Avar-Age Polearms and Edged Weapons. Classification, Typology, Chronology and Technology

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268 CHAPTER 3


or even wood.430 This mode of suspension spread from the Late Roman period


(3rd century AD) and remained in use until the 5th–6th century, ranging from


Korea to Eastern Europe.431 Minor differences are observable in the way they


worn: the Romans used them for shoulder straps, while Persians hanged their


swords from the belt with these artefacts.432 This mode of suspension eventu-


ally lost its function and became decorative by the rule of Shapur II (309–379)


and Ardashir II (379–383)433 which can be observed even on the representa-


tion of Khosraw II at Taq-e Bostan.434 This mode of suspension remained in


use in some places, like in Funduqistan (Afghanistan) until the 8th century, to


judge by Sogdian wall paintings which represent it in use with swords of two-


point suspension.


The suspension of spathae was usually by means of one-point suspension


during the Early phase. Suspension-slides with animal heads (S.1) were only


found on the spatha from grave No. 97 at the Környe cemetery where two iron


half-cylinders were decorated with bird heads cast of copper alloy (map 48,


fig. 98/1),435 a similar example of which is known from grave No. 40 at the


Linz–Zizlau cemetery.436 This type of suspension is dated to the 6th century


by the Merovingian chronology of Germany.437 The dating of the burial from


Környe is confirmed by association with a pear-shaped wheel-turned pottery


vessel with stamped decoration and three-part belt-set.438


430 For scabbard slides: Trousdale 1975.
431 Eastern Europe: Khazanov 1971, tabl. XV; Sasanian Iran: Masia 2000, 191–194; Trousdale
1975.
432 Different way of suspension was described by Kate Masia 2000, 200.
433 Trousdale 1975, 93.
434 Masia 2000, 205.
435 Salamon – Erdélyi 1971, 23, Taf. 15/31–32.
436 Ladenbauer – Orel 1960, Taf. 3. Taf. 35.
437 Kurt Böhner (1987, 428) described them as ‘Riemendurchzug mit Vogelkopfenden’ which
had already appeared during the 5th century.
438 Salamon – Erdélyi 1971, 23. The chronology of pottery type ‘IA/a1’: (Vida 1999a, 37).

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