Hanging Plates and Appliques of Roman-era Horse Ammunition in the Foothill Crimea in the Light of Cross-cultural Contacts

The article classifies the finds of decorative elements of horse equipment from the Foothill Crimea. During Roman times, the ammunition of a riding horse was decorated with various metal items, in particular frontal and cheek plates, appliques, and pendant plates. It is concluded that the equipment of the riding horse of the Foothill Crimea finds analogies over a vast area of the Eurasian steppes, from the Danube to the Aral Sea. This indicates that some novel items making part of the horse equipment required in everyday life and military operations were quickly borrowed and spread in the Sarmatian world.