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Old 21st October 2005, 01:03 PM   #1
Miyamoto
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 44
Default Antique blade... roman, celtic, iliria?

Hello!

And there goes another gem of my collection. This is an antique blade. I would say somwhere in between 500 b.c and 300 a.c. I'm unable to tell if it is a roman (maybe ceremonia, it is not a pugiol), ilirian (i do not think so, 'cos they had not known what iron is, since they moved to Albania and start building thoose bunkers ) or Norik-celtic. The two ornaments seems to be bronze with some mixture of gold, maybe 4 to 5 karats. However, I never saw anything of that style before. The total lenght is 28 cm (11 inches). I assume that it was a dagger of somekind, but i'm not excluding it to be a short sword 'cos a large portion of the point could be missing.

I've bought it several years ago from a local here in Slovenia (Central Europe) It was found in near Ajdovscina (roman name Castrum at Frigidum) wich was a verry important roman outpost during the whole imperial era. It lies in the center of theVipava valley wich was the border (Postumia, famous for the caves) between the West and East Roman Empire for about a century. Here the biggest battle between the two empires took place. Before it was a important trade post of the Norik state, later Roman Norik province. (and even before Norik ther was some Ilirians here and there.)

What do you think?
Any thoughts?
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Last edited by Miyamoto; 21st October 2005 at 03:40 PM.
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