SPEAR POINTS, SWORDS AND KNIVES FROM WEAPON AND ACCOUTREMENT SETS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
Keywords:
spearhead, sword, knife, museum, socialization, digitizationAbstract
Sets of weapons and equipment originating from graves have been found on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The inventory found in them determines the chronological framework in which the burials took place to be between 2nd and 1st Century BC. The inventory of the graves includes spearheads, swords and knives, shield applications (shield bosses), mail, chain belts, belt buckles, spurs and bridles made of iron. The largest concentration of such sets has been found in Northwestern Bulgaria between the Iskar and Ogosta rivers. Information about the graves is drawn mostly from archaeological excavations. This publication presents the specific shapes of the most important elements of the sets – spearheads, swords and knives. The conditions for their exhibition in Bulgarian museums are examined and the possibilities for their socialization are determined.
Each of the spearheads consists of two parts. The first is a blade with a sculpted edge on each side. The second is a socket in which a wooden shaft would be fixed.
Each of the swords consists of two parts. The first of them is a blade, which is straight. On each of its two sides, there is usually a sculpted edge with two parallel grooves/furrows. The second part is a handle, which has a rhomboid cross section.
Each of the knives also has a specific shape. It is a product that consists of two parts. The first of them is a blade, which is curved in a bow shape. The second is the metal part of the handle. In most of the items, there is a wedge on which only one element of perishable material (wood) was fixed.
The display of the products in museums faces challenges. Most of the products are damaged by corrosion beyond repair. The better preserved specimens have been reliably conserved. They are shown in secure display cases equipped with appropriate lighting and information signs. The socialization of the items has been achieved mainly by access via the Internet and a purpose-built free access database for scientific exchange. New technologies allow for better socialization of artefacts damaged by corrosion by means of computer models built through 3D scanning or 3D modeling. Both technologies have advantages and disadvantages in their application in a museum environment.
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