Archaeologia Austriaca 107/2023, pp. 191-204, 2023/04/20
Zeitschrift zur Archäologie Europas
Journal on the Archaeology of Europe
This publication is dedicated to artefacts known as cheekpieces, which are rare finds in the territory of present-day Bulgaria. The artefacts were uncovered at the Early Iron Age settlement near the village of Assenovets, at Tell Galabovo, and at the Late Bronze Age settlement near Belokopitovo. Based on parallels with similar artefacts discovered in the Carpathian-Danube region and central Europe, they have been defined as elements of horse harness. They are usually related to the domestication and riding of horses and the arrival of newcomers who were probably skilled in the making and use of chariots. This type of artefact is typical for the period after the early 2nd millennium BC, and its distribution covers a wide area including the territory between the Mediterranean and the Middle East, the Ural Mountains, the Carpathians, and also central and eastern Europe. The cheekpieces functioned as elements of the horse harness. They comprise a pair of vertical rods which were attached perpendicularly to the ‘bit’, or were integrated into ‘bit-less’ bridle forms; in either case, one fitted on each side of the horse’s head. The artefacts found at the three sites provoked interest because until now such objects have never been observed together, and so have never been analysed in detail in present-day Bulgaria.
Keywords: Cheekpieces, chariot, Bulgaria, Carpathian-Danube region, Bronze Age, Iron Age
