Arheološki Vestnik (Jan 2006)
The archer from Carnium
Abstract
The inhabitants of the Late Antiquity fortress of Carniumburied their kith and kin on the plain at the confluence of theSava and the Kokra Rivers throughout the 6th century. A largepart of this cemetery was excavated at the end of the 19th andthe beginning of the 20th century. On July 26th, 1900, JernejPečnik dug out an exceptional grave of a warrior with a sword,23 arrowheads, a hook for quiver suspension and two long knives.The exclusively offensive weaponry indicates the deceased’sparticular status as a warrior. All arrowheads were used to penetratedefensive weaponry, that is scale armour and chain mail. Ofparticular interest among the arrowheads are the trilobate ar-rowheads with a pyramidal tip, tied to the Byzantine weaponry,as well as three new types of arrowheads, which are withoutcontemporary parallels from the Late Antiquity as of yet.The warrior, a member of the upper social classes, couldhave used these arrowheads in the time of the alliance betweenthe Langobardi and the Byzantines. This archer with a swordand two knives was probably buried in the second half of the6th century.
