Polearms 131
1.3.4 Lenticular Blade with Central Rib (Dorfmerking Type) (P.III.D)
This type is characterised by a broad lenticular blade with a central rib which
is a continuation of the socket (map 19, fig. 50). These spearheads can be asso-
ciated with the so-called ‘Dorfmerking type’ of the Merovingian cemeteries
of Central Europe and Italy. Eleven spearheads belong to this group and are
known mainly from the Early phase,208 but its use probably continued into the
Middle phase as suggested by the example from Bóly.209
The type was first identified amongst Avar weaponry by Attila Kiss at the
cemetery of Kölked–Feketekapu ‘A’, where he first applied the terminology of
Wolfgang Hübener, and dated the use of this type to the turn of the 6th and
7th century.210 The spearhead from grave No. 5 of Csepel–Háros (fig. 50/3) is
of particular interest, as its socket is still of quadrangular cross section.211 The
example from grave No. 250 at Kölked A is dated by its tripartite belt-set to
the last quarter of the 6th and first third of the 7th century.212 Spearheads of
‘Dorfmerking type’ can be regarded as of western Merovingian origin amongst
the weaponry of the Early Avar period. Similar artefacts are well known from
early medieval cemeteries of South Germany and Italy where it is dated to the
turn of the 6th and the 7th centuries.
1.3.5 Openwork Spearheads (P.III.E)
The blade of openwork spearheads is usually broad, lenticular in shape and
with a central rib. Their cross section is usually flat and lenticular. Openwork
spearheads are extremely rare in the Avar-age Carpathian Basin (map 20,
208 Aradac–Mečka grave No. 72 (Nađ1959, 61, 85. tab XVIII/13; Dimitrijević – Kovačević –
Vinski 1962, 9–12); Bóly–Sziebert puszta A grave No. 59 (Papp 1962, 179–180. XII.t. XV.t. 7);
Budakalász–Dunapart grave No. 1474; Budapest XXI. Csepel–Háros grave No. 5 (Nagy 1998,
148, Taf. 100/1); Gyarmat–Királydomb (MRT 4. 1972. 112. 25. t. 1–5); Kölked–Feketekapu A
grave No. 250 (Kiss 1996, 73, 233, 234, 418, Taf. 4/3, 469, Taf. 55/17); Környe grave No. 125
(Salamon – Erdélyi 1971, 26, Taf. 21/9); Környe stray find (MNM 69.1.487); Környe stray find
(Salamon – Erdélyi 1971, 30, 56, 106, Taf. 28/5, 135, Taf. XVIII/7); Környe stray find (MNM
69.1.66); Sombor–Kukula téglagyár (Gubitza 1909, 24; Csallány 1956, 1085, Dimitrijević –
Kovačević – Vinski 1962, 59; Mrkobrad 1980, 152).
209 Bóly–Sziebert puszta A grave No. 59 (Papp 1962, 179–180. XII.t. XV.t. 7).
210 Kiss 1996, 234. Attila Kiss mainly used the data of Hübener (1972, 193–211).
211 Nagy 1998, 148, II. 108. Taf. 100/1. Spears of Dorfmerkingen type with quadrangular socket
are known from the Merovingian cemeteries, such as: grave No. 3a of Niederstotzingen
(Paulsen 1967a, Taf. 17, 5); Langenau, Kr. Ulm (Hübener 1972, Abb. 3/2); Merdingen, Kr.
Freiburg (Garscha 1970, Taf. 84, 16); Donaueschingen, stray find (Buchta-Hohm 1996, Taf.
41/56); grave No. 342 of Weingarten (Roth – Theune 1995, 100, Taf. 129/4).
212 Kiss 1996, Taf. 55. Similar belt-sets are dated to the 7th South German phase by Ursula
Koch (Koch 2001, 87).