THE POSSIBLE APPEARANCE OF THE FIRST IRON AGE WARRIOR EQUIPMENT. A CASE STUDY OF ATENICA, NEAR ČAČAK, SERBIA (original) (raw)
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SÎRBU V., SCHUSTER Cr. and HORTOPAN D., (eds), WARRIORS AND THEIR WEAPONS IN BRONZE AND IRON AGES, Proceedings of the 21st International Colloquium of Funerary Archaeology 25th-28th May, 2023, Târgu Jiu, Gorj County (Romania), 2023
The fortified city at the northern end of the island of Aigilia (today’s Antikythera) had a relatively short life span – from the seventh decade of the 4th c. BC until the beginning of the fourth decade of the 1st c. BC –, for about 270 years. The island was part of the Cretan city of Phalasarna and its position in the center of the Kythera strait allowed it to control the sea routes from the northeastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea to the western regions of the Great Sea. The occupation of Phalasarna and Aigilia with the state pirate activity created many enmities and exposed the island to many external attacks. These attacks left their mark on the city’s ground. A lot of battle evidence is preserved, such as bronze arrowheads and spearheads, lead sling bullets, catapult balls and iron crossbow arrowheads. These finds will be presented from which historical conclusions can be drawn.
During the period directly after the end of the Second World War, our past and especially the Bronze Age was interpreted as a rather peaceful period. Archaeological evidence of warfare and combat was ignored or, in the case of arms and armour , interpreted as symbolic weapons, not intended for actual use. During the last 15 years this point of view has changed – at least regarding weapons. Traces of use-wear on swords and spearheads, impacts of weapons on bones and of course fortified settlements were interpreted as what they are – evidence of combat and fighting. However, questions remain as to how these arms and armour were produced and by whom, as well as to why different types of e.g. swords were produced. In this work, the manufacture, development and usage of Central European Bronze Age swords will be discussed, showing the close interaction between craftsman and warrior . As a basis, 80 swords, mainly from Austria, but also from Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and the Ukraine, were analysed. To discover more information about the manufacture and usage of these swords, the alloy composition, the post-casting treatment and the casting quality were analysed using various methods such as SEM, EMPA, XRF, NRCA, x-ray, ToF-ND, 3D-Ct, metallographic analyses and visual examinations of the swords’ surfaces.
The chronological framework of the current subject is provided by the three main historical phases of the Avar Khaganate established in the Carpathian Basin. Geographically, the subject is limited to Transylvania, Maramureş, Crişana and the Romanian Banat. The catalogue of hitting/thrusting/cutting weapons discovered in western Romania lists 14 objects. The 14 artefacts were recovered from 12 cemeteries: 13 objects; and one settlement/house: one object. Based on the shape and characteristics of the blade, three main types of hitting, thrusting or cutting weapons have been distinguished: I – the Sabre; II – the Sword; III – the Backsword. The backswords have been further classified according to the characteristics of the hilt and cross-guard. Type III .1.a – backsword with the hilt ornamented with decorative thin precious metal foils covering the wood: Unirea/Vereşmort. Type III .1.b – backsword with an undecorated hilt, without a cross-guard: Dindeşti, Sfântu Gheorghe, Teiuş, Sânpetru German. Type III .2 – backsword with a hilt and a narrow rod-shaped crossguard fixed perpendicularly on the blade, with a rhombic part whose sharp ends point towards the blade and the hilt: Aiudul de Sus. Type III .3.a – backsword with a ring-shaped cross-guard and a semi-circular pommel: Valea lui Mihai. III .3.b – backsword with a ring-shaped cross-guard and a simple, straight hilt: Timişoara. All deceased of the 7th – 8th c. from western Romania that have been buried together with a sword, sabre or backsword, but also with other weapons or dress accessories, were men (adults). No woman’s or child’s grave contained, at least according to the current state of the research, swords, backswords or sabres. In 7th – 8th c. western Romania the sword, the backsword and the sabre were the weapons used by the high-ranking Avar warriors within the military hierarchy of the Avar Khaganate.