The permanent exhibition “Relics from the Battle of Kulikovo” features a piece of horse equipment. It is a half of a bit dating back to the period from the 12th to the 17th century. The bit is a tetrahedral rod that is 9.8 cm long. It is sub-rectangular in cross section measuring 0.7×0.8 cm and has rounded loops at the ends that are up to 1.3 cm wide (the inner diameter is 0.8 cm). The hinges are flat in cross section.

The object was discovered in excavations conducted by the military-historical unit of the Upper Don archaeological expedition of the State Historical Museum and the State Museum-Reserve “Kulikovo Field” in 2002. The archaeological dig was conducted on the watershed of the Verkhodub and Orzhevik ravines, to the south of the Monastyrshchino village, Kimovsky district, Tula region, on site No. 22, grid 1.

The discovered detail is a part of a bit with two movable links and two rings (type IV according to A.N. Kirpichnikov). A similar object was found in the same area in 2000.

A bit is a device for controlling a horse, an item of a bridle. According to the impact of the leverage, there are three types of bits: a snaffle bit, a curb bit and a pelham bit. A snaffle bit consists of a bit and two rings, that are used to attach the mouthpiece to the cheek straps of the bridle. Snaffle-type bits are two-piece iron bits with movable rings at the ends — they were the most common bits in Old Rus. The curb bit is a solid iron bit, which is generally more severe than the snaffle bit. The mouthpiece can be curved to act on the roof of the mouth. The greater the curvature is, the more severe the curb bit is, which also means that the control is more precise. The pelham bit is a bit with a movable mouthpiece, a kind of a curb bit, but with the mouthpiece of a snaffle bit. As far as severity is concerned, it occupies an intermediate position between the snaffle and the curb bit.

The Kulikovo cycle — chronicles describing the battle — feature Russian troops exclusively on horseback: “Very armored and mounted on horses their army is”, “Already the Russian horses have become stronger from the voice of the trumpet, and everyone will go under their banner”, “And their banners sent by a strong leader Dmitry Volynets.” In the latter case, the “banners” is the Old Russian term used to describe cavalry units. The army of Khan Mamai consisted exclusively of mounted warriors.

Name: Bit (horse)
Date of creation: the 12th–14th centuries
State catalog number: 6687649
Technique: iron, forging
Dimensions: 9,8×0,7×0,8 cm

The permanent exhibition “Relics from the Battle of Kulikovo” features a forged iron piece of horse tack of the 14th century. It is a round ring with a diameter of 4.4 cm, made of a iron cane which is round in cross section with a diameter of 0.6 cm.

In 2002, this ring was discovered in excavations conducted by the military-historical unit of the Upper-Don archaeological expedition of the State Historical Museum and the State Museum-Reserve “Kulikovo Field”. The archaeological dig was conducted on the watershed of the Verkhodub and Orzhevik ravines, to the south of the Monastyrshchino village, Kimovsky District, Tula Oblast, site No. 22, grid 1.

Judging by the size, the find belongs to a group of horse harness rings. The head straps of the horse bridle were fastened using the metal parts of the harness: rings, plaques and buckles. Most of the metal parts of the bridle were attached to the belt base with 5-milimeter thick pins. Separators, more precisely— belt fasteners, were most often round, square or cruciform. All of the mentioned fasteners were used to fix together several (usually four) belts so that the resulting structure would not move. If it had to be movable, then rings with three clips were used. The presence of these rings implied that there were no browband and noseband straps.

Studies of Old Russian belt fasteners showed that both types of bridles — the heavier ones and the lighter and looser ones — appeared no later than the 10th century and existed at the same time. Round belt fasteners often had pads called “belt ends”. The bit is an important part of the bridle used for communication and control. A bit consists of a bit mouthpiece (in one, two or three parts) and cheek pads — lateral movable restraints. No matter how different the configuration of metal bits, they were always used to apply direct pressure on the tongue and corners of the horse’s mouth. The most mobile and changeable parts of the whole mechanism were rings, loops and staples, with the help of which the bit was fastened to the headband and reins.

Name: Iron product (ring)
Date of creation: XIV century
State catalog number: 6687687
Technique: iron, forging
Dimensions: 4.4×0.6 cm