Introduction 13
from the site at ‘Tiszakécske–Óbög’. Her main distinguishing criteria for the
classification of crossguards was their form and manufacture, distinguishing
‘Byzantine’,56 ‘star-shaped’ and ‘late Saltovo types’. The blades and suspension
loops of the sabres and single-edged swords were of secondary importance.57
This situation changed with the work by László Simon on the Early Avar
edged weapons submitted in 1986,58 in which he applied a totally new approach
to classification of blade and crossguard—and their combination—which
formed primary attributes for distinguishing five types.59 Simon observed cer-
tain long-term trends in typological development: the increasing significance
of single-edged swords, the decrease of blade width, and the evolution of
sabres from single-edged swords.60
Simon’s classification involves some methodological problems since it does
not adhere to a system of hierarchical attributes which would imply that the
blade and the crossguard cannot be examined on the same level. Moreover,
Simon’s system did not distinguish the ring-pommel swords, either double-
or single-edged, which by their manufacture, decoration and distribution
comprise a closed group. László Simon distinguished those edged weapons
with the attributes of sabres as group ‘V ’; however, the curvature of the blade
and the false edge are two distinct formal attributes which cannot be used
together.
56 The so-called ‘Byzantine’ crossguards were identified in the study by Attila Kiss (1987), the
distinction based on the fabrication of the crossguards which were cast from copper alloy.
57 In her study Éva Garam (1991a, 157–160) used the drawings and notes of László Kovács
and the observations of the hilt and suspension loops by Róbert Müller on the sabre of
Gyenesdiás (Müller 1989, 141–164), too. In this paper Róbert Müller identified the original
function of the square shaped fitting with heart-shaped leaves on the corners, formerly
reconstructed on the belt by Gyula Fülöp (1987; Fülöp 1988, 151–190). Due to the observa-
tions of Müller it is now clear that these items decorated the suspension loops of the
sabres.
58 László Simon started studying the Early Avar swords after the discovery of gold foils dec-
orating a sword scabbard in Nagykőrös in the year 1981. He analysed the ring-pommel
swords ornamented with gold or silver foil in his monograph on the same sword (Simon
1983).
59 Group I (single-edged swords without crossguard); Group II (single-edged swords with
crossguard); Group III (double-edged swords without crossguard); Group IV (double-
edged swords with crossguard); Group IV (swords with a false-edge or curved blade, the
so-called ‘proto-sabre’) (Simon 1991, 269–270).
60 This model is based on an evolutionary approach, and assumed a single-line of develop-
ment (Simon 1991, 284–285). The swords are one of the best studied artefacts among the
Avar-age material culture, with similar analysis not yet undertaken on any other artefact.