Publication details
An early medieval sword with a Carolingian K-type pommel from Varín in Northwestern Slovakia: A status symbol rather than a weapon
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | ARCHEOLOGICKÉ ROZHLEDY |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.35686/AR.2026.317 |
| Keywords | Early Middle Ages; Carolingian period; Carolingian sword; Elites; metallography |
| Description | Early medieval swords, Carolingian or Viking, are treated and usually discussed in the literature as finds related to elites. In real life, however, second-grade swords were also made, and old and used weapons were repaired and traded. Lower-quality items were used by people with aspirations who could not afford to acquire expensive signs of status. Here, the author describes the find of a Carolingian-type sword from Varín in Northwestern Slovakia, which is determined to be a difficult-to-classify, low-end, early medieval product. However, it fits into the historical context of Carolingian times, when a class of new European nobility was forming. These considerations shed new light on the genesis of this social group. |
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