The Red Kaganate

Last Page Update: May 5, 2003 Contact Copyright Information Main Page Structure of the Red Kaganate Gatherings, Events, . . . Historic Steppes Tribes Legends of the Nomads Flags and other Identifiers Clothing and Apearance Games and Military Arts Public Forum Resource Links Email: kaganate@yahoo.com Editor: Norman J. Finkelshteyn

Belts Database The belt, decorated with metal plates and often carying "pendant" straps (belts attached in perpendicular to the main belt) is an essential part of the image of the Altaic noble - from the Iranian-speaking ancient nomads to the Turks and then the Mongols. Plate styles, decorations, and often precise arangements may be indicative of the culture and tribal affiliation, status, and rank of the wearer. Often, the belts were picked up as status images by those civilizations influenced by the nomads. First Century Sarmatian Belt from Astrakhan - Buckle, strap ends, and several items that likely belong with the belt. Hunnic Belt Buckles - Buckles with plates on the antiquities market. Ostrogoth Belt Buckles - Buckles with plates on the antiquities market. Khazar Belt Buckles - Chart of buckle and plate types with photographs of buckles with plates on the antiquities market. Warrior Noble's Belt from Sarkel Fortress - A fairly detailed examination of a 10th century Khazar belt comprised of over 60 guilded silver plates. Belt set from Romanovsky Cemetary 1, Kurgan 1 - A Khazar period belt from the Don river region. Photos and comment. Belt set from Salovsky Cemetary 1, Kurgan 1, burial 2 - A Khazar period belt from the Don river region. Photos and comment. Khazar Belt in the Hermitage Museum Magyar belt reconstruction - By Paul O'Donnell. Illustrated article. Typical Magyar Belt - a modern reproduction - By Peter Beatson. Photo with citations of a reproduction based on three belts found in Magyar burials. Birka / Bjorko belt pouch mounts - Plates recently unearthed at the Birka site in Scandinavia. Likely of Turkic origin. "Persian" belt plaques sold at Christies and similar "Chinese" plates - By Steven Baker. Photographs and brief comment. Cuman Belt Mounts - Photographs of plates from a Cuman/Kipchak belt. Byzantine Belt Buckles - Chart of buckle and plate types with photographs of buckles with plates on the antiquities market. Belt Mounts from the "Olen-Kolodetz" Golden Horde period male burial - Belt mount photographs to go with the summary of "Olen-Kolodetz" finds by Dmitriy V. Ryaboy. Golden Horde - Belts from the Simferopol Treasure - Three sets of belt plates which formed part of a Golden Horde "trove" found in Simferopol, Crimea. Golden Horde - Volga river Chinese style belt - A "Chinese style" belt set from a Golden Horde town on the Volga. Golden Horde Belt in the Hermitage Museum - A gold belt set which had belonged to a representative of the house of Batu-Khan. Reconstructions based on Mamluk and Syrian belt plates - Steven Baker analyses the remains of two similar belts - one Mamluk, one Syrian. Photos of belt plates and computer sketches of different plate arangements. A Number of Belt Plates from S. Baker - Some examples of extant belt plates - Seljuk, Artukid (Anatolian), Iranian, Kazakh.