Reconstruction of the horse trappings of the Ttien Shan nomads in the Mongol epoch

Horse trappings are one of the common finds in the burials of the Mongol epoch in Tien Shan. However they have not been a subject of special scientific research so far. In this paper, on the basis of the artefacts with account of pictorial sources, we reconstruct the horse trappings used by Tien Shan population in the XIII-XIV centuries. Four remains of bridles have been found in the burials of Tien Shan. The bridle from female grave of the Seki I cemetery is more complete and rich one, which allow us to reconstruct it more easily and confidently. According to our reconstruction it consists of a leather headstall comprising a noseband, a forehead band, two cheek bands, a crownpiece and a throatlatch, an iron bit, and two lead straps for the reins. The headstall is lavishly decorated with metal plaques and pendants. Large and round plaques are mounted at the juncture of the cheek straps and the noseband and the forehead band. E-shaped plaques are fitted on the cheek bands and noseband. The same fittings are used to decorate the "heart-shaped" leather pendant in the center of the noseband. The forehead band is decorated with triangular plaques. A spherical bronze rattle-bladder is attached to it. The bit is composed of a two-piece snaffle with large round ring at either end to which reins are attached. The saddle set from the burials is represented by wooden saddletrees, iron stirrups, girth buckles and metal pendants to the breast and crupper straps. The saddletrees are made up of two sideboards, a vertical pommel and an inclined cantle, which are tightly tied together with leather laces. They belong to the so called "Mongolian" type, which is known from the beginning of the II millennium AD. There are three subtypes of "Mongolian" saddles in Tien Shan. The main difference among them is in the shape of the pommels. Obviously, different subtypes of saddles were used for different purposes and (or) by different age-sex groups. For example, saddles with trapeze-shaped pommels, presumably, were used mainly by woman. The saddles were accompanied by a girth strap, a breast strap and a crupper strap. They are not preserved in the burials. But there are finds of girth buckles and pendants made of metal and bone, which are included in our reconstruction. The stirrups from the burials are made of iron and consist of two posts that form an arch over the foot and a tread on which the foot rests. There are three types of them: arch-shaped, trapeze-shaped and round. Judging by the number of finds the arch-shaped stirrups were in widespread use. On the whole we may conclude that the grave goods represent an important and almost full source on the subject. On the basis of these materials with account of pictorial sources we were able to reconstruct the most possible original look of the horse equipment of the Tien Shan population in the Mongol epoch.

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