Thanks very much Iain!
The prevalent trade which came out of North Italy, particularly Venice, was of course likely to carry blades to the North African ports over many years.
It would not be surprising that numbers of surplus old blades may have been carried into the trade centers, and the fact that the broadsword prevailed in Mamluk regions for so long seems to add support to the idea.
Teodor, your theory is of course quite plausible as well, and we know that there were prevalent points of entry in the Maghrebi littoral to the caravan routes which headed southward and eastward across the Sahara. As noted, these routes were indeed controlled by Tuareg tribes.
Ibrahiim, the Ethiopian suggestion and the association of Greek cross with the Coptic Church is well placed. While we know as Iain has mentioned, there were many variations in the decorative style of Greek crosses used through medieval times. There are many subtle nuances and symbolic meanings applied through heraldic interpretations, so it is difficult to determine just how much must be presumed from these embellishments to this very simple cross design.
The cross you show for example is actually known heraldrically as the 'cross moline' and uses the bifurcated arms, but these are more in arched curve than the cross fourchee (forked) used in European parlance as discussed.
The more commonly seen 'cross potent' with straight lined serif at the arm ends is also known as the Jerusalem cross, and may well be aligned with the Coptic traditions you have well described with thier basilica there.
Actually the use of the kaskara, as far as I have known developed in Ethiopia much later than it did in the Sudan. During the early stages of the Mahdist uprising in the 1880s many of the tribesmen, if not even most, were poorly armed and had no swords or weapons other than tools or even rocks to throw. The use of the broadsword likely remained with Mamluks in Egypt and in some degree in the Sennar regions in Sudan where they had become established in slave trade.
There was not as much movement of blades as we are discussing into the Ethiopian regions, certainly not as was entering through Tunis and Alexandria...nor for that matter in the Moroccan ports. The key was that Malta and Cyprus were stops for Meditteranean trade and these locations are noted as likely having presumably significant holdings of surplus with provenance from probably any number of crusade associated campaigns.
Over time many changes in politics or power in areas where long established branches of military orders had once housed arsenals of these weapons had opened these to dispersal and likely brought forth these assemblages of blades etc.
Returning to Iains well placed query on why this blade was in Tuareg mounts rather than as a kaskara. Actually, in one of its earlier incarnations, it most likely was, and quite possibly in service in the Mamluk perameters. In my opinion it may well have entered into the westward trade routes with slave trade activity, probably in the 18th century as evidenced by the early form of Tuareg hilting. It would seem that the use of these broadswords in North Africa was more prevalent in Saharan regions in Chad, Bornu as well as with the Tuaregs and associated tribal confederations...at an earlier time than the widespread use of the kaskara in Sudan. In Egypt and the Sudan the use of broadswords existed of course with Mamluks and upper echelon and ranking individuals, but not with the majority tribal rank and file.
As Teodor has well noted, we're throwing our theories into the ring, and these are simply my own opinions. Its a great discussion!!! Lets keep it going, and of course look forward to thoughts of others out there reading this.
All best regards,
Jim
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