Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 25th February 2007, 11:14 PM

Hi Barrett,
Interesting query you have posted, though it would be more approachable if you could be a little more specific. It would also be helpful to know what your perspective is on your search for information on these Romanian weapons.
Also, it is very helpful to know what progress you might have made already so that those who do respond do not duplicate what you already have.
The emphasis here is on sharing information so that we can all learn together and as noted, your topic is very interesting.

It would seem that the weapons of Bronze Age Europe and Asia have actually become an important factor in the study of the development of many ethnographic weapons as they are often key in thier heritage. One can see many similarities imbued in not only design elements and blade shapes, but often in symbolism in motif and markings that have quite ancient ancestry.

If you are searching for excavated examples of the weapons found in Romania, you are most likely directed toward archaeological resources and possibly contacting publications such as "Archaeology" magazine might offer some material on the subject . Although general in scope, Ewart Oakeshott's venerable work "The Archaeology of Weapons" (N.Y.1960) provides some very intriguing overview on the history and development of the weapons developing from the bronze into the iron age in these regions. I believe that the already mentioned Dacians, who were actually a branch of the Thracian culture would be key in focus and other cultures which diffused into these regions were the Illyrians from the south, the Scythians from the east and the Celts from the west. Via the Celtic influx, we might presume that swords and weapons of the iron age Hallstadt culture (with origins in Bronze age forms) may have entered the material culture of the early Romanians.

Sir Richard Burton in "The Book of the Sword" (1884), discusses the Dacian sword of the much later period of Roman times, but also refers to a bronze sword (p.262) held in the Berlin museum said to have been found at Pella in Macedonia, and suggests it may be actually from the Rhine Valley, also of course, Danubian ("Die Bronze-schwerter des K.Mus. zu Berlin" Bastian & A.Voss, 1878, p.56).He also notes the Hallstadt cemetarial excavations which provided key examples of bronze age and early iron age weapons attributed to Danubian-Keltic Alanni or Norician Taurisci.

I think that the more information and support that is presented and analyzed to corroborate material, the more likely is its validity. We always presume that any establishment such as a museum would responsibly display artifacts and note whether items are authentic or representative reproductions.

I hope this will be of some help, and might provide some ideas for you to further your research.

Best regards,
Jim

25th February 2007, 11:14 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	Hi Barrett, Interesting query you have posted, though it would be more approachable if you could be a little more specific. It would also be helpful to know what your perspective is on your search for information on these Romanian weapons. Also, it is very helpful to know what progress you might have made already so that those who do respond do not duplicate what you already have. The emphasis here is on sharing information so that we can all learn together and as noted, your topic is very interesting. It would seem that the weapons of Bronze Age Europe and Asia have actually become an important factor in the study of the development of many ethnographic weapons as they are often key in thier heritage. One can see many similarities imbued in not only design elements and blade shapes, but often in symbolism in motif and markings that have quite ancient ancestry. If you are searching for excavated examples of the weapons found in Romania, you are most likely directed toward archaeological resources and possibly contacting publications such as "Archaeology" magazine might offer some material on the subject . Although general in scope, Ewart Oakeshott's venerable work "The Archaeology of Weapons" (N.Y.1960) provides some very intriguing overview on the history and development of the weapons developing from the bronze into the iron age in these regions. I believe that the already mentioned Dacians, who were actually a branch of the Thracian culture would be key in focus and other cultures which diffused into these regions were the Illyrians from the south, the Scythians from the east and the Celts from the west. Via the Celtic influx, we might presume that swords and weapons of the iron age Hallstadt culture (with origins in Bronze age forms) may have entered the material culture of the early Romanians. Sir Richard Burton in "The Book of the Sword" (1884), discusses the Dacian sword of the much later period of Roman times, but also refers to a bronze sword (p.262) held in the Berlin museum said to have been found at Pella in Macedonia, and suggests it may be actually from the Rhine Valley, also of course, Danubian ("Die Bronze-schwerter des K.Mus. zu Berlin" Bastian & A.Voss, 1878, p.56).He also notes the Hallstadt cemetarial excavations which provided key examples of bronze age and early iron age weapons attributed to Danubian-Keltic Alanni or Norician Taurisci. I think that the more information and support that is presented and analyzed to corroborate material, the more likely is its validity. We always presume that any establishment such as a museum would responsibly display artifacts and note whether items are authentic or representative reproductions. I hope this will be of some help, and might provide some ideas for you to further your research. Best regards, Jim