Gabuev T.A.

Key words: Alans, Iran, Sassanid Empire, Byzantine, polychrome style of Hunnic period, garnets, seeded ornament.
In 1989 kurgan № 2 was excavated near the village of Brut in North Ossetia. Inside the kurgan was a catacomb dating to the 5th c. AD and a cache of gold objects inlaid with garnets. We assume that all the objects are of Iranian origin. The centerpiece of the assemblage is a sword with gold-overlaid hilt and sheath. The style of the objects is polychrome. The objects show two stylistic peculiarities: 1) bezel and cloisonné inlays on the same item, and 2) cloisonné in combination with seeded ornament. Objects which have such stylistic peculiarities have been found in the Caucasus, the Urals-Kama region, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the Middle East, and are of Iranian origin. The garnets from Brut have been identified as andradites. Andradite deposits exist in Armenia, which was part of the Sassanid Empire, and hence the material for crafting the precious objects was available.