An iron sword from Persepolis

[Dan D'Silva]

From OIP #69, pp. 300-301. I recently stumbled across a photo of what is, if not the same sword, at least one of the same type.

I find several things striking about it. First, it's obviously unrelated to the akinakes more commonly associated with the Achaemenian period. The flanged tang, lunate pommel and lenticular blade look more like a continuation of West Asian swords dating back at least to the Kassites and the Luristan bronzes.

Second, that with a slight reprofiling of the blade and guard, and forgiving the lack of flanges, there is a modern sword that could easily be converted to something similar. I do not currently have tools for doing so -- but if it'd be passably accurate then it's worth considering. Admittedly the lack of flanges is a flaw of a magnitude that wouldn't pass muster at the better reenactment troops, such as exist for the Romans. The other thing is that I don't know of any scabbards associated with this weapon -- the thought briefly crossed my mind that it may be a larger combat version of the dagger worn in other Achaemenian art, but of course the comparison is iffy at best.

[Sean Manning]

Yeah, that is a cool sword. I can't think of many parallels from the Achaemenid period, although it does resemble some of those bronze 'Luristan/Marlik' daggers from centuries before. Or maybe the large swords carried on shoulder straps by some of the national representatives on one of the tombs at Persepolis.

Manouchehr Khorasani has some more photos and measurements in his book Arms and Armour from Iran. Its 65 cm long, and 6cm wide at the base of the blade.

[Dan D'Silva]

Huh. That's even larger than I'd guesstimated.

He doesn't happen to have anything to say about where this type might've come from, or who used it, does he?

[Sean Manning]

I can check, but I don't think he does. Khorasani knows a lot about Iranian weapons from the last thousand years, and he's read books and articles in about 10 different languages, but the Iron Age isn't his main interest. He has lots of information on qama like that photo you showed. Edit:He just compares them to the long swords carried by some of the figures on Xerxes' tomb at Persepolis, and some early 1st millenium BCE bronze swords from Northern Iran and Azerbazan.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Looks very similar in style ot the bronze age swords from the Myceanean period. Is the handle cast on or a separate piece?

[Dan D'Silva]

Dunno... The scales were doubtless organic, and the tang could be contiguous or welded (I've heard that the tang on the AC qama is welded). I'd assume the flanges are welded also, as I can't imagine how they'd be forged out, but yours truly is no blacksmith, so it might be possible or even rather easy.

[Sean Manning]

I think it would be interesting to have a blacksmith look at it, or maybe X-ray it. In the photos I've seen, the whole assembly looks like one piece, but I wouldn't be surprised if the flanges around the edges of the handle were forge-welded on.