Edged Weapons 271
of the 6th and first half of the 7th century, as demonstrated by western finds452
and burials from the Carpathian Basin (map 48).453
Flat, cylindric limestone beads (S.3) in pairs were found on the spatha from
grave No. 257 at Kölked–Feketekapu A, located 24 and 27.5 cm from the end of
the sword. According to Attila Kiss, who excavated the cemetery, these beads
can be interpreted as part of the sword suspension,454 though this feature is
without any formal analogy.
The reconstruction of spatha suspension used the position of these
artefacts.455 This suspension method is only characteristic for those spathae
of western origin during the Early phase, and this feature disappeared by the
time of the Middle and Late phases. It is important to note that the suspension
loops known from other Avar swords were not used on spathae at all, suggest-
ing that spathae had their own specific method of being worn.456
Spathae were normally suspended on spatha belts, as studied by Tivadar
Vida from Avar-age burials.457 Three spatha belt types are known from the
Carpathian Basin: Weihmörting, Herrlisheim-Schwarzrheindorf and Civezzano
types.
Weihmörting type spatha belts are characterised by long rectangular belt-
mounts cast of copper alloy.458 This type already appeared with the Lombards
452 Wilfried Menghin (1983, 150–151) dated them between the end of the 6th and the end
of the 7th century, Christoph Grünewald (1988, 230–241) to his 5th phase (620–650/60),
Gudula Zeller (1992, 66) dated them to the IIIrd (520/530–600) and IVth (600–670/80)
phase, while Christian Peschek (1996, 52) dated such finds to the IInd JM phase of Ament
(630/40–670/80) at the cemetery of Kleinlangen. Such buttons were used in the 7th cen-
tury in the Altenerding cemetery (Losert – Pleterski 2003, 402).
453 The earliest example from the Carpathian Basin was found in Fenékpuszta–
Pusztaszentegyházi-dűlő from a Langobard burial dated to the beginning of the 7th cen-
tury by Róbert Müller (1999/2000, 345). This dating is probably too late for the interlace
ornament, placed between Animal Style I and II, which was dated to the late 6th century
(Heinrich-Tamáska 2004, 168–169; Heinrich-Tamáska 2006b, 514, Abb. 1.B). The burial is
dated by C14 method to 530s by Peter Stadler (et al. 2003, 268–269).
454 Kiss 1996, 75.
455 For these reconstructions, see: Menghin 1973a, Abb. 33; Menghin 1983, 114–115, 150;
Baumeister 1998.
456 Avar-age spatha belts were reconstructed by Vida 2000, 161–175.
457 Vida 2000, 161–175.
458 This term was first used by Hans Zeiß (1934, 39), although the type was defined by
Hermann Ament (1974, 153–161).