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Old 21st August 2006, 08:57 PM   #2
ariel
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Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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The oldest yataghan as we know it, is from the 16th century (not counting those kept in Croatian museums, and I could never find a pic, just a brief, nonchalant mention).
Shashkas, to the best of my knowledge, were in use before that. I do not think shashkas derive from yataghans. Yataghans are peculiar to Turkey, ie vicinity of the Caucasus. No other shere of influence of the Ottoman Empire had a native sword resembling it (with the exception, of course, of the typical Turkish Yataghans manufactured elsewhere), and the Central Asian swords (whence the Turks came in ~ 12th century) also have no similar tradition. My guess that shashka and yataghan either developed in parallel in the Caucasian region (broadly speaking) or the Yataghan borrowed the idea from shashka. Of course, the recurved blade of the Yataghan came from elsewhere: Greek Kopis? Indian swords? Was it invented by the Turks as a mix between the two traditions?

Rivkin is correct: the hilt form is very old and likely started when people began to use bones for the hilts (an ideal material, already with the hole, good diameter etc). And, of course, I also do not believe that the eared shashka was ever intended to be used as a support for the muskets: not many muskets were available in the 15-16th centuries in that area and the slit on Cirkassian shashkas (the original shashkas!) was far too narrow for the barrel.
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