Edged Weapons 245
cited Sassanian swords with similar hilts from the 7th century,294 although the
sword from Šebastovce is dated to the 8th century. Finger support is also known
from the Eastern European steppes of the 9th–10th century but of a different
technique, utilising rivets rather than plate.295 The hilt of the Šebastovce sword
is instead similar to the Sassanian swords, although their hilt was entirely cov-
ered with gold foil296 and there is a considerable chronological and geographi-
cal distance between the respective weapons.
Bone coverings of the hilt are extremely rare on Avar-age edged weapons,
with only three such examples known.297 Of note is the hilt covering of the
sabre from Berettyóújfalu which was decorated with dot-circle ornament.
Bone covering of sabre hilts was much more common on 10th century sabres
of the Carpathian Basin.
2.2 The Crossguard
Crossguards are fixed to the stem of the blade, and they could have served vari-
ous functions: a crossguard could hinder the slip of the enemy’s blade and pro-
tect the hand of the edged weapon’s user, whereas in other cases it was only
used as a stop to hinder the blade damaging the scabbard.
Avar-age crossguards can be classified by their form and manufacture into
six major types and several variants. The Early Avar period is characterised by
a lack of these crossguards on edged weapons, and therefore very few early
examples are known. Crossguards formed of two iron rods (CG.1)298 were iden-
tified by László Simon, which he termed variant ‘A/1’ (fig. 91/1).299 Both of the
known examples date to the Early phase. Crossguards made of flat oval iron
294 Budinský-Krička – Točík 1984, 174, Obr. 1.
295 From Saltovo cemetery: 1st catacomb of the excavations of 1911 of Babenko (Zakharov –
Arendt 1935, 19. 6. kép, III. tábla 1; Merpert 1955, 134. Ris. 1/5), Kuban-region (Ethnographic
Museum of Vienna) (Zakharov – Arendt 1935, 50. VI/12. Zagrebinj (Zakharov – Arendt
1935, III. tábla 3), Eshkakon (Kuznetsov – Runich 1974, 196–202; Bálint 1989, 32. Abb. 11).
Similar rivets are on the hilt of the sabre from grave No. 11 of Karos IInd cemetery (Révész
1996, 180. 241. 19. ábra).
296 Bálint 1978, 173–177; Overlaet 1993, 93; Overlaet 2006, 191–192.
297 Berettyóújfalu–Nagy Bócs dűlő (Dani – Szilágyi – Szelekovszky – Czifra – Kisjuhász 2006,
16), Pókaszepetk–Mesterföldek, Avar utca grave No. 332 (Sós – Salamon 1995, 166–167.
Pl. XX); Szeged–Fehértó B cemetery, grave No. 29l (Csallány 1946–48, 352–353; Madaras
1995b, Pl. 5/4–5).
298 Biharkeresztes–Lencséshát (Mesterházy 1987, 222, 6. kép/1–2); Újfehértó–Tálas dűlő
(Bóna 1986b, 80, 90. 292. j; Sipos 1987, 28. 30; Simon 1991, 310).
299 Simon 1991, 274.