A middle La Tène Period sword from the Museum of Durrës, Albania

Abstract

The present paper examines a sword dated in the La Tène Period, currently exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Durrës, Albania. According to the scientific staff of the Museum the archaeological context of the sword has not been specified but the blade had been found in the necropolis of the city. The analysis of the sword is based on its typological features but also the historical, the archaeological and ethnological aspects of the region had been taken into consideration. The most significant feature of the blade is of course the bending. This feature led us to correlate the examined object with the Celts, who practiced this ritual of the intentional destruction “killing” a weapon. This is the first folded sword which had been found in the territory of the modern-day Albania.

Keywords

• Durrës
• Museum
• sword
• weapons
• Celts
• La Tène