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

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402 CHAPTER 9


was the appearance of the false edge and the curved blade.7 This later process


was not a unilinear development leading from straight blades to curved ones,


for after the strongly curved blades of the second half of the 7th century most


of the 8th century blades are only slightly curved and the number of straight


single-edged swords was also high during this period.


The second main outcome of this study has been to show that edged


weapons of several types were used contemporaneously, though in changing


proportions. There is also no direct relationship between the blade of the edged


weapon and their fittings: the same types of suspension loops or crossguards


can occur on double- and single-edged blades or on straight single-edged and


curved sabre blades. However, the individual elements of these fittings dem-


onstrate a close relationship with each other, and we can talk about sets being


combined with each other in a specific order.8


Older versions of artefacts did not disappear automatically with the intro-


duction of a particular innovation, since it would have taken time for verifica-


tion of the changes effectivity. Several transitional attributes were used side by


side, and only the most effective survived, as in the case of natural selection.9


All of the Avar-age close-combat weapons were forged of iron; however, the


manufacturing techniques differed significantly by weapon type and period.


Besides the Early phase spathae with their pattern welding in fishbone-shape,10


very well preserved reed-shaped spearheads (P.II/1.a–b) and stirrups with rect-


angular loops are known, all which were probably manufactured in Byzantine


workshops.11 The later phases are characterised by a simple cementation or


forge welding of single-edged blades,12 whilst often no tempering or heat treat-


ment was used for improving the quality of the blade, resulting in weapons of


very poor quality.13


7 This study did not follow the trend whereby the false edge is regarded as the main attri-
bute of the sabre (Bálint 1992; Bálint 1993; Bálint 1995a), since a great number of curved
sabre blades (88 examples) are known from the period.
8 The triple arched suspension loops always appear on ring-pommel swords with cross-
guards, while oggee-shaped suspension loops only appear on edged-weapons with star-
shaped crossguards covered by gold or silver.
9 This evolutionist approach can only be used on functional artefacts, since fashion-driven
artefacts change according to a different logic.
10 The same technque was used in Merovingian Europe (Koch 1977, 98. Taf. 182–188).
11 The supposed Inner-Asian origin can be rejected due to the lack of analogies from these
regions. These artefacts were forged and not cast. See the technological analysis of
Piaskowski (1974).
12 Pleiner 1967.
13 Mihók et al. 1995; Mehofer 2006.

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