Roman-era enamelled buckle and strap fittings, about 1,800 years old, found near Chernivtsi

Five small metal objects of the Roman period, about 1,800 years old, have been found in the Cecyn forest near Chernivtsi, Ukraine, according to bsmu.edu.ua, the site of Bukovyna State Medical University. The finds came to light during historical and ethnographic research within the international project RESTORY, part of the European Union's Horizon Europe programme. bsmu.edu.uabsmu.edu.uabsmu.edu.uaOpen source ↗

Local residents handed the objects to Antoniy Moysey, Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor and head of the Department of Social Sciences and Ukrainian Studies at the university. In 2024–2026 he has been studying the historical and cultural heritage of the Rosha microdistrict. The residents at first attached no particular importance to the small items. Moysey noticed traces of coloured enamel on them and at once suggested that they might have considerable historical and archaeological value.

What was found

The most significant pieces are two miniature items decorated with coloured champlevé enamel: a buckle measuring 21 × 22 mm and a decorative strap mount. Three small round metal plaques were found with them; they probably belonged to the same set of strap fittings.

Moysey carried out a preliminary attribution and dating of the artefacts, determined their probable cultural origin and produced a graphic reconstruction of the strap set. bsmu.edu.uabsmu.edu.uabsmu.edu.uaOpen source ↗

Dating and attribution

Comparative analysis showed that the finds are close to the provincial Roman craft tradition, in particular to items from the territory of Roman Dacia. The champlevé enamel technique, the ornamentation and the construction have counterparts among archaeological finds from the Roman provinces. The closest analogies date mostly to the 2nd–3rd centuries AD.

During the study Moysey consulted archaeologist Mykola Ilkiv of the Rescue Archaeological Service of Ukraine research centre at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and specialists of Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava in Romania.

One hypothesis holds that the strap set belonged to a Sarmatian horseman. In its favour, the authors cite the presence of Sarmatian tribes in the north-western Black Sea region and lands neighbouring Bukovyna in the 2nd–3rd centuries, their use of Roman equipment obtained through trade, military contacts or as trophies, and the importance of cavalry in Sarmatian military culture. Final confirmation of a Sarmatian link requires further research. bsmu.edu.uabsmu.edu.uabsmu.edu.uaOpen source ↗

The finds are of interest for studying cultural and military contacts between the population of Bukovyna and the ancient world. After the study is completed, the artefacts are to be transferred to the Chernivtsi Regional Museum of Local Lore.