In the early decades of the period under review, and to a limited extent even thereafter, traditional Byzantine-style equipment of the type depicted here remained in widespread use in Serbia, the Serbians being slow to adopt the new developments in arms and armour that were gradually infiltrating into their country from the West. In fact modern Yugoslav authorities are generally of the opinion that even after the introduction of the Western European military panoply worn by the next 3 figures, Byzantino-Slavic harness and arms were not abandoned, both types remaining in use concurrently for much of the 14th century.
The figure depicted here is based on two church frescoes, one in the church of St George at Staro Nagoricino, rebuilt by Stephen Urosh II Milutin in celebration of a victory of 1313, and the other executed in 1349, depicting a spirited battle-scene. He wears a quilted (?) cotton or leather corselet over a mail haubergeon, plus a helmet and a mail hood over a fabric gorget resting on the shoulders, similar in appearance to the mail-and-quilt coifs described under figure 80. 69a depicts an alternative helmet from the St George fresco. His shield is of the long, nearly straight-sided Byzantine type. Eastern European almond types are also often shown, some of them truncated by having the bottom cut off square; the pattern on the shield depicted is characteristic of those shown in many frescoes of this period.
Small circular shields were also still in use. Weapons in this instance comprise lance, dagger, sword, and a composite bow in a bow-case at the left hip, together with an Asiatic-style quiver at the right. Serbian cavalry are shown using their bows from horseback in 14th century mss. and are mentioned by Cantacuzene in his chronicle, appearing at the Battle of Velbuzhd in 1330. However, they seem to have generally abandoned the bow by about the middle of the 14th century (but see below).
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