Sword for identification

[Evgeny_K]

Originally Posted by Iain

This is part of a family of 'cuff' hilted swords common across the Byzantine empire and areas of its influence. The style actually dates back to Samanid period. In later times it can be observed as recently as the 18th century in Omani swords. It was used across a very large area and turns up in everything from medieval Mamluk weapons to early Islamic swords in Syria and Arabia.

Yours conforms broadly to others published in the works by Yotov available online regarding finds in Bulgaria and southern Europe.

I would roughly place this in the 10th to 12th centuries.

The guard looks like it might be on backwards by the way. I had the pleasure to do a short article on another similar sword from Dr. Lee Jones which you can find here: http://iainnorman.com/articles-2/25

Thank you, Iain! Very interesting information! I had seen earlier publications about swords with this type of guard, so this one piqued my interest.
By the way, regarding the guard, if it was turned upside down, it was a very, very long time ago)

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Evgeny_K

Thank you, Iain! Very interesting information! I had seen earlier publications about swords with this type of guard, so this one piqued my interest.
By the way, regarding the guard, if it was turned upside down, it was a very, very long time ago)

Hi Evgeny,

Its possible the guard is in the correct orientation, I don't have the benefit of the sword in hand, typically the cuff over the guard is the "wider" element while the lower half of the guard is more circular to accommodate the grip. With the level of corrosion its hard to see exactly how much has been lost around the blade.

I can send you privately several publications on these if you like. But this is 100 percent what your sword is.

The blade was originally straight of course, but obviously the condition and the centuries have distorted it.

[Evgeny_K]

Originally Posted by Iain

Hi Evgeny,
I can send you privately several publications on these if you like. But this is 100 percent what your sword is.

It will be great, thank you!

[Jim McDougall]

I go along with Iain and his astute reference to the 'cuff' etc.
It seems to me that this resembles a Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) type sword that I saw in a panel of line drawings in a book by Michael Gorelik. In research on the swords of Steppes tribes years ago David Nicolle recommended him, I dont have the book handy so cant recall title.

Similar swords to these are in David Nicolle's works, and there are various types of these in similarity. These tribal groups' history is complex but fascinating and it seems were involved in the evolution of the saber.
I am wondering if the curious curving of the blade on this one has to do with the ceremonial 'killing' of the sword being placed in burials. Not sure of the extent of this practice in these Steppes contexts.

While these swords can in many perspectives be seen as 'Oriental' or 'Asian' they do have aspects that play into European history with respect to the assimilation of these tribes into such populations such as noted in Hungary etc.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

I go along with Iain and his astute reference to the 'cuff' etc.
It seems to me that this resembles a Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) type sword that I saw in a panel of line drawings in a book by Michael Gorelik. In research on the swords of Steppes tribes years ago David Nicolle recommended him, I dont have the book handy so cant recall title.

Similar swords to these are in David Nicolle's works, and there are various types of these in similarity. These tribal groups' history is complex but fascinating and it seems were involved in the evolution of the saber.
I am wondering if the curious curving of the blade on this one has to do with the ceremonial 'killing' of the sword being placed in burials. Not sure of the extent of this practice in these Steppes contexts.

While these swords can in many perspectives be seen as 'Oriental' or 'Asian' they do have aspects that play into European history with respect to the assimilation of these tribes into such populations such as noted in Hungary etc.

This is not a steppes sword or design as we'd classically define it. Rather it filters out of Persia and finds common use among both Islamic and Byzantine forces perhaps as early as the 8th century but certainly by the 9th (see Bashir's Arts of the Islamic Knight for examples) . This one was likely in Crimea because the byzantines controlled the south of the peninsula into the late middle ages. Nothing particularly tribal here. These swords are all over Byzantine wall paintings and art. I've seen them turn up even in Poland. One was uncovered a few years ago there. Just a few references...

Aleksić M. 2010. Some typological features of Byzantine spatha. Зборник радова Византолошког института XLVII, 121-136

Bakradze, I., 2011 Arms and Armory of Georgian Warriors during the 10th - 11th CC. (According to the Archaeological and Written Sources), Works of the Institute of the History of Georgia. Tbilisi, 4. pp. 71–74, 89

Baranov G. V., 2011 Byzantine (Mediterranean) 9th — 11th century swords with sleeve cross-guards, Materials in Archaeology and History of Ancient and Medieval Crimea, Archaeology, History, Numismatics, Sigillography and Epigraphy volume 9 Moscow Tyumen Nizhnevartovsk, 248-283

Bashir M. 2008. The Arts of the Muslim Knight: The Furusiyya Art Foundation Collection. Milano: Skira

Kamburov, S., 2017 Early Medieval “Arabic” Swords in Bulgarian Lands Today, Civilization Boundaries Volume 25, Number 3, 268-297

Rabovyanov, D. 2011, Early Medieval Sword Guards from Bulgaria, Archeologia Bulgarica XV, 2, 73-86

Yotov, V. 2011 A new Byzantine type of swords (7th — 11th centuries). Nish i Vizantiјa IX, 113-124

It's important not to confuse these swords with steppes sabers and blades with a 'tonkou' something entirely different in construction.

[Jim McDougall]

Thanks Iain. Well explained and great references. Forgot about Bashir's book.

[ariel]

Evgeny,
You have the sword in your hands and it is difficult to argue with you about the configuration of the blade.
The impression of recurvature at the distal part of the blade may indeed be an optical illusion due to the axial bend there. But I still get an impression that the proximal 2/3 of the blade do show some saber-like curvature.
Can you put a long straight ruler along the spine from the quillon to the beginning of the bend and see whether there is a gap?
Crimea was populated by multiple ethnicities , from the Golden Horde to Europeans. The pommel does not resemble any “ oriental” example and the deep wide fuller is also, IMHO, not typical for “oriental” blades of 14-16 century or earlier. There are , however 2 Golden Horde swords of the 12th century ( excavated at Tekstilschik and Kairka) with distinctly yataghan-like recurved blades.