Middle Byzantine period weapons from the collections of the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest (also) used in Byzantium

Abstract

The authors of the paper focus on a separate arched sleeve cross-guard of a sword, and three combat pickaxe heads with spear-like blades and blunt butts from the collections of the National Museum of Romanian History (MNIR) in Bucharest. The separate sleeve cross-guard was found in the Byzantine fortress of Dinogetia (Garvăn – Bisericuţa, Tulcea County, Romania ; inventory number 17339 at the MNIR). The aforementioned combat pickaxe heads come from the hoards of Dragosloveni (Vrancea County, Romania ; inventory numbers 69469 and 69470 at the MNIR) and Radovanu (Călăraşi County, Romania ; inventory number 102318 at the MNIR). The paper discusses the origin, dating, and archaeological context of the examined weapons. Analogies to the arched sleeve cross-guard from Garvăn – Bisericuţa might particularly have been used in the Byzantine Empire and the neighbouring regions from the second half of the 8th century to the 9th century, however its important features – the collar, the (pointed) quillon bent towards the sword blade, and the arched sleeve – can be identified on swords from the Menologion of Basil II (between 979– 989 and 1001– 1016) as well. The three mentioned combat pickaxe heads with spear-like blades and blunt butts fall into the Danubian axe type from the territory of the Lower Danube region. The dating of this type is based on the dating of the mentioned hoards, i. e. ca. the 10th century.

Keywords

• middle byzantine period
• arched sleeve cross-guard of a sword
• byzantine empire
• combat pickaxe