Horváth Attila – H. Tóth Elvira szerk.: Cumania 4. Archeologia (Bács-Kiskun Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei, Kecskemét, 1976)

H. Tóth E.: Az Izsák-balázspusztai honfoglaláskori lovassír

Fig. 24. The outside bone plate cover of the rear pomme (reconstruction) 24. kép. Hátsó kápa külső csontborítása (rekonstrukció) Fig. 25. The outside bone plate cover of the rear pommel (reconstruction) Among these the two piece cover of the highly curving plates of the rear pommel held a key position (Plate 11/23). Both ends of both pieces of the left side of the pommel are intact. The end toward the saddle-tree has the remnant of an iron nail, the other, curved and tapered end has a somewhat shorter similar right side plate joining with an intact link. This latter plate though is somewhat fragmented the center and the height of the pommel could be easily drafted from the curve and the position of the two plates, thus the whole width of the pommel, reconstructing the broken pieces. The half width of the pommel must have been 18 cm according to the measurings in the grave and according to the in situ measurings. The height was measured to be 12 cm. These measurements were well supported by the measures and curvature of the originally four pieced, semicircular bent bone plate frames meeting on the outside curve of the pommel in an edge (Plate 24, 25). The inside curve of the rear pommel cannot be reconstructed from the extant bone plate fragments. Among the bone plates, the little one with iron nail attachements and a continuous vine pattern (Plate 12/f

—g; Plate 26) is so fragmented that we can only suppose this to be the inside curve of the rear pommel. Size cannot be determined from these fragments, but it seems likely that it framed a highly curved arch of small diameter. 25. kép. Hátsó kápa külső csontborítása (rekonstrukció) The other measurable data available comes from the in situ position of the bone plates of the front pommel. (Fig. 8) The data for the size come from the right, more complete front pommel, the distance between the right and left complete plates, and the distance between the reconstruction of the damaged left front pommel plate by reflecting it. The size turned out to be 18 cm width for the half of the front pommel, like the rear one, thus the complete width is 36 cm, the height measured 18—19. The position of the plates in the frame determined the size of the two pommels decisively, but the length of the saddle cannot be theorized upon at all, since the plates fell on each other vertically. One can only presume from the width measures. Whereas the slant of the rear pommel can also determined from the double plate layer, the vertical position of the front pommel can only be presumed. On the basis of the extant finds the size and shape of the sweat-flaps cannot be determined either precisely. Considering the two reconstructed unfitting fragments, decorating the front sweat-flap with palmette motif, the length of the sweat-flap end must have been 4 cm its corners rounded for certain. The exceptionally unusual width of the Balázspuszta bone plated saddle, measured in the grave, was a constant warning and motivated several re-checkings. As an experiment, disregarding the position of 165