Stone bars with two constrictions in burials of the Babino cultural circle within the context of archer’s outfit in the western part of the Old World

This paper is devoted to analysis of a rare category of artefacts — stone bars with two constrictions which present distinct cultural and chronological markers. In Eastern Europe these bars are known only among materials of the Dnieper-Don and Volga-Don Babino cultures; the time of their use is limited to within the 22nd century cal BC corresponding to the upper boundary of the period of their occurrence in the Near East, Central and Western Europe in the BzA1 period. Their functional purpose was to serve as protective mounts on the forearm of an archer preserving from the shock of the bow string. Analysis of the arrangement of the protective mounts in burials allows us to define three cases of their everyday use: noncombat, prior-combat and fighting situations. Experimental simulation has shown that the protective mount was fixed by means of a leather oversleeve with a lacing

Aesthetics · Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · History · Marine and environmental studies · Soil and Environmental Studies