The earliest sabers

[TVV]

Originally Posted by HorseNomad

Hello Teodor,

OK, let's see-- well, the first on the left is about right for 8 or 9 century, but not exclusively Bulgar. Second one can't say because of the flash. 3rd one crossguard and blade both look Bulgar 10 century give or take 100 yrs, 4th one is definitely later, probably 13 century and kind of an international form from the Caspian all the way to the Balkans. The last sword is definitely Golden Horde so 13-14 century.
The thing with these ancient sabres is condition. I personally avoid the really corroded or incomplete ones. If there's enough material intact to show details like the form of the guard and the cross-x of the blade, you can pretty well date them but that's kind of rare. And if you find ones that still have the pommel, that's just plain luck.

Tim

Thanks Tim,

I appreciate your comments. According to an archaeologist, who published a catalogue of finds from the VII-Xth centuries in the territory of nowadays Bulgaria, the first three are palashes and the 2nd and 3rd he claims belong to a group associated with Bulgars and Khazars. The 4th one, he claims is Magyar, as it is similar to finds associated with the Magyars. I have to admit, to me it looks similar to the well known Charlemagne sabre, which is considered Magyar. For the last sword, I completely agree that it looks like a Golden Horde one.
I will try to post pictures of more finds from nowadays Bulgaria over the weekend. I am also looking forward to seeing as many other examples in this thread, because as I wrote, these early medieval sabres are my favorites, even if I know too little about them.
Teodor

Dr. Lee's example strikes me as amazingly well preserved.