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

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Edged Weapons 179


The distribution of the Late phase examples are uniform, being found in


Southwestern Slovakia (eight examples), Transdanubia (five pieces) and the


Great Hungarian Plain (nine examples). These swords are dated to the Late


phase by belt-sets cast of copper alloy.81


According to the interpretation of László Simon, the reduction of the blade-


width is a chronological variable,82 however, this typological observation can


only be used with some restrictions, since the average width of Middle and


Late phase blades (3.5 cm) is the same as the average blade width of single-


edged swords from the Early phase.


An Early phase variant of these swords is decorated with precious metal


sheets on their hilt and scabbard (41 examples, 52.56 per cent of the Early phase


examples). The decoration of both the single- and double-edged swords is the


same, suggesting that the form of the blade has no baring on its occurrence.


These swords are evenly distributed both in Transdanubia83 and on Great


Hungarian Plain,84 but no examples were found in Transylvania. These swords


the grave No. 186, 257 and 326 of Tiszafüred are dated by a similar belt-set (Garam 1995,
28–30, 37. 46. Taf. 73, 78, 83) to the Middle phase. The grave No. 35B of Leobersdorf is dated
by a stamped belt-set with a strap-end of interlace ornament to the same period (Daim
1987, 227, Taf. 30).
81 The grave No. 633 of Devínska Nová Ves is dated by cast belt-set composed of rectangu-
lar mounts with griffon-ornament to the first half of Late phase (Eisner 1952, 139–140,
Obr. 73). The grave No. 44 of Čunovo is dated by its cast belt set of flat-tendrigl ornament
to the second half of the 8th century (Hampel 1905, II. 147). The grave No. 36 is dated to the
8th century by its gilded cast belt-mounts and harness-mounts of griffon-head shaped.
82 Simon 1991, 283.
83 19 such swords (54.28%) are known from Transdanubia: Bágyog–Gyűrhegy (Lovas 1929b,
253; Fettich 1943, 7; Simon 1991, 286), Csákberény–Orondpuszta (Kiss 1962, 70; Simon 1991,
290), Győr–Ménfőcsanak grave No. 643; Kölked–Feketekapu A grave No. 107 and 227 and
B 106 (Kiss 1996, 41, 232, Taf. 34/1, 69, Taf. 52/8; Kiss 2001, 43–44, Taf. 32/9), Környe grave
No. 78, 99 and 149 (Salamon – Erdélyi 1971, 21. Taf. 12, Taf. 33/9; 23. Taf. 16. Taf. 32/2, Abb.
4/3. 29, Taf. 26, Taf. 32/3. Abb. 4/2), Mór grave No. 25 (Török 1954, 56–58, 4. kép, IX. t. 1),
Pókaszepetk grave No. 332 (Sós – Salamon 1995, 166–167. Pl. XX), Szárazd (Kovács 2001, 185,
187–190. 7. kép 10), Tárnok (Garam 1991b, 222, 3. kép, 5. kép 2), Vértesacsa (Kralovánszky
1969, 48–49), Zamárdi grave No. 193, 565, 1493), Zillingtal grave No. D-3 (Mehofer 2006, 163.
Abb. D).
84 21 such swords (45.71%) were found on the Great Hungarian Plain: Čoka–Kremenjak
grave No. 45 (Kovrig – Korek 1960, 262, fig. 6); Csanytelek–Felgyői határút grave A (Kürti
1979, 68; Kürti 1980, 1279–1280; Kürti 1983, 173. 28. kép); Csengőd–Páhipuszta (Fettich
1926a, Taf. VI/8–20; Fettich 1926b, 265, Taf. 25);Csépa (Simon 1991, 290), Fajsz–Garadomb
grave No. 2 (Balogh – Kőhegyi 2001, 333–363), Gátér grave No. 212 and stray find (Kada
1906, 215. 218; Fettich 1926a, 8. 10. X. t. 27, 8. fig. 20), Jászboldogháza (Madaras 1982, 64;

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