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

Armament And Society 387

The demographic analysis of both cemeteries attests that most men died in to

the mature age group, between the age of 50 and 60 (not counting the great

number of deceased infants), and therefore these numbers demonstrate that

the number of weapons follows the line of mortality. The only exception to

this rule is the senile age groups which show an abrupt rise both in Košice–

Šebastovce and Komárno-Shipyard.

The percentage of burials with close combat weapons in the various age

groups in Košice–Šebastovce are as follows:

Age groups Polearm Edged weapon

juvenis 14.28% 0%

adultus 29.16% 8.30%
maturus 25.58% 4.65%

senilis 100% 50%

The percentage of burials with close combat weapons associated with various

age groups in Komárno–Shipyard:

Polearm Edged weapon

juvenis 16.66% 0%
adultus 11.11% 22.22%

maturus 21.74% 26.10%
senilis 33.33% 33.33%

This result is even more striking if we examine the percentage of weapon

deposition patterns associated with the age groups shown in the two dia-

grams. Some instances can distort the picture considerably, such as in the case

of Komárno–Shipyard, where a juvenile boy was buried with a spear resulting

in a very high percentage. Besides such distortions, the diagrams show a ris-

ing percentage of weapon deposition among mature and senile individuals,

the most significant of which being the high rate of senile individuals. A 15 %

increase is observed in the percentage of burials with spearheads between the

juvenile and adult age groups at Košice–Šebastovce.