Origin of Vendel period crossguard

[Garuti]

Watching the beautiful pictures of Vendel period swords from the Wulfheodenas facebook page, some questions have come to my mind.
It seems to me (correct me if I'm wrong) that throughout this period the most common hilt design in continental Europe was this “sandwiched” and riveted type, especially the guard (I am not referring to the pommel in particular).
I was wondering if there is a technical term which designs this type of guard (can they be ascribed to a broad common typology?).
I have some more questions:

1) Is it known when and where are the first examples of this kind of hilt/guard? Is it a germanic design as it seems?
Is it ever encountered on roman artifacts which were not customized by germanic owners?
On “Rome and the sword” by S. James I found a drawing (see picture) of a Straubing-Nydam type allegedly of the III century, with “a locally embellished hilt”. Can this be one early kind?

2) Is it known when this type eventually gave place to the all-iron guard? I have a vague suggestion for the eight century but I have no precise idea actually.

3) What are the most commonly used materials in this “sandwich” arrangements?

(Advice for helpful books or reference are highly appreciated )

[Luka Borščak]

This chart by Kirk Spencer should help you. You can see that in 8th century there are still composite guards made with both metal and organic materials. Some were still "sandwich" style, but all components are metal. Some guards in late 8th and early 9th century only mimic these sandwich constructions and have fake rivets.


[attachment=12185]BehmerChartWeb.jpg[/attachment]

[Eleatic Guest]

Is WP correct in claiming that the earliest crossguards appeared in Viking swords? Seems like this is matter of definition.

[Urselius]

Swords with bar-shaped guards appeared in Persia, the Roman Empire and Germania a couple of centuries into the Christian era. I don't think that these were independent developments, I think that all these people were reacting to Alan/Sarmatian sword types. Contemporary ivory diptychs of Emperor Honorius and magister militum Stilicho show them with bar-hilted swords at their sides.

[Medicus matt]

[quote="Eleatic Guest" post=367056]Is WP correct in claiming that the earliest crossguards appeared in Viking swords?

No.

[Garuti]

What you wrote about Persian swords is correct. Bar shaped full iron crossguard, if I recall correctly, is also present on the II century ring pommel swords and in later long hunnic swords. However I was referring to the composite/sandwiched crossguard type above.