312 CHAPTER 6
weapons with two-point suspension but also swords vertically suspended by
scabbard slides38 which are often represented together with P-shaped suspen-
sion loops without any function.39
Some scholars tend to date the origins of two-point suspension to the end
of the 4th–beginning of the 5th century in Iran,40 despite the fact that there is
no evidence available for its appearance before the 7th century. All of the rep-
resentations of Khusraw I (531–578) and Khormizd IV (579–590) depict these
rulers with one-point suspended swords,41 while Khusraw II (590–627) already
wore a sword with two-point suspension on his belt.42 Alongside the use of
two-point suspension swords, a belt of new type appeared on the rock reliefs of
Taq-i Bustan, showing that the ornamented belt with several side straps is prob-
ably connected to the appearance of these swords with two-point suspension.43
Those Sassanian swords known from archaeological contexts are not identical
with the swords from the representations on rock reliefs and silver plates. All
of them are covered with gold or silver plates of scale ornament44 with two
P-shaped suspension loops and a hilt with finger divider.45 All of these swords
were found in Daylaman in the northern periphery of the Sassanian Empire
and dated to the 7th century.46
38 See fig. 96. Al’baum 1975, 45. Ris. 11.
39 This feature is also significant for the ethnic interpretation of the representation, since
the bearded man’s costume consists of a frontlet, earring and torques as identified by
Livshits (1965, 6) based on an inscription with the Hephtalites living in Afghanistan
(Kushano-Hephtalite Kingdom).
40 According to William Trousdale (1975, 94) the Sasanians borrowed this suspension from
the Hephtalites. See: Frye 1984, 345; Overlaet 1993, 93.
41 Orbeli – Trever 1935; Masia 2000; Harper 1983.
42 Fukai – Horiuchi 1969, pl. XC. The sword of Khusraw II has some archaic attributes
like its chape differing from the 7th century swords of Iran. The relief of Taq-i Bustan
is dated by Ernst Herzfeld (1941, 329–341) to the reign of Khusraw II between 610 and
- Representation of a similar sword is known from the silver plate of Pur-i Vahman
(Overlaet 1993, 93; Masia 2000, 206–207).
43 William Trousdale (1975, 96) described a new belt type linked to the change in sword
suspension (Overlaet 2006, 85).
44 The scale ornament probably imitated feathers interpreted by Bruno Overlaet (1982,
201–202; Overlaet 1993, 93) as a Zoroastrian belief of a great bird (Varagna) the feathers of
which makes the warrior invincible.
45 Bálint 1978, 173–177; Overlaet 1993, 93; Masia 2000, 217–219.
46 Brentjes held these swords to be Sogdian based on their formal attributes (Brentjes 1993,
34), however, their distribution in northwestern Iran contradicts this theory (Bálint 1978,
177; Overlaet 1993, 93; Overlaet 2006, 191–192; Masia 2000, 217).