Origins And Cultural Contacts 335
Late Roman and Byzantine army.211 Spathae were widely distributed during
the Early Middle Ages, this weapon type being used throughout the whole of
Europe during that period parallel to the Avar Age.
The research on spathae is especially well-developed in Merovingian
archaeology. The first monograph written on the subject was the book of Ellis
Behmer212 whose work was continued by Wilfried Menghin.213 As well as these
Continental studies, a monograph on Anglo-Saxon Early Medieval spathae was
also published.214 Such studies have often focussed on pattern-welding tech-
niques and their chronology which is of great importance.215
Pyramid-shaped spatha pommels cast of copper alloy are common in Europe
during the Merovingian Era.216 Identical pommels are also known from 6th
century Gepid217 and Pannonian Lombard burials.218 Such pommels found in
Merovingian cemeteries of southern Germany have been dated to the second
half of the 6th century,219 while similar pommels have been dated to around
600 and the first decades of the 7th century in the Altenerding cemetery.220
Most of these weapons are linked to the Germanic population living in
the eastern part of Transdanubia and by the continuous Gepidic population
of Transtisia and Transylvania. During the Early phase western influences
were focussed on those regions that had close relations with the Merovingian
world,221 and in which case they cannot be regarded as imports as the culture
of the group was basically Merovingian.
211 Lammert 1929, 1544–1545. The word ‘spatha’ is known in Greek (σπαθη) and was often
used by Byzantine sources (Kolias 1988, 137).
212 Behmer 1939.
213 Menghin 1983.
214 Davidson 1962.
215 Ursula Koch (1977; Koch 2001, 84) revealed chronological consequences of patterns in
pattern welding, with different periods of Schretzheim cemetery being characterised by
these patterns. The period parallel to Early phase (second half of the 6th–first half of the
7th century AD) is characterised by fishbone pattern (Böhne – Dannheimer 1961, 107–122;
Ypey 1982b, 381–388; Mäder 2000, 17–27; Mäder 2002, 277–285; Mäder 2004, 23–31).
216 Their list: Menghin 1983, 319–321. 3. Liste, Karte 4; Losert – Pleterski 2003, Liste 514.
217 Szőreg grave No. 23 (Csallány 1961, 155, Taf. 183/5) and 68 (Csallány 1961, 161, Taf. 183/3).
218 Kajdacs (Bóna 1970–71, 61. Abb. 23/1); Pilisvörösvár (Bóna 1956, 194, Taf. 47); Szentendre
grave No. 44 (Bóna 1970–71, 59, Abb. 4/3).
219 Koch 2001, 84–85.
220 Losert – Pleterski 2003, 402.
221 For the Transdanubian ‘Germanic’ population: Kiss 1987b; Kiss 1992; Kiss 1996; Kiss
1999/2000. Merovingian costume in Transdanubia: Vida 1995, 219–290; Vida 1996, 107–124;
Vida 1999b, 367–377; Vida 2000, 161–175; Vida 2008, 18–31.