Huge southeast european battle axe

[kronckew]

Looks like a good light (for it's size) thin battle blade, the thickening near the edge looks like an inserted harder high carbon steel edge in the lower carbon main body, or a harder blade section hammer welded to the rest..

It could be carbon dated but that's fairly expensive.

[AHorsa]

Thank you Kronckew! Sounds good
The blade just appears thicker on the image because this part is nearer to the camera. But I think it could be another steel anyway as this part is not that affected by the rust pattern as the other half of the axe.

[shayde78]

Originally Posted by kronckew

Looks like a good light (for it's size) thin battle blade, the thickening near the edge looks like an inserted harder high carbon steel edge in the lower carbon main body, or a harder blade section hammer welded to the rest..

It could be carbon dated but that's fairly expensive.

Can non-organic material be carbon dated?

[kronckew]

In spite of the first couple of Googled sources that say no, you can.

Radio Carbon Dating of Iron Objects

[Victrix]

The Franks used battle axes as well. Charlemagne expanded Christianity in the Pannonian region. Hence the Germanic/Gothic influence in that part of the world. Byzance through Constantinople exerted influence further South in South-Eastern Europe.

It would be interesting to learn more about Byzantic arms and armour, and how this is different (if it is) from Western European items. An obvious differentiating factor would be religious symbols (Greek Orthodox vs Catholic Latin) and linguistic inscriptions (Greek of East Rome vs Latin of West Rome). A complicating factor could be that I understand that Constantinople used foreign mercenaries extensively, and these may have used their own personal arms and armour.

[AHorsa]

Nice find Victrix!
Do you know more about this statue? Looks somehow romanticizing?

Cheers
Andreas

Originally Posted by Victrix

The Franks used battle axes as well. Charlemagne expanded Christianity in the Pannonian region. Hence the Germanic/Gothic influence in that part of the world. Byzance through Constantinople exerted influence further South in South-Eastern Europe.

It would be interesting to learn more about Byzantic arms and armour, and how this is different (if it is) from Western European items. An obvious differentiating factor would be religious symbols (Greek Orthodox vs Catholic Latin) and linguistic inscriptions (Greek of East Rome vs Latin of West Rome). A complicating factor could be that I understand that Constantinople used foreign mercenaries extensively, and these may have used their own personal arms and armour.

[Victrix]

Originally Posted by AHorsa

Nice find Victrix!
Do you know more about this statue? Looks somehow romanticizing?

Cheers
Andreas

Statue of Charles Martel at château de Versailles in France, 19thC.

Read an article about Charles Martel, saw the illustration, spotted the axe.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by Victrix

Statue of Charles Martel at château de Versailles in France, 19thC.

Read an article about Charles Martel, saw the illustration, spotted the axe.

Karl der Hammer was essentially 'German'