214 CHAPTER 3
edge on early Hungarian or Late Nomadic sabres.173 A false edge longer than
15 cm could be measured on only nine sabre blades,174 below which its function
as a cutting edge can be excluded. In most of the examined cases (68.3%) the
length of the false edge was between 5 and 15 cm. This data verifies the sug-
gestion by Gábor Szőllősy concerning the thrusting function of this attribute.175
1.3.5 Conclusions
In light of the above discussion of the various blade types and the grave goods
accompanying them, it is clear that curved blades were mainly characteris-
tic of the second half of the Middle phase (cca. 670–700), though such blades
survived into the Late phase but in smaller numbers. The first half of the Late
phase is characterised by slightly curved sabres, although their segment height
is rarely larger than 1 cm. Straight single-edged blades, however, were more
popular during this Late phase. The chronological distribution of sabre blades
is shown in the diagram below.
173 False edges on sabres from the 10th–13th centuries in the Caucasus region can reach a
length of 44 cm (Kochkarov 2008, 28.).
174 22% of the examined cases.
175 Szőllősy 2001, 278–279.
DIAGRAM 5 Length of false edges.