Dacian Swords (Other than the Falx)

[crandell]

Dacian Swords (Other than the Falx)


Although in reconstructions (in pictures and among reenactors) a major emphasis is put on the falx, based on archaeological finds (not including representations on coins and works of art), this weapon seems to have been used quite little. In fact there have been about 10 actual falxes found to date (of which a few are suspected to be modern forgeries). The most common sword-like weapons are celtic swords, the gladius type with ring pummel, and the "fighting knife" (at ca. 60cm length). This misconception is often based on the fact that on Trajan's column, the falx is the most seen Dacian weapon. There are various theories as to why this is, but it is likely to do with a Roman practice of stereotyping ethnic groups and individuals in artworks so that the general public could easily recognise who was being portrayed. Regarding the use of the falx, it is generally assumed that this was used by front line soldiers to break up enemy lines so that the next line of soldiers with more conventional weapons could more easily come in and fight. So, not likely a Dacian elite warrior or nobleman's weapon. It should be noted as well for reenactors, that on the Adamclisi monument the falx men all appear to be topless (some deteriorated images may depict falx men with shirts), yet on the column they (and everyone else) is fully dressed.

For a recent public reenactment event of Dacian and Roman era, I made some Dacian weapons, including a ring gladius and a 60cm fighting knife. They were based on examples found in area around the Dacian capital in the Sureanu Mountains. The diagram "01-ringsword-1.jpg" shows a relatively complete sword (the tip was broken off). Diagram "02-ringsword-1b.jpg" shows a detail of the ring pummel. This find was interesting because it was found with a piece of leather still attached to the handle. I tried wrapping leather around the bare metal handle of my reconstruction and it held on great without any glue. I tucked in the end of the leather band underneath itself and it hasn't come undone yet. The diagrams in "03-dacian_swords.jpg" show some other Dacian swords, including a falx (object 1) and a relatively complete fighting knife (object 4). The scales are shown on all the diagrams as a scale bar where one black or white rectangle is 1cm. The originals show in these diagrams are now on display in the national history museum in Cluj-Napoca (Romania). Here's a photo of the exhibition ("04-Dacian_Weapons.jpg"). (Sorry, but I couldn't find a photo from the exhibition, so I used this one from Wikipedia.)

The photo "05-dacian_swords-reconstr.jpg" shows (from top to botton) the ring gladius, the fighting knife, and normal knife. The wooden pieces are the hand guards (incase it isn't obvious). The photo "06-ringsword-reconstr.jpg" shows the finished ring gladius. Photos "07-forge-1.jpg", "08-forge-2.jpg", "09-forge-3.jpg", and "10-forge-4.jpg" show me working at the temporary mini-forge that me and a friend set up at the event.

The photo "12-Cricau-forge.jpg" shows a forge and Dacian smith from another public demonstration at Cricau, Alba county and "13-Cricau-falx.jpg" shows a Dacian nobleman (also at Cricau) with the more well known falx and oval shield.

If anyone wants more details, let me know.



Cotis
(m.k.a. Otis Crandell)


Figures:


Figure 1 - Dacian Ringsword


Figure 2 - Dacian Ringsword (detail)


Figure 3 - Dacian Swords


Figure 4 - Dacian Weapons


Figure 5 - Reconstructed Weapons


Figure 6 - Reconstructed Ring Gladius


Figure 7 - Forge 1


Figure 8 - Forge 2


Figure 9 - Forge 3


Figure 10 - Forge 4


Figure 11 - Dacians


Figure 12 - Forge at Cricau


Figure 13 - Dacian with a Falx


NOTE: Since the server upgrade, it appears that the images can't load, so i switched them to BBCode instead.

[crandell]

More pictures.

[crandell]

Yet more pictures.

[Quintus Aurelius Lepidus]

interesting!

I was just talking about dacians in another topic.

[Virtus Probi Invicti]

Very interesting posts, Otis.
I think that your idea that the Romans seized on the falx as a convenient visual cue that would identify a person in a work of art as a Dacian, even if that was not their most typical weapon, is a good one. Reminds me a little of the Roman use of the bashlyk cap as a convenient visual shorthand for identifying a figure as being from the "East", even though such headgear was not worn by every person from Asia Minor on east.
It is interesting to me that the Adamclisi metopes show the Dacian wielding falxes, though. Being so close to the area of the conflict, one might expect that the artistans would have been familiar with what weapons the Dacians actually used. But, that doesn't mean that the falxes were not still being used as an identifier, to clearly separate the Romans and Dacians, despite the actual falxes being relatively rare.
Is it possible that the falx was common, but only for a short period of time, leading to few actual finds of the weapon?
Good topic!

[crandell]

Is it possible that the falx was common, but only for a short period of time, leading to few actual finds of the weapon?

It's possible. Very little is known about the falx from archaeological excavations. Most of what is known is from depictions of them.

[M. Demetrius]

What is known from this thread is that the guy with the nicer clothing gets the girl. That should count for a lot, yes?
:wink:

[Paullus Scipio]

Otis wrote:

This misconception is often based on the fact that on Trajan's column, the falx is the most seen Dacian weapon.

Bill wrote:

I think that your idea that the Romans seized on the falx as a convenient visual cue that would identify a person in a work of art as a Dacian, even if that was not their most typical weapon, is a good one.

Aaaarrr....rrr.....gh!! :evil: ....will this myth never die? I am assuming that by "Falx" you are referring to the two-handed, inward curving cutting weapon.
I have been pointing out the following to people for over 30 years now...

1. Both on Trajan's Column and on the Adamklissi monument, three distinct 'ethnic groups' are portrayed, usually identified as Dacians, Sarmations(Rox-Alani) and Bastarnae

2. Neither on the Column, nor on the monument, is a Dacian shown wielding a two-handed Falx, in fact the two-handed Falx is not shown on the Column at all!! ( though the two-handed Falx does appear among the 'trophies' shown life-sized on the Column base, and Decebelus takes his life with a curved knife, and the single-handed 'sica' appears)

3. On the Adamklissi monument, the two handed Falx is used only by the group identified as 'Bastarnae' tribesmen, not by Sarmatians or Dacians.

Conclusion: Dacians almost certainly did not use the two-handed weapon popularly called the 'falx' ( though in another discussion here on RAT about this subject, it was pointed out that one archaeological example was found in a Dacian fort....but there could be many explanations for this.....), based on the iconographic evidence.

[Andrew Brozyna]

Paul,

I have often read references to their being 3 distinct groups portrayed on the column and Adamklissi monument. Naturally, the column would be populated predominantly by Dacians, the mounted Sarmatians are easy to identify, but I haven't read which figures are supposed to be the Bastarnae.

How are you identifying them? It can't be the hats. Decebalus, a Dacian, wears the same hat as those on the Adamklissi monument. Is it the trousers? I have read that baggy trousers in Roman sculpture are meant to represent people of the east. I see some german hair styles on the column, but I don't see any characteristically baggy trousers. Couldn't the figures on the Adamklissi monument merely be Dacians sculpted in a different style than Trajan's column (rather than a different people)? Can you recommend writing on this subject?

P.S. Isn't "falx" the accepted term for the "two-handed, inward curving cutting weapon"?

[Paullus Scipio]

Hi Andrew!

The three groups really are dressed quite distinctively -for a previous rather heated discussion, see the thread "The Falx" around March 2008 - on page 3 I published pictures of the three 'types' from the Adamklissi Monument.

As to the term 'falx', it simply means anything sickle-like in Latin and has been used to refer to the single-handed 'sica' on occasion......I wanted to make clear that in this instance the two-handed variety is being referred to.

For more, See Tarbicus' excellent post on the use of the word on "The Falx" thread, page 4.....

[crandell]

I was aware of the different ethnic groups on Trajan's column but didn't go into it much in my original post because I just wanted to present something about another more commonly found (and more commonly used?) Dacian weapon - the gladius type sword with ring pummel.

Perhaps later I'll write up something about the long "battle knives" or the sica.


Otis

[crandell]

I think that the term "falx" is quite fine to use. The Romans didn't use it. It is simply a modern term that we use to describe this weapon (the variants of it found within the territory of ancient Dacia). This term is universally accepted for this type of sword used either by the Dacians or or within Dacia. As I know, there have been about 4 or 5 found at Dacian sites. They are not all identical, but much smaller than the Thracian Rhomphaia (although perhaps influenced by or derived from it). In your other RAT post (www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=21204&start=40) you also advocate that Dacians did not use the falx and that it was only the Bastarnae. Are you aware of any archaeological finds from specifically Bastarnae sites? Or sites with Bastarnae presence and no Dacian/Thracian presence? Are there other monuments with Bastarnae or other Germanic people's where they are depicted with a falx?

Regarding the sica, I agree with Berbescu's point (on page 4 of that discussion) that it is a completely separate weapon from the falx. The form is different, and they tend to be of high quality with symbols inscribed on them. They are often found in high status burials. They are generally accepted to have been a high status item, some researchers even going as far as to suggest that they had a ritualistic or sacred significance.


Otis

[Paullus Scipio]

Otis wrote:

Are you aware of any archaeological finds from specifically Bastarnae sites? Or sites with Bastarnae presence and no Dacian/Thracian presence? Are there other monuments with Bastarnae or other Germanic people's where they are depicted with a falx?

Not aware of any archaeological reports from specifically Bastarnae sites....and because of this I have relied on the limited iconography, as I have been careful to mention - that Dacians do not use the the two-handed Falx on either Trajan's Column or the Adamklissi monument, only the single-handed Sica( or sword if we reserve this name for the elaborate fighting knives) which seems to have Thracian origins, if Roman nomenclature of their Thrax gladiators with this weapon is anything to go by..... not to mention Thracian tombs etc. It is curious that the Thracian 'Rhomphaia' and the Bastarnae 'Falx' seem to make relatively brief appearances in Military History....though the 'Sica'/sword seems to have considerable longevity......

Dacian use of ring-pommel swords is interesting, since these seem to have originated on the steppes, and come west of the Crimea with Sarmatian tribes such as the Iazyges and Rox-alani......

[Dan Z]

It is curious that the Thracian 'Rhomphaia' and the Bastarnae 'Falx' seem to make relatively brief appearances in Military History....though the 'Sica'/sword seems to have considerable longevity......

I'm convinced the rhomphaia is a Hellenistic era weapon that was employed much like the landsknecht zweihanders of the 15th and 16th centuries, i.e. used by specialist mercenaries against large pike formations. When fighting another Thracian, who in all likelihood would be using a spear and shield, the rhomphaia could be used one handed, like a spear, and with a shield. When the Hellenistic phalanx went out of style, the rhomphaia fell from use.

The falx might have evolved as a means to break up Roman formations perhaps - sort of a specialized counter-armor weapon? It didn't work very well (they lost the war after all) so the design was abandoned...maybe...

The sica/sword was a more general purpose weapon that worked no matter what the threat was so the design lasted.

[crandell]

I don't really think that we can refer to the sica as a sword by any stretch of the imagination. The big ones are only about 30cm long.

Of the falxes found in and around Sarmizegetusa, only one of them is a two-handed weapon. The others are all one-handed. Just thought I should point that out as it seems that there is a slight misconception that it was a two-handed weapon. Now, as already mentioned, there haven't been many found at all, so what percentage of them were 1 or 2 handed, is really not known. But from limited archaeological finds, it suggests that it was more often a one-handed weapon.


Otis