Longfellow,
Just wanted to agree with your very astute and well placed observation. While it is extremely exciting to at last have pictorial evidence showing one of these mysterious sabres being worn by an individual of an identifiable group, it is by no means conclusive as to the origins of these weapons.
It is well known these geopolitical regions were constantly in flux , and various groups were diffused continually into other areas, so your note on the possibility of these weapons being introduced to the Laz from elsewhere has key plausibility.
The most important factor in this new evidence is that it soundly places these weapons in this cultural sphere and suggests against previous claims to North African ancestry for them.
Best regards,
Jim
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