Dementieva A.S.

Key words: combs, Gnyozdovo, Scandinavia, Ancient Russia, cemeteries, jewelry.

The article is devoted to the observation of the finds of single-side composite combs with metal brackets originated from the collection of the Gnyozdovo archaeological complex. The combs, found in three burials of the Gnyozdovo barrow, have analogues both in the Eastern European and Western European finds. Their appearance and expansion in Eastern Europe and then in Gnyozdovo in the 10th c. is connected with the descendants from Scandinavia.

The combs with brackets from copper alloy are the example of how the domestic objects could serve both as a piece of jewelry and a significant feature of the costume at the same time. Besides, this is a rare case of copying the objects in metal which were traditionally being made from another material.