I need information about this hilt.

[Pointer]

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I am looking for any and all information about this Hilt.

It is a part of the London Museum Collection and found pictured on the Romancoin.info site.

I am assuming that it is a Spatha Hilt, possibly one piece. The guard and the grip at lease appear to be one piece. Judging by the size of the guard; if it is one piece, it looks to me to be Ivory.

One of the considerations I am looking for it... How would this have been mounted tightly to a Sword Tang?
It does not appear to me in this picture or other similar hilts, that the tang passed all the way through the pommel with a nut on the end.

Would it have been a slightly hollowed out Pommel becoming a "Cap" over a nut that is peened to the grip?

Thoughts? Comments? Links? or Papers on this hilt? Any and all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

--Patrick

[Flavivs Aetivs]

This is a Spatha Hilt, of the Lauriacum-Hromkova type, dating to roughly the 2nd century AD.

The tangs did press all the way through the pommel on these blades AFAIK.

Robert Wimmers would know more.

[M. Val. Naso]

This is a later one, 3rd-4th, don't remember exactly. Bishop shows a similar one in RME. My Miks book is at home and I'm in the dorm

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I've probably got a pic of it. Gotta take out the trash but will post later.

Also, I disagree in that it dates as far as 4th century. 3rd century sure.

[Ross Cowan]

It's in the British Museum. See here for another pic with label. I think this may be the BM catalogue entry.

Cheers,

[Decebalus]

According to Miks (must be his cat. A 179, but not shure as he gives no inv.-no.) it is a grip of Köln-Khisfine Type (but with a "?").
It is made of bone and the measurements are:
Pommel c. 48 x 48 mm
Grip c. 29 x 73 mm
Hanguard c. 40 x 25 x 25 mm
It is said to be from Italy and is not dated.
Miks dates the Köln-Khisfine grips roughly from the end of the 2nd to around 300 AD.
Literature:
A.W. Franks, Note on various antiquities. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London Ser. 2 Vol.3, 1864-1867, p. 322 no. 2 with fig.;
British Museum (Ed.), A Guide to the Antiquities of Roman Britain in the Department of British and Mediaeval Antiquities (London 1922) p. 82 fig. 102

[Pointer]

SO... now there is a dilemma... Which do we trust? Mik's or the British Museum? In the link that Ross Cowan posted, The hilt is stated as 1st Century.

How do we discern this?

[markusaurelius]

This nearly identical hilt is from the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn. The note with the photo indicated that it was from the later roman period from an Auxiliary unit. Someone with a close stop by the museum could probably find out.


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[Pointer]

That is the first grip I have seen with 5 groves! Was it a 6 fingered person?

[Decebalus]

The sword in Bonn (found in a grave in Skt. Severin, Cologne) is dated by Miks (A357) because of the other objects in the grave to around 300 AD.
A fibular ("Zwiebelknopffibel") which is rather dated to the 2nd quarter of the 4th C. as the earliest would point to a later date of the grave. But it is questionable that all of the grave goods really belong together as the grave was "excavated" by a coal merchant and sold to the "Altertumsverein".
Other scholars believe that this fibular type could already appear around 300 AD.
The sword (905 mm overall length) has a grip of Köln-Khisfine Type (ivory, silver rivet/plate), a blade of Straubing-Nydam Type, a scabbard of wood with shark(?) skin and a round scabbard chape ("Dosenortband") of silver with niello and partly gilding.

[M. Val. Naso]

"shark skin"

OMFG. I want one.

[Decebalus]

"shark skin"

OMFG. I want one.

Happy hunting! :grin:

[Nathan Ross]

Which do we trust? Mik's or the British Museum? In the link that Ross Cowan posted, The hilt is stated as 1st Century.

The Brit Mus note says the hilt was excavated in 1866. Quite possibly it was roughly dated at the time and has kept that identification since. Have Roman sword studies moved on since 1866? If so, I'd go for Miks.

[markusaurelius]

Weapons of Roman- Michel Feugere has a photo of the grave finds, including a crossbow fibula and rounded chape. The handle is identical to the one in question and is called the tomb from Severninstor, Cologne, Early 4th Century.

[Pointer]

The sword in Bonn (found in a grave in Skt. Severin, Cologne) is dated by Miks (A357) because of the other objects in the grave to around 300 AD.
A fibular ("Zwiebelknopffibel") which is rather dated to the 2nd quarter of the 4th C. as the earliest would point to a later date of the grave. But it is questionable that all of the grave goods really belong together as the grave was "excavated" by a coal merchant and sold to the "Altertumsverein".
Other scholars believe that this fibular type could already appear around 300 AD.
The sword (905 mm overall length) has a grip of Köln-Khisfine Type (ivory, silver rivet/plate), a blade of Straubing-Nydam Type, a scabbard of wood with shark(?) skin and a round scabbard chape ("Dosenortband") of silver with niello and partly gilding.

Where did you find this information? I'd like to know.... it will help me on others that I am studying...