Hi there,
The term "francisca" is certainly unpropper, but I keep it because it's certainly, for now, the best describing word in regards of the terms "bipenis" and "securis", and shorter than "throwing-frankish-axe"
According to the european archeologists (from France and Germany), this weapon, the "true francisca" for Périn, Legoux, Hübener, Dahmlos..) seems to appear arround 480 (or maybe few earlier, arround 460/70), to the half of the VIth century (and "late VIth" period for the "common francisca"). (see attached: at to the "true", with double curve on it's back, and second the "common", with a single curve).
Another model of throwing axe, also called "pré-francisque" or "francisque proto-mérovingienne", as "late roman francisca" is know, withou any timeframe raccord to the 2 models above.
This typ of axe is, according to Hübener, Ament, Böhme and Périn, dated from 400 to 440, with an possible enlargment as 370/460.
In comparaison of the true and common models, there is a verry little amount of models found in archeological contexts.
This is maybe a corrollary to the furniture-graves culture that began near 470?
However, if we just focus on the true and the common franciscas, there is a problem with S.Apollinaris: he said that the franks were used to fight with throwing axes since their childhood. In 470, that's to say this sort of battle-style was, if not prevalent, at least common for some frankish tribes since 40 years i think.
So, my personnal mind is that the franciscas, as throwing axes, could be certainly integrated to the second thirds of the Vth, and the problem is now to know which model was used.. and , in each category, with one was a real throwing axe, and wich one not (or a missed work by the builder
). That's the other question of the angles between the handle and the top-edge of the sharp..
edit: a short bibliography:
Salin, Edouard:1957: « La civilisation Mérovingienne d'après les sépultures, les textes et le laboratoire,troisième partiel Les Techniques»;
Martin, Max: 1993: «Observation sur l’armement de l’époque mérovingienne précoce.», in «L'armée romaineet les Barbares du IIIè au VIIè siècle .» («Association Française d'archéologie Mérovingienne et dumusée des Antiquités Nationales )
Hübener, Wolfgang:1980: « Eine Studie zu den Beilwaffen der Merowingerzeit », (Zeitschrift für Archäologie desMittelalters, 1980-8)
Dahmlos, Ulrich:1977: « Francisca – bipenis – securis: Bemerkung zu archâologishem Befund und schriftlicher
Überlieferung»(Germania anzeiger der Römusch-Germanischen komission des DeutschenArchäologischen instituts)
von Carnap-Bornheim, Claus :1994: « Beilträge zu Römischer und barbarischer Bewaffung in den ersten vier nachchrisltlichen Jahrhunderten » (Akten des 2. Internationalen Kolloquiums in Marburg a. d. Lahn, 20 bis 24.Februar 1994);
Böhme, Horst-Wolfgang:1974: «Germanische Grabfunde des 4. bis 5. Jahrhunderts zwischen unterer Elbe und Loire>>,Studien zur Chronologie und Bevölkerungsgeschichte
Ament, Hermann:2006: « Die archäologischen Funde des frühen Mittelalters aus dem westlichen Deutschland im Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte Berlin» , Bestandskataloge Band 10
Association Française d'Archéologie Mérovingienne (et Société des Amis du Musée des AntiquitésNationales):
« La noblesse romaine et les chefs barbares» (textes réunis par F.Vallet et M.Kazanski);
«Chronologie normalisée du mobilier funéraire mérovingien entre Manche et Loraine»,Legoux R., Périn P. et Vallet F. ;