Baldric for a late roman spatha?

[Virilis]

Hi Thomas! I tried to move a bit more forcefully in this way and it was much more difficult than with a spatha hanging from a baldric. Then again a loose additional loop attached to the belt might solve the problem.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I figured it would be restrictive, which is why I put the additional loop the way I did, which would allow for the weight of the spatha to hang differently and likely make movement easier.

[Virilis]

I figured it would be restrictive, which is why I put the additional loop the way I did, which would allow for the weight of the spatha to hang differently and likely make movement easier.

Yes, that might be the solution. I will try that too.

[Thomas V.]

In "ROME & THE SWORD" Simon James writes: "For example, the pommel of the sword worn by Stilicho in the surviving ivory portrait of the great general (c. ad 400) shows strong similarities with Sasanian weapons depicted in Iranian reliefs [..]. At the same time period the sword, still suspended via a scabbard slide, had returned to being carried on a waist belt, at least by officers. This was how the scabbard slide had originally been used, and still was, on the steppe in Iran – worn like a six-gun, waist-high on the right, with the scabbard on the left hip – and may be another feature reflecting the growing prestige of the mounted soldier [the Kemathen Warrior might have been a mounted one, cf. my previos post] in the Roman world at the time."

Before jumping to conclusions regarding the wearing comfort, one should wear the sword belt while riding a horse and in a way shown by the Stilicho Dyptich and the reliefs (the swords shown in said reliefs don't only have pommels similar to the one of Stilicho's sword, but are also worn in the same way, i.e. on a loose waist belt).

The position of the scabbard slide(s) on the scabbard might also be a factor affecting the wearing comfort.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Hmm...

Stilicho's Sword may have been Sauromatian or Hunnic, as both of them used Sassanian style swords (the former not so much I should mention). However by the time Stilicho died the Huns were only just beginning to arrive in the Carpathians.

[XorX]

Sorry guys, but the various iron parts Riedel mentioned as probably being riding gear are fittings for a small chest. <so there are no hints in the grave that the Kemathen warrior fought from horseback

[Thomas V.]

While looking for information about late Roman sword belts, i came across H. Steuer's part of the sword article in the „Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde”.

Sword belts during the 4th/5th century (according to Steuer):

• Late Empire & early Migration Period: Non-adjustable shoulder straps ( ca. 4-6 cm wide)
  
• 4th/5th century: Waist belts (with one-point scabbard suspension, e.g. Stilicho Dyptich)
  
• Late 5th century (until ca 600): Shoulder strap (with one point scabbard suspension)

Steuer's part also contains Quast's reconstruction proposals regarding the sword belt of the Childerich Sword.

One of the proposals is a shoulder strap with a two-point scabbard suspension:

[attachment=9024]QuastSwordBelt.jpg[/attachment]

Said proposal was inspired by the spatha of the Lavoye grave 319 (one scabbard slide was located below the other).

My third reconstruction proposal is basically Quast's two-point suspension concept implemented with the stuff found in the Kemathen grave:

[attachment=9025]2-PointSuspension.jpg[/attachment]

In my reconstruction the three rivets next to the silver tube would be located the same as the buckle is in Quast's reconstruction (instead being closed temporary with a buckle, my proposal is beeing closed permanently with a row of rivets). The silver tube would serve as a strap end for that part of the belt, that extends past the „closing point“; so in my reconstruction the tube would be in about the same spot as the strap end is in the reconstruction of Quast. The red part is the loop closer to scabbard mouth piece.

Another note regarding the strap ends: The strap end of the Childerich Sword Belt terminates in a tube that is similar to the tube found in Kemathen. Have a look:

[attachment=9026]ChilderichStrapEnd.jpg[/attachment]


Given the right measurements, wrapping the belt around the scabbard would result in the finding-situation: Scabbard beeing „framed by two rows of rivets, silver tube under the scabbard and parallel to it.

Werner dates the sword type Childerich's sword belongs toto „about 450“. The Kemathen Warrior is dated to the second third of the 5th century.

Thoughts?

[Flavivs Aetivs]

As far as I'm aware the Childeric Sword dates to 470.

Interesting reconstruction. I have always wondered why many spathae have two sliders side by side - were they supposed to be 2-point suspension, and the archaeologists assumed this was wrong?

[XorX]

I think that this "Childerich"-reconstruction is a bit too "hunnic-influenced" as to be possible for a warrior in the western army in the first half of the 5th.
The silver rivets and the tube were all found in a small area of ~ 10 x 10 cm 8cm below the shoulder of the blade. 3 on the right of the blade, 3 on the left, 2 and the tube below the blade. That points against this arrangement as here some rivets would have to be about 25-30 cm below the others.
When using Steuer`s article, I`d put the Kemathen guy in the 4th/5th century row with the waist belts.
The Childerich-spatha, in my opinion, was mounted like most of the gold-hilted spathas of that timeframe with the two suspensions parallel on one level on the scabbard. There are some finds with identical suspensions found still in place (Gültlingen, Basel,...)
The Lavoye 319 grave is totally singular in the form of the suspensions (8-pointed stars in cloisonnee) as well as in the reconstructed style of mounting them to the scabbard.
The whole style represented in the Childerich-burial follows the one seen in the Kemathen grave:
In my opinion Kemathen is still clearly late roman and Childerich and others from that time (min. 30 years later) a new, hunnic and byzantine influenced "barbarian" style that was in use all over europe in a very small high status group