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

Origins And Cultural Contacts 313

P-shaped suspension loops and two-point suspension are also well known

in Eastern Europe, from the Caucasus Mountains to the border of the forest

steppe, and from the Volga river to the Carpathians. Their distribution has

been analysed in detail by A.K. Ambroz.47 P-shaped suspension loops are

known from the Carpathian Basin in great number (45 pieces),48 exceeding

the number of Eastern European finds (19 examples, map 51).49 The earliest of

these loops are dated to the second half of the 6th century.50

This mode of suspension was characteristic not only for the steppes and

the great civilisations of Asia but for the Byzantine Empire too. Three cases

of P-shaped suspension loops are known from Italy, from the knives of Castel

47 Ambroz 1986b; Bálint 1993.
48 See chapter III.2.d type S.4.
49 P-shaped suspension loops from Eastern Europe:

1. Artsybashevo (Ambroz 1986b, No. 17; Bálint 1993, 29).


2. Armievo (Ambroz 1986b, No. 14; Bálint 1993, 30).


3. Borisovo (Ambroz 1986b, No. 9; Bálint 1993, 31).


4. Borovoe (Ambroz 1986b, No. 18; Bálint 1993, 32).


5. Chmi (Ambroz 1986b, No. 16; Bálint 1993, 33).


6. Diurso (Bálint 1993, 35).


7. Glodosy (Ambroz 1986b, 24; Bálint 1993, 36).


8. Ilovatka (Ambroz 1986b, No. 10; Bálint 1993, 37).


9. Liventsovka VII. kurgan No. 35 (Bezuglov – Iljukov 2007, 47).


10. Malaja Pereshchepina (Ambroz 1986b, No. 32; Bálint 1993, 41).


11. Maniak (Ambroz 1986b, No. 30; Bálint 1993, 42.).


12. Martinovka (Ambroz 1986b, No. 6; Bálint 1993, 43).


13. Rovnoe (Ambroz 1986b, No. 19; Bálint 1993, 45).


14. Sivashovka (Orlov 1985, 98–105; Bálint 1993, 46).


15. Taman (Ambroz 1986b, No. 22, 23; Bálint 1993, 48).


16. Üch tepe (Ambroz 1986b, No. 7; Bálint 1993, 49).


17. Verkhnaia Eshera, Pysta, (Ambroz 1986b, No. 15; Bálint 1993, 50).


18. Vinogradnoe (Komar 2006, 361.9).


19. Voznesenka (Bálint 1993, 51).
    50 István Bóna (1980, 49. 51) dated the pieces from Szegvár, grave No. 75 and 99 from Környe,
    Törökbálint, Zsámbok and Čoka the earliest and dated them to the 6th century. At least
    the dating of the burials from Zsámbok (Garam 1983, 140, Abb. 1/1,2. Abb. 6/1–2) and grave
    No. 45 of Čoka (Kovrig – Korek 1960, 262, fig. 6) is highly problematic, the rhombic hilt
    decoration of Zsámbok and its close connections with the Bócsa horizon date it to the
    second third of the 7th century, while the semicircular suspension loops of the Čoka
    swords is characteristic for the end of the Early phase, which is also confirmed by Éva
    Garam 1991a, 147.