Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 33/4. (2013)
Articles
16 D. TOPAL handle was found in the grave 1 of barrow 6 near Yasnozorje village (Cherkasy region, Ukraine)46 (Pi. 3/1) with its total length of 44 cm. According to the authors of this discovery, most of the grave goods have analogies in 2nd half of 7th c. BC, for example, bilobate arrowheads of Kelermes type, bits with stapes-like endings, bronze pendants etc. Basing on these analogies the terminus post quern of Yasnozorje grave was established as middle 7th c. BC, that is to say 2nd half of 7th c. BC.47 The number of findings associated with well-dated complexes or context is much lower than stray finds. We know just several stray finds from Dnieper region. So, E. V. Cernenko mentions a group of akinakai with bight on the handle from Museum of Dnepropetrovsk (PI. 4/15),4S Kiev State Museum (PI. 4/11), Museum of Poltava (Pi. 4/17).49 Another dagger is stored in the Museum of Dnepropetrovsk, and its provenance is probably connected with the territory of Dnepropetrovsk city (Pi. 4/19), i.e. on the frontier between steppe and forest-steppe regions.50 The most northern find comes from Kiev-Vetrjanye Gory51 (Pi. 4/13). A big group of stray finds of akinakai with bight on the triform handle concentrates in forest-steppes of Volga- Don interfluves (Pi. 2). The dagger with broken blade (the cross section is rhombic form) with median rib and triform shaft handle was found near Staroe Zakharkino (Penza region, Russia)52 (Pi. 4/14). A sword from Museum of Chaplygin was found up North to the city (Pi. 4/6), on the right bank of Ryasa river, in front of ‘Petropavlovskaya pustyn monastery.53 In Í980 a sword with the blade with parallel edges and apparently with remains of the bight on handle54 (Pi. 4/7) was found near Krasnyi Log.55 46 Kovpanenko et al. 1994, 53, 55, fig. 6/1. 47 Skoryj 2003, 35. 48 L. N. Golubchik affirms that this dagger corresponds to the old collection of the museum and belongs to a group of stray finds of Bakhmut county of Ekaterinoslav province (now Artemovsk, Donetsk region). It’s interesting that, besides the bight under the pommel was made an opening (Golubchik 1986, 80, fig. 2/1), probably after the bight was broken (Shkurko 1962, 98). A. I. Shkurko determined terminus ante quem as ‘middle 6th c. BC’ (Shkurko 1962, 100). 49 Shkurko 1962,98-99, fig. 3; Cernenko 1980,12, fig. 6/1-2, 4. 50 Shelekhan 2013, 136, fig. 1. 51 Belozor - Skoryj 1985, 255, fig. 1. 52 Maksimov - Polesskih 1971, 239-240, fig. 1/4. 53 Klokov 1996,126, fig. 4/1. 54 The authors of the first publication mistakenly attributed this exemplar and basing on analogies from Certomlyk, Durovka and Chastye Kurgany (by oval pommel) dated by 4th -3rd c. BC. 55 Kornjushin - Puzikova 1995, 32. An akinakes is stored in Tambov local museum, and it was found in Tambov region (PI. 4/3)56 with broken bight on a handle.57 From Saratov region come two akinakai of Kelermes type: near Vladykino58 (Pi. 4/2) and from Arkadak museum59 (Pi. 4/1). In Voronezh region, near Yaman, in 2010 was found an akinakes with broken bight60 (PI. 4/4). The same article by A. Voroshilov provides a drawing and description of a dagger from Kursk region local museum (PI. 4/10), which was found in this region.61 Its handle consists of three shafts, rounded on the edges and the central of rhombic form.62 Besides that, another early Scythian sword with the bight under the handle is known in Kursk region - from Klyuch63 (Pi. 4/5). The hilt of the sword with the bight from Borisoglebsk (Pi. 4/16) ends with antennae (or, rather volutes),64 that is not so typical for the majority of Kelermes type akinakai.65 Also, here is worth mentioning the broken sword from Yulovskaja volost, Volsk county,66 67 now Saratov region (PI. 4/18)77 Actually the most eastern finding of Kelermes akinakes could be considered a recently published sword from Isakly museum,68 Samara region (PI. 4/8). It’s total length is 51,5 cm, the handle is triform, the haffing plate is butterfly-shaped and under the pommel there is a narrow iron sleeve with a small bight. Other swords and daggers to East of Volga (i.g. Argajash, Lugovsk cemetery, Ushbiyik) 56 Another find from Tambov region (Umyot museum) was mentioned by A. N. Voroshilov in his report on the Conference of young scientists in Moscow (Voroshilov 2013, 92). 57 Klokov - Moiseev 1999, fig. 6/2; Voroshilov 2011, 161, fig. 3. 58 Morzherin 2004, fig. 4; Voroshilov 2011,157, fig. 2/1. 59 Morzherin 2004: fig. 3; Voroshilov 2011,159, fig. 2/2. 60 Voroshilov 2011, 161, fig. 4. 61 Voroshilov 2011, 162, fig. 5/1. 62 Apalkov 1995, 150, fig. 1/4. 63 Apalkov 1992, 69, fig. la. 64 Mulkidzhanjan 1983, 137-139, fig. 1/1. 65 It is well-known a sword from Ä. A. Bobrinsky collection (fig. 5/12) with the pommel decorated with small volutes (Meljukova 1964, fig. 20/1), which is according to some features very closed to Kelermes type. From Southern Bashkortostan near Berlyachevo (fig. 5: 11) comes an akinakes with triform hilt and massive butterfly-shaped halting plate (Smirnov 1961, 20, fig. 3/7), which could be also attributed to Kelermes type, despite the lack of the bight under the pommel. This exemplar also was decorated with pommel in the form of antennae. 66 However, as it turned out, quite another item came from Yulovskaja volost (Maksimov - Polesskih 1971, fig. 2/1), and this sword came from the former local Museum of history and the place of discovering was never known, but one could assume that it was Saratov region (Maksimov - Polesskih 1971,239). 67 Smirnov 1961, fig. 1/5. 68 Denisov 2012, 66, fig. 1.
