Avar warrior found buried wearing a thin layer of armor

Archaeologists at the Deli Museum have announced the discovery of an Avar warrior buried wearing thin plate armor. The discovery was made near the village of Ebes in the Hungarian province of Hajdu Vihar. 

Researchers say the burial dates back to the early 7th century  and contains the skeletal remains of an Avarian warrior from Pannonia. 

The Pannonian Avars were an alliance of several groups of Eurasian nomads who founded the Avar Khaganate, which spanned the Pannonian Basin and large areas of central and eastern Europe.  

The Avars gained fame primarily through their invasions and sabotage during the Avar-Byzantine War, which took place from  568 to 626 AD. In addition, they played an important role in influencing the migration of Slavs to southeastern Europe. 

The excavations also uncovered a complete set of lamellar armor, a type of bulletproof vest consisting of small rectangular plates called lamellas. The slats are drilled and joined together to form horizontally overlapping rows or bands. 

Image Credit : Déri Museum

This armor was found as a grave offering to a deceased warrior, along with a wooden quiver and arrows,  bow, and  sword. The warrior's remains and collectibles were removed as a single block for micro-excavation. The importance of layered armor is highlighted by the Deli Museum, which suggests that the grave goods indicate that the warrior had a fairly high status. This discovery is also  the second  complete example of armor discovered in the country. 

Burial grounds also contained the remains of horses, and there was a common Avar tradition that  horses were often sacrificed, as horses were believed to have supernatural powers.