Edged Weapons 253
phase, such as the cast copper alloy crossguard from grave X at Tarnaméra–
Urak-dűlő which is covered with silver sheet,345 and the crossguards of the
sabres from Kiskunfélegyháza–Pákapuszta346 and Kiskassa347 which have gold
and copper foil. Gold or silver coverings were also known from contemporary
Eastern Europe on local short rhombic crossguards.348
All known crossguards of this type are dated to the Middle phase. The
gold or silver covering were not especially robust and therefore they can be
regarded as ostentatious weapons, all of which were found in elite male buri-
als, suggesting they probably had a particular social significance.349 Some of
these crossguards were also found on strongly curved blades.350
All of the known star-shaped crossguards with gold or silver covering
were found in Transdanubia, five of the six pieces from the eastern part of
Transdanubia (Fejér county), while the sabres from Gyenesdiás351 and Kehida352
are from western Transdanubia (Zala county). According to some theories the
concentration of this type in eastern Transdanubia suggests a local centre of
power,353 however, this has not been proved by other classes of data.
2.2.3 Regular Star-shaped Crossguards Made of Iron (CG.5.b)
These crossguards are usually short, with a regular rhombic central part and
with rounded ends placed over an iron spacer, their shape being oval in plan.
Their length is usually around 6 cm, their width around 4 cm (map 43, fig. 93/2).
Nineteen examples of this variant are known, their shape being identical
to those crossguards covered with gold or silver sheets. Such crossguards are
345 Szabó 1965, VIII. t. 1.
346 László 1955, 236, LXIX. t. 23; Simon 1991, 295; Garam 1991a, 143–144, 10. kép; Balogh 2002,
307.
347 Hampel 1897, 144; CXLVII; Hampel 1905. III, Taf. 276.
348 The crossguards of Voznesenka (Smilenko 1965, 107, Ris. 38; Bálint 1989, 94) and Jasinova
(Pósta 1905, 266–270; Erdélyi 1982, 37, 12. kép) are dated to the second half of the 7th cen-
tury (Komar 2006, 124).
349 Bóna 1971a, 247–248; Bóna 1984a, 325.
350 Gyenesdiás–Algyenes grave No. 64 (Müller 1989, Abb. 2, 143–147, Abb. 3–5); Igar–
Vámszőlőhegy, Petőfi u. 56. grave No. III (Marosi 1931, 6–7; Fülöp 1987, 17, 8. ábra; Fülöp
1988, 167–168, Abb. 14); Kehidakustyán–Kehida, Központi Tsz-major grave No. 61 (Szőke
2002, 75, 11).
351 Gyenesdiás–Algyenes grave No. 64 (Müller 1989, Abb. 2, 143–147, Abb. 3–5).
352 Kehidakustyán–Kehida, Központi Tsz-major grave No. 61 (Szőke 2002, 75, 11).
353 Bóna 1971a, 247–248 (31–32); Bóna 1984a, 325).