Istvánovits Eszter (szerk.): A nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 55. (Nyíregyháza, 2013)
A 2010. október 11-14. között Nyíregyházán és Szatmárnémetiben megtartott Vándorló és letelepült barbárok a kárpáti régióban és a szomszédos területeken (I-V. század) Új leletek, új értelmezések című nemzetközi régészeti konferencia anyagai - Renata Madyda-Leugutko et al.: Új adatok a Felső-San-vidék római kori kulturális helyzetéhez
Magic sword pendants scabbards but also by other, local elements of armament and equipment (e.g. lavishly decorated silver bosses of Lilla Harg-Herpály-Thorsberg type). Referring to the remarks from the first part of this paper it should be concluded that in the 3rd century the armament of the Romans and of the elite of some peoples inhabiting the Barbaricum included swords with hilts manufactured using decorative elements made of glass or semi-precious stones. However, there is no evidence that magic pendants were attached to the scabbards in that period. It is difficult to identify the factors which accounted for the appearance of the hilts in question. The impulse came most likely from the East, as it is evidenced by finds from the territories occupied by Sarmatian tribes. In particular, one can mention grave inventories of the Sarmatian elite in the Pontic area which included swords with decorative pommels of the discussed type (Sarov 2003.). The above impulse might have reached Roman soldiers in Pontic garrisons and then spread into other provinces of the Empire. Undoubtedly, it reached the North European Barbaricum as well (Anke 1998. 99-100, Carnap-Bornheim 2003. 373). It was most likely under these influences that Germanic elite started to use swords with decorative hilts, including swords with the pommels which have so far been interpreted as sword pendants, so-called “Schwertperlen”. One cannot exclude that oriental influences, especially at the transition between the 3rd and 4th century, are also reflected in more and more refined and lavish techniques of ornamentation, applied to decorate swords as well. A good example is a sword in a scabbard from Silistra, lavishly decorated in niello, filigree, granulation and with framed semi-precious stones (cabochons) (Dumanov 2005.). It should also be mentioned here that the discussed hilts with pommels made of semi-precious stones, glass and amber were still in use among steppe peoples in the 4th and 5lh centuries, while in the European Barbaricum they were phased out in favour of new forms. These comprised hilts made from profiled metal bands, the younger forms, often cast, hour-glass shaped, or wooden and horn forms at the Nydam-Evebo type (Bemmann-Bemmann1998. PI. 56: 445). Beside them, the assemblages from graves or from moor-finds yielded the original magic sword pendants as well. They were recorded, among other places, in sumptuous elite graves from the 5th century containing Goldgrifspatha type swords, for example, from the cemetery of Basel-Kleinhiiningen, grave 63 (Giesler 1997. 219). At least some of them may probably be connected with Hunnic influences (Jakuszowice) (Fig. 6). Fig. 6 Jakuszowice (Muzeum Archeologiczne w Krakowie) (Photo M. Biborski) 6. kép Jakuszowice (Krakkói Régészeti Múzeum) (M. Biborski felvétele) References Anke 1998. Bodo Anke: Studien zur reitemomadischen Kultur des 4. bis 5 Jahrhunderts. Beiträge zur Ur- und Frühgeschichte Mitteleuropas 8. Beier & Beran. Archäologische Fachliteratur, Weissbach 1998. Béal-Feugére 1987. Jean-Claude Béal - Michel Feugére: Épées miniatures á fourreau en os, d’époque romaine. Germania 65. 1987. 89—105. 427
