Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 30/1. (2010)
Articles
Some Considerations Concerning the Weapons during the Great Migrations 155 as a form of Sarmatic and/or Roman inspiration, but keep long dimensions characteristic to Germanic weapons. Thus typical examples are the four swords from Noslac (Alba County), with most suitable analogies from Merovingian cemeteries.12 The wooden handle has no hilt guard. The sheath was also made of wood and only in one case was decorated with bronze plates. M. Rusu believes that the lack of clearance mid-ditch of the blade and of the hilt guard shows that swords were produced in a local workshop, after a foreign model. An interesting piece is the sword of the warrior’s tomb from Valea lui Mihai (Hungarian: Érmihályfalva, Bihor County). The spatha has a silver buterola decorated with three garnets, and an ornamental plate from the mouth of the sheath, decorated with eight garnets and Kerbschnitt technique shows that we are dealing with a leading combatant.13 Also the princely tomb at Apahida II had in inventory a spatha most likely a sign of the character’s rank.14 Other swords whole or in fragmentary state were found in Iasi-Mco/ma.15 Spearheads were found in most cases together with shield umbones, respectively swords, being a basic piece of offensive weaponry to both the Romans and migratory populations (Ostrogoths and Visigoths frequently used long spears as cavalry equipment, habit „borrowed” from vandals). The most representative specimens were found at: lasi-Nicolina, Lectani (Iasi County),16 Reci (Covasna County),17 and Tärgu Mures (Mures County). Another rather common weapon during the great migrations, were the axes, present at almost all the peoples of Europe. In the north- Danube space beside arrowheads (which cannot be considered individual weapons), axes are the most common weapons in the inventory of graves. Such axes of different sizes were found at: Ciumbrud (Cluj County),18 Fäntänele-Raf (Bistrita-Näsäud County),19 lasi-Nicolina, Hänesti (Botosani County),20 Podeni (Botosani County)21 and Spinoasa (Iasi County).22 Finally, we cannot conclude the presentation of the types of offensive and defensive weapons, without speaking about a unique artefact in Romania: the helmet guard from Concesti (Fig. I).23 The artefact belongs to the so called late Roman helmets, which make their Fig. 1. The helmet from Concesti. 12 Rusu 1962,275. 13 Roska 1932, 69-72; Stanciu 1997, 167-209. 14 Horedt-Protase 1972, 174-220. 15 Ionitä 1985, 35; Petrescu 2002, 159. 16 Blo?iu 1975, 203-275; Petrescu 2002, 173. 17 Székely 1969, 297-316; Cavruc 2000, 210. 18 Kokowski 1993 n.6; Kazanski 1994, 482. 19 Marinescu-Gaiu 1989, 125. 20 Zaharia-Petrescu-Dämbovita 1970, 245; Zaharia et al. 1993, 151-190; Petrescu 2002, 147. 21 Petrescu 2002, 209. 22 Zaharia-Petrescu-Dämbovita 1970,245. 23 Harhoiu 1997, 50.
