.

•     Asymmetrical Hollow-“D” shape.  

•     Open frame with scale design on rim.

•     Only attested in eastern Austria.  Often used with Incised Vine-leaf style hanger plates (above).

 

 Pair of Scaled Frame strap-ends from Late Avar IIIb period.

 

 

 

 

Other Avar Items (e.g. not belts)

Finger ring reportedly found with Avar belt set fittings.  It is bronze with simple incised line decoration.

 

Avar woman's bracelet.

 

 

 

Iron Avar arrowhead.  While the most common Avar arrow type appears to be tanged iron tri-lobate, very similar to late Roman and Hunnic arrows, they also used leaf-form diamond cross-section tanged arrows.

 

 

Avar iron lamellar armour.  Eight broken lamellar plates, fastened together with modern wire.  Not typical concave curve in left edge of leftmost two pieces.

 

 

Bibliography

 

Breuer, Eric.  Byzanz on der Donau, 2005.

 

Csaba, Szalontai.  A keso avar kori liliomos ovveretek.

 

Daim, Falko.  “Byzantanische” Gurtelgarnituren des 8. Jahrhunderts, in Die Awaren am Rand der byzantinischen Welt, 2000.

 

Daim, Falko.  Avars and Avar Archaeology: An Introduction, in Regna and Gentes: The Relationship between Late Antique and Early Medieval Peoples and Kingdoms in the Transformation of the Roman World, 2003.

 

Diam, Falko.  Byzantine Belt Ornaments of the 7th and 8th Centuries in Avar Contexts, in Intelligible Beauty: Recent Research on Byzantine Jewellery, 2010.

 

Gabor, Kiss.  A kesoi avar aranyozott ovdiszek.

 

Rustoiu, Aurel.  Shooting the evil. “Scythian” arrowheads in Avar age graves from the Carpathian Basin, in Calin Cosma ed. Warriors, weapons, and harness from the 5^th–10^thcenturies in the Carpathian Basin, 2015.

 

Stadler, Peter.  Ausgewahlte Awarische bronzegusse als parallelen zu Gurtelbeschlagen von Vrap und Erseke, in Der Schatzfund von Vrap in Albanien, 1986.

 

Szenthe, Gergely.  Vegetal ornaments in the Late Avar decorative art, in Dissertationes Archaeologicae ex Instituto Archaeologico Universitatis de Rolando Eötvös nominatae Ser. 3. No. 1, 2013.

 

Szenthe, Gergely.  Material culture patterning as the source of the Avar power network, 8^thcentury AD, in Dissertationes Archaeologicae: ex Instituto Archaeologico Universitatis de Rolando Eötvös nominatae Supplementum 2, 2018.

 

Szenthe, Gergely.  The Late Avar Reform and the Long Eigth Century, in Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 70, 2019.

 

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=avar

[ARES III]

Il DNA antico svela l’organizzazione sociale degli Avari, successori degli Unni 
Uno studio, basato sull'analisi del DNA di 424 individui, ha permesso di definire svariati alberi genealogici degli Avari, un popolo di nomadi guerrieri
 

Grazie all’analisi del DNA antico, è stata ricostruita l’organizzazione sociale degli Avari, l’antico popolo di nomadi guerrieri che ha dominato le steppe euroasiatiche dopo gli Unni, tra il VI e il IX secolo d.C. Lo studio, basato sull’analisi del DNA di 424 individui, ha permesso di definire svariati alberi genealogici, il più grande dei quali copre nove generazioni nell’arco di 250 anni. I risultati sono pubblicati sulla rivista Nature da un gruppo internazionale di esperti guidato dall’italiano Guido Alberto Gnecchi Ruscone, ricercatore del dipartimento di Archeogenetica dell’Istituto Max Planck di antropologia evolutiva a Lipsia, in Germania.

Lo studio è stato condotto nell’ambito del progetto di ricerca multidisciplinare HistoGenes, guidato dall’Accademia austriaca delle scienze e finanziato dal Consiglio europeo della ricerca (ERC). L’obiettivo è quello di intrecciare studi storici, archeologici, antropologici e genetici per fare luce sulle popolazioni che hanno vissuto nell’Europa centro-orientale tra il 400 e il 900 d.C. (ovvero tra la caduta dell’Impero romano e la formazione dei primi stati medievali).

Gli Avari, provenienti dall’Asia centro-orientale, sono probabilmente tra i popoli meno noti, nonostante siano state ritrovate oltre centomila sepolture. Le informazioni derivate dai numerosissimi reperti archeologici sono state incrociate con quelle genetiche ottenute dall’analisi del DNA antico estratto da 424 individui, di cui circa 300 avevano un parente stretto (di primo o secondo grado) sepolto nello stesso cimitero.

L’organizzazione sociale degli Avari
Dai risultati è emerso che gli Avari avevano un rigoroso sistema di discendenza patrilineare, ovvero da padre a figlio maschio. Per loro, era consuetudine che i figli maschi rimanessero a vivere nella comunità paterna, mentre le donne si trasferivano nella comunità del partner. Sono state inoltre trovate prove di poliginia (cioè l’unione di un uomo con due o più donne) e di levirato (cioè l’istituzione per cui le donne vedove si univano al fratello del defunto). “Queste pratiche, insieme all’assenza di consanguineità genetica, indicano che la società manteneva una memoria dettagliata dei suoi antenati e sapeva chi erano i parenti biologici per generazioni”, commenta Guido Alberto Gnecchi Ruscone.

Grazie all’alta definizione degli alberi genealogici, i ricercatori sono anche riusciti a individuare un cambiamento genetico verso la fine del VII secolo, in cui il patrilignaggio dominante in una regione fu sostituito da un altro, segno di un cambiamento del potere politico.

 

https://www.meteoweb.eu/2024/04/dna-antico-svela-organizzazione-avari/1001409709/?amp=1