The find of an East E u r o p e a n sword quillon in a barrow in Visétiskés,

The find of an East European sword quillon in a barrow in Visètiskès, Anyksciai district, Lithuania

Kazakevicius, Vytautas Fornvännen 87, 175-179

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The find of an East E u r o p e a n sword quillon in a barrow in Visétiskés,

Änyksciai district, Lithuania

By Vytautas Kazakevicius

Kazakevicius, V. 1992. The find of an Easl European sword quillon in a barrow in Visétiskés, Änyksciai district, Lithuania. Fornvännen 87. Stockholm.

The exeavation of the Visétiskés group of barrows in Änyksciai distr., North- eastern Lithuania, between 1985 and 1988, exposed an isolated fragment of a sword quillon in barrow 12. It was decorated with interlwined lines, using the technique of blackening. Instances of analogous ornaments are known from lhe sword hilts found in Lithuania (Palanga, grave 285), Sweden (Kungs Husby stray find) and Ukraine (Kijev). The author suggests thal the fragment of the Visétiskés sword quillon may have been manufaclured in Kijevan Rus in lhe see ond half of the 1 Oth c. or the first half of lhe 1 Ith c.

Vytautas Kazakevicius, \'irsuliskiu, 45-56, 2056 Vilnius, Lithuania.

From 1985 to 1988 an expedition held u n d e r the auspices of the Archaeological Depart- ment eif the Lithuanian Academy eif Science's Institute of Lithuanian History excavated a g r o u p of barrows in the village of Visétiskés, near Svédasai in Änyksciai district (Fig. 1).

The expedition excavated 15 preserved bar- rows located 5 km west of Svédasai and 1 km north of the highway Utena-Kupiskis, on the eastern side of the road to Jotkemys, about 200 m west of the right bank of the J a r a river, The excavations yielded 54 inhumation and 2 cremation graves from the 4th—Sth to the

12th century (Kazakevicius 1986, pp. 56—57;

1988, pp. 5 0 - 5 5 ; 1990, pp. 4 9 - 5 2 ) .

During the investigations of barrow No 12 an isolated fragment of a sword's quillon decorated with intertwincd lines was found (Fig. 2). This artefact differs from other ob- jects discovered in this g r o u p of barrows. Un- doubtedly, it is not of local make. The aim of this a r t i d e is to answer the questions of whence and when this sword reached Visé- tiskés.

The fragment of the sword quillon meas- ures 7 by 2.1 cm; it is quadrangular with a slanting end, and hollow. The form suggests that the c)uillons were originally slightly bent

downwards. They can be ascribed to the swords of type T or Z (according to J. Peter- sen's dassification, Petersen 1919). The quil- lons are made of a white metal which consists

Fig. 1. Map wilh the localities marked which have

given finds of sword quillons resemblanl to those

from Visétiskés. - Fyndplatser för svärdshjalt av typ

Visétiskés. 1) Visétiskés, 2) Palanga, 3) Kungs Hus-

by, 4) Kiev.

176 V. Kazakevicius

Fig. 2. Photo of the fragment from Visétiskés, bar- row No 12. Scale c. 1:1. — Foto av fragmentet från Visétiskés.

of copper, tin and zinc. Due to the large amount of tin, this alloy should be considered as bronze, despite its white colour.

The ornamentation techniques are of inter- est as well. The method of blackening with copper alloys cemtaining large quantities of sulphur and small amounts of lead, calcium, tin and zinc was employed. Thus, c o p p e r sul- fides Cu

S, CuS or their alloys were used. The colours range from blueish to black. This cor- responds to the Visétiskés quillon's o r n a m e n t colour, which is black. The following orna- mentation technique was applied: the pattern in the quillon was etched with an acid, and a mixture of c o p p e r powder and sulphur was rubbed (impressed) into it. The artefact was then heated, and burnished. The data on the X-ray electroneisounding microanalysis are e n d o s e d . (Tables 1-2.)

The most interesting and important part of the Visétiskés sword quillon, pointing to its origin, is the ornament. It consists of double intertwined lines—a motif of plaiting, which occupies all of the quillons' surface on either side (Fig. 3). Such ornamental motifs are not

Fig. 3. Drawing of lhe fragment from Visétiskés.

Teckning av fragmentet från Visétiskés.

characteristic of Baltic artefacts; they have not been r e p o r t e d on the weapons manufaclured by local armourers. Similar motifs of inter- twined lines, often imitating different body parts of various animals, were widespread in Seandinavia starting from the Great Migra- tion period onwards. Very sophisticated forms thereof remained in fasbion until the Early Middle Ages (Salin 1904; Erä-Esko 1965). Such decoration can also be found on sword quillons from the Vendel and the Vi- king periods (Arwidsson 1977; 1954; Muller- Wille 1973, p p . 4 7 - 8 9 ) .

The so-called Mammen style, prevailing in the West and South of Seandinavia shows the closest similarities to the ornament of the Vi- sétiskés sword quillons (Miiller-Wille 1978,

Table 1. Table 2.

Quillon Cu Zn Ag Sn Total sum

Concentration mass% (X100 %) 0.69600 0.69230 0.07200 0.07191 0.00000 0.00000 0.11000 0.12399

0.83575 0.08355 0.00000 0.08069

= 0.8882 Iteration number = 4

Quillon's ornament Cu Zn Ag Sn Total sum

Concentration mass% (X100 %) 0.49900 0.49430 0.00200 0.00201

»0.00000 0,00000 0.00700 0.00799

0.98753 0.00386 0.00000 0.00860

= 0.5043 Iteration number = 3

The find of an East European sword quillon 177

Fig. 4. A sword hilt from Palanga, Lithuania, grave No 285. - Svärdshjalt frän Palanga.

pp. 4 8 - 8 4 ) . The o r n a m e n t on sword quillons from Hedmark and Miklebost in Norway can serve as examples of the style (Miiller-Wille 1978, Abb. 10: 4, 5). Plaited bronze wires from Birka, Sweden, graves No 524, 542, 644 (Geijer 1938, Taf. 27: 2. 3, 4) are related to the Visétiskés o r n a m e n t too. A nearly identi- cal ornament is engraved on a bone plate from Jomala-Södersunda, Åland (Finland) (Kivikoski 1973, Taf. 68: 611). The decoration of the sword quillons from Nordmark, Swe- den (SHM 17546) is also very similar. It is of no use to cite other similar or related motifs feiund on various artefacts in different coun- tries as there is analogical decoration. First of

all a part of a sword with a bronze hilt feiund in Palanga (west Lithuania), grave No 285 has to ben mentioned (Fig. 4). The hilt is 16.5 cm long with a 6 . 9 X 4 . 8 X 3 . 2 cm sized pommel and 10.4 cm long and 2 cm wide quillons.

Only 8 cm of the blade remains. Its width is 4.4 cm. The pommel is in one piece with three distinct parts. The lower part of the pommel is slightly bent upwards while the quillons are bent down. Some investigators attribute such swords to a variety of type T (Zak, p. 318), others to the "local" A type (Kirpitdmikov 1961, p. 197; 1966, p p . 3 5 - 3 6 , 8 4 - 8 5 ) . Regi- na Volkaité-Kulikauskiené, who has published a sword feiund in Palanga considers it interme- diate between types T and Z (Volkaité-Kuli- kauskiené 1964, p . 212). O n the sword-hili the motif of plaiting prevails, while the lower part of the pommel is decorated with the or- nament identical to that on the Visétiskés sword quillons.

A n o t h e r sword with the quillons decorated with the same o r n a m e n t as that from Visé- tiskés has been found in Kijev, Ukraine (Fig.

5). The Russian arms specialist Anatolij Kir- pilc liuikov, who ascribed it together with three more swords to the same "local" type A, points out ihat they were manufactured by Russian aiinoine-rs (Kirpitdmikov 1961, p.

192). H e cemsiders them to have greatly influ- enced the production of such swords all eiver Europé. However, he mentions only two swords which may have been copied from South Russian swords. They are from Uzava, Latvia and Vanaj Kirstula, Finland (Kirpitch- nikov 1961, p . 192).

O n e more instance of the analogous orna- ment etched on a sword's quillons (SHM 31603) comes from Kungs Husby, Sweden, brought to my attention by Dr. J a n Peder Lamm, (Fig. 6). It is a pity that only a small, accidentally found, fragment of the swencl quillons remains.

Thus, the väst territory of Europé—the Bal- tic, Germanic and Slavonic lands (Lithuania, Sweden, and Ukraine) yield identically deco- rated sword hilts.

Two alternative methods can be applied to

solve the problem of their origin: (1) the anal-

ysis of the hilt manufacture techniques, (2) the

1 78 V. Kazakevicius

Fig. 5. A sword hill from Kijev, the Ukraine.

Svärdsfäste från Kiev.

analysis of the o r n a m e n t ' : origin. However, it should be emphasized that the first method cannot be applied in the case of the Visétiskés sword quillons, as only a fragment bas been found and no analysis has been made of the metal composition of other sword bilis or their parts. Thus the second alternative must be chosen to determine the sworefs origin.

As I have mentioned already the meitifs of intertwined lines were widespread in Seandi- navia. However, they appeared as a result of lhe- development of lhe- animal ornament eif the Salin style which t a n be assoeialc-el with the Visétiskés ornament. The Mammen style is

Fig. 6. Drawing of lhe fragment from Kungs Husby, Uppland, Sweden. Statens historiska museum.

SHM 3 1 6 0 3 . Drawing by Bengi Handel - Teckning av fragmentet frän Kungs Husby i Uppland.

much d o s e r . O n the other hand, palmettos and intertwined lines were fréquent in decora- tion in Kijev Rus and either Slavonic lands.

Most probably, this was the influence of By- zantium which had rooted deeply into the mental anel malt-i ial culture of the Slavs.

The main problem concerns to which world—Germanic or Slavonic—deies the Visé- tiskés sword quillon belong.

Iu this case, ii should be admitted that Kir- pitthnikov is right in considering that the sweirds of "local" type A were manufaclured by Russian armeiurers (Kirpitdmikov 1966, p.

36). His opinion is shared by Volkaité-Kuli- kauskiené (1964, p. 213) and Wanda Sar- nowska (1955, p. 318). Thus it is possible that the Visétiskés sword quillons were made in the Slavic lands.

Now the chronology has to be discussed.

The Visétiskés sword quillem was found isolat-

ed. O t h e r graves in the same barrow No I 2

did not contain accuratdy dated artefacts. An

accidentally found fragment of a bronze

torque with three cones on one of the ends,

bronze penannular brooches with nuiltangii-

lar and poppy ends, spiral and stripped brace-

lets, bronze bells and other artefacts are dal-

ed to the 1 Oth—11 th century. The Palanga

sword can clearly be dated to the 1 Ith century

according tei the grave in which it has been

found. The sword from Kijev is dated a r o u n d

The find of an East European sword quillon 179 1000 by Kirpitdmikov (Kirpitchnikov 1966, p.

84).

In the late lOth or the early 1 Ith century a sword made in Kijevan Rus had been brought to Visétiskés where u n d e r unknown circum- stances it had been broken and a fragment of its quillons had found its way into the barrow, and 1000 years låter was found by archaeolo- gists.

References

Arwidsson, G. 1954. Valsgärde 8. Die Gräberfunde von Valsgärde II. Uppsala.

— 1977. Valsgärde 7. Die Gräberfunde von Valsgärde III. Uppsala.

Geijer, A. 1938. Die Textilfunde aus den Gräbern, Birka III. Uppsala.

Erä-Esko, A. 1965. Germanic Animal Art of Salin's Style I iu Finland. Helsinki.

Kazakevicius, V. 1986. Viseliskii/ pilkapynas / / Ar- cheologiniai tyrinéjimai Lietuvoje 1984 ir 1985 metais. Vilnius, pp. 56-57.

— 1988. Visetiskiu pilkapynas / / Archeologiniai ty- rinéjimai Lietuvoje 1986 ir 1987 metais. Vilnius, pp. 50-55.

— 1990. Visetiskiu, (Anykscitf raj.) pilkapyno tyrinéji- mai 1988 metais / / Archeologiniai tyrinéjimai Lietuvoje 1988 ir 1989 metais. Vilnius, pp.

49-52.

Kirpitchnikov, A. N. 1961. Metchi Kijev.skoi Rusi (IX-XI v.v.) / / Sovietskaja archeologija 3. Mosk- va, pp. 179-197.

— 1966. Metchi i sabli IX-XI 11 v.v. Drevnerusskoe oruzije I. Moskva-Leningrad.

Kivikoski, E. 1973. Die FAsenzeit Finnlands. (Neuaus- gabe). Helsinki.

Miiller-Wille, M. 1973. Zwei wikingerzeitliche Pracht- schwerter aus der Umgebung von Haithabu. Be- richte iiber die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu. Be- richte 6. Neumunster, pp. 47-89.

— 1978. Das Schiffsgrab von der lie de Groix (Bre- tagne) — Ein Flxkurs zum "Boiitkammergrab von Haithabu" Berichte iiber die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu. Bericht 12. Neumunster, p. 48-84.

Petersen, J. 1919. De norske vikingesverd. Vitlen- skapsselskapels Skrifter. II Hist.-Filos. kl. I Kris- tiania.

Salin, B. 1904. Die Altgermanische Ihieromamentik.

Typologische Studie uber Germanische Metallge- genstände aus dem IV. bis IX. Jahrhundert, nebst einer Studie iiber Irische Ornamentik. Stockholm.

Sarnowska, W. 1955. Miecze wscesnosredniowiecne w Polsce / / Swiatowit 21. Warszawa, pp. 276-323.

Volkaité-Kulikauskiené, R. 1964. IX-XIl amziu kula- vijai Lietuvoje. Is lietuviu, kultums istorijos IV.

Vilnius, pp. 197-226.

Zak, J. 1960. Problem pochodzenia mieezöw tzw.

"wikingskich" na ziemiach /ae hodnoslowians- kich, glöwnie polskich. Archeolögia Polskt. 4, zesz. 2 Warszawa-Wroe law, pp. 297-344.

Ett svärdshjalt av östlig typ funnet i en gravhög i Visétiskés i distriktet Änyksciai, Litauen

Åren 1985-1988 undersöktes några gravhö- gar vid Visétiskés i distriktet Änyksciai i Li- tauen. (Fig. 1.1.) I hög 12 påträffades ulan klart fyndsammanhang ett fragment av ett svärdshjalt ornerat med en snoddmönster (Fig. 2). Hjaltet måste vara ett importerat föremål. Dess proveniens är en öppen fråga som jag försökt utreda. Fragmentet som be- står av en legering av koppar, tenn och zink är 7 cm långt eich 2,5 cm brett. Förutom med den mönsterlagda snodden är hjaltet ornerat med niello (jfr analysen i tabell 1 och 2).

Av formen att döma är hjaltet av Petersens typ T eller Z. Endast med hjälp av dekoren (inns det förutsättningar att bedöma var det kan ha tillverkats. Visserligen förekom lik- nande ornament i Skandinavien från folk- vandringstiden till in i medeltiden men inte

bara där utan eickså pä slaviskt o m r å d e och då med bakgrund i bysantinsk konststil. Förutom i Litauen har man hittat hjalt med fullständigt likartad ornamentik i Ukraina. Jag känner lill följande paralleller: en från grav 285 i Pa- langa (Litauen) (Fig. 4), en från Kiev (Fig. 5) och en frän Kungs Husby socken i Uppland (Fig. 6). Sålunda förekommer analoga orna- ment spridda över ett mycket vidsträckt om- råde med från väster räknat skandinavisk, li- tauisk och slavisk befolkning.

Det är vanskligt att datera och proveniens- bestämma hjaltet från Visétiskés eftersom det får betraktas som ett lösfynd men jämförelse- materialet antyder att det kommit till Litauen någon gång mellan 950 och 1050 e.Kr. från ruserna i Kiev. Samma förhållande gäller i så fall oc kså för det i Sverige funna hjaltet.

Fornvännen 87 (1992)