REALLY UNIQUE? ON THE SWORDS IN THE WEST BALT CIRCLE

• Authors: Kontny Bartosz
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The paper deals with the problem of swords in the West Balt Circle. It has been stated that they lack here almost entirely, with the exception for several swords known. The author opposes such idea, showing new materials proving the usage of swords in the Balt cultural milieu, specifically swords from bog sacrificial sites (Wólka, Czaszkowo) and elements of swords’ scabbards, fittings of baldric belts aimed to hang the scabbard, or sword’s handle fitting discovered in graves without swords themselves. That phenomenon is observed both in the Roman (the Bogaczewo culture and Dollkeim-Kovrovo culture) and Migration Period (the Olsztyn group). It seems to prove that Balts frequently avoided placement of swords in graves what could be expressed by the value of swords (see long usage of broken and then sharpened swords) or ritual matters/beliefs.

Keywords

EN

SWORD; WEAPONS; WEST BALT CIRCLE; ROMAN PERIOD; MIGRATION PERIOD

• Publisher: Slovak Academy of Sciences, Archaeological Institute
• Journal: Študijné zvesti
• Year: 2017
• Issue: 61
• Pages: 85 - 116

Contributors

author

Kontny Bartosz

• Institute of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, PL – 00–927 Warszawa, Poland