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This module contains an unsystematic
collection of bi-metal sword pictures plus whatever information is available.
This is usually not all that much because almost all pictures show
unprovenanced swords, found in the antiquity trade. |
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First some pictures of bi-metal
swords that I have already presented elsewhere in this Hyperscript: |
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Left: Auction catalogue;
identified as Luristani, 1000 BC.
Middle: Teheran
Museum, dated to probably 1000 BC. From Khorasani's book. "Not excavated,
confiscated".
Right: The
"Essen" sword investigated and (wrongly) assigned to 1200 BC Hittite
by Yalcin. Provenance is given as "?"; i.e. it was not excavated.
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Two more swords from unclear sources: |
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Left: From somewhere in the
Internet without identification and description. Probably not from an
excavation
Right: Acquired
at an auction and donated to the Brussels Royal Museum of History and Art. It
is also an example of a "cotton
reel pommel" sword. |
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Next three remarkably well preserved
examples offered at an auction (Timeline) in Feb. 2021 and obviously not
excavated: |
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Three bi-metallic swords offered at an auction
in Feb. 2021.
Described as "Western Asiatic Luristan Swords" |
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The sword in the middle shows traces
of (mineralized) wood from the sheath on the blade. This might allow to
determine the age of the wood (and thus possibly an educated guess at the age
of the blade) except that (German) institutes capable of doing advanced
radiocarbon dating will not touch "unprovenanced" objects because the
German "Kulturgutschutzgesetz"
interferes. |
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Here are all the pictures of
bi-metallic swords I found in the scientific literature with the relevant
figure caption |
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Left: From H. Tsumoto's article: "The
Urartian sword: its origin, distribution and political background. Bulletine of
the Society for Near Eastern Studies in Japan vol. LII No. 1, pp. 119-137 (in
Japanese)". We might assume that is from a dig but who knows.
Right: From
Piller's article. The sword comes from the
"market", i.e. not from a dig. |
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Once more: Not scientifically
excavated. Obviously no good picture of an excavated one was available for the
article. |
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That's it in June 20121. I do not
claim that there are not more bi-metallic swords around, in museums as well as
in private hands. There certainly are. I do claim, however, that they are not
ubiquitous and that most of them come from unscientific digs. I also claim that
just one (the "Essen" sword) has ever been metallographically
analyzed. |
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Given the importance of these swords
for understanding the development of early iron technology, it follows: |
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We must move these swords from
private hands into the public
domain (i.e. suitable museums)
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Now some new findings |
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Timeline Auction, Sept. 2019. Described as:
Western Asiatic Luristan Bronze Hilted Long Sword; 8 - 7th century BC; 77 cm
long |
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On sale (June 20121) by Ancient & Oriental in
London. Described as:
"Large Luristan Bronze Sword with Iron Blade. Date: Circa 1800-600
BC" |
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All these swords must have been very
expensive show-off items for the rich and mighty. It is surprising, up to a
point, that none bears an inscription giving the name of its owner. Could it be
that these swords were so rare and distinctive that this was unnecessary since
all and sundry new that this was King Assur Slimeball's famous sword? |
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Next we have two
good ones: |
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Left: "A North-West Persian Iron
Sword; early first millennium BC"; recently sold by Christies (together
with the bronze sword)
Right: A uncommented pictures from a sword lovers blog. Remarkably well
preserved and with a "double disc
pommel" hilt |
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The hilt of the one on the right
looks rather like the one of the British Museum
pastche |
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So, yes, bi-metal swords (and
daggers) were plentiful, sort of. There might be as many as Luristan mask
swords (around a 100) or even some more floating around in the
"market".
Here are two swords that came up in a recent auctions: |
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Offered at an auctions (Catawiki) in June 2021
Described as: Bronze Age Iron Extremely large Luristan sword -
830×45×3 mm |
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Sold at an auction by Catawiki. Described as:
"Rare Bronze and Iron Sword - 51.7×6.3×4.2 cm" |
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Next some short bi-metal swords or
daggers: |
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| Found on the Internet page "Ancient to
Medieval (And Slightly Later) History"; Nov. 2013. Described as:"
Persian Bronze and Iron Short Swords, Late 2nd - early 1st Millennium BC"
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The next one is on sale by Hermann
Historica in June 2021. It's blade is heavily corroded but the hilt is a bit
unusual and richly decorated |
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| Described as: "Eisenschwert mit Bronzegriff;
Luristan,. 9. - 8. Jhdt. v. Chr. |
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I still have to see a bi-metal sword
being displayed in a museum, though. It is a bit curious that many Luristan
mask swords have .made it from the market
to museums (by donations or outright buying) but obviously not many bi-metal
swords.
I also still need to see a bi-metalic sword that was excavated. Well - here it
is (perhaps): |
© H. Föll (Iron, Steel and Swords script)
With frame
Books and Other Major Sources