From the lack of responses on the remains of this knife I gather that the rest of you are just as unsure of what it exactly is, as I am.
The reason for my inquiry is a little deeper than a mere identification, though. You see, similar knives, which resemble Bichaqs get excavated all the time in Bulgaria, along with makhairas, who have a variety of shapes and forms, some very close to later karakulaks.
However, these excavated knives have some distinct features, such as the pommel on this one, which make them different from the 18-19th century examples, and I am yet to see one that is actually well preserved. This means that these are most likely all ancient daggers, dating back to Roman times, confirming what the "amateur archaeologists" who dig them out claim.
If so, then there is a possibility that while certain forms came with the Ottomans, other forms were actually local ones and adopted by the Ottomans later.
But this is all speculation, and it would be great if someone actually recognizes and identifies this dagger.
Best regards,
Teodor
|