Archaeological and art parallels of byzantine sword discovered in grave no. 55 of Garabonc I necropolis (second half of 9th century)

Yotov, Valeri (2022) Archaeological and art parallels of byzantine sword discovered in grave no. 55 of Garabonc I necropolis (second half of 9th century). In: Hadak útján. A népvándorláskor kutatóinak XXIX. konferenciája. Budapest, 2019. november 15–16. 29th. MŐK Kiadványok 4.1; Studia ad Archaeologiam Pazmaniensia 24.1 . Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont Magyar Őstörténeti Kutatócsoport, Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem BTK, Régészettudományi Intézet, Martin Opitz Kiadó, Budapest, pp. 153-167. ISBN 9789639987753

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Abstract

The author stops attention on the famous sword that was discovered in the 80ies of 20th century in grave No 55 of the Garabonc I necropolis, Hungary. In 2011, the author wrote an article in attempt to systematize a few types of Byzantine swords. One of the types of swords he called „Garabonc type” – according to this weapon found in a sure archeological context. To date, „Garabonc type” is represented by six pieces – swords and/ or their details. The swords of this type are one-handed and consist of a blade with sword-guards and hemispherical pommel on top. According the author, the closest artistic parallels to the „Garabonc type” of swords are depicted in famous manuscript of „The Homilies of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus” that was completed in Constantinople in 879–882, where similar swords are shown in four folios of the book. The discussed here sword type may be determined as a Byzantine invention and maybe it was produced in the empire. This has also been proved by some other works of art, although dated to a later period (9th–10th centuries). The author, accepted for most possible the hypothesis proposed by the first researcher B. M. Szőke that the Garabonc sword was transferred in the lands south of Balaton Lake by Bulgars-mercenaries. Most possibility that, they have joined the retinue of Prince Pribina, the head of the Blatna Principality and his son Chezil around the second third of 9th century.

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