Weapons have been an attribute of the ruler since antiquity, and various offensive weapons (swords, spears, clubs, maces) have been regarded as symbols of military power. The territorial authority was manifested by displaying a spear with a banner in a prominent place. Entering a foreign land with such a symbol meant making territorial claims. Similarly, the sword was a basic attribute of a good ruler, and its handing over was a sign of favour, but also a clear sign of duty to defend a patron. According to ancient customary laws, weapons were lent by the chieftain and, after the death of a warrior, should be returned to the owner. Perhaps this is the reason why they were placed next to the deceased, and grave goods should be interpreted as a symbol of the function played by the buried during his life. Graves with swords tombs are often concentrated near the centres of power and economy of the time. A special role of the sword resulted in his role during coronation and an attribute of power, not only political but also judicial. These and similar issues will be the focus of the planned section.
The shield used since the Bronze Age as a mobile protection of the warrior, due to its construction was perfectly suited to expose visual messages in a graphic sign placed on its surface. Its functions could be multiple, from purely aesthetic elevating the morale and social status of the owner (e.g. Achilles' shield described by Homer in the Iliad), through practical - allowing the members of an ethnic group or the unit to recognise each other on the battlefield (e.g. Λ on shields of Spartan hoplites), to the symbolic, religious and apotropaic ones. Despite their utilitarian character and flimsy materials from which shields were constructed (wood, leather), which in turn caused only a few items survived to the present day, thanks to numerous depictions in art it is possible to investigate changes in their decoration over the centuries. In my talk, I intend to analyse religious, symbolic and political graphic motives present on shields in Byzantine art.
In arms and armour literature, a chape is the lower fitting of a sword or sabre scabbard, usually made of metal, designed to reinforce and protect it from damage. Written sources indicate that a sword without a scabbard was half the price, making it an important element of military equipment. However, did every scabbard have the appropriate reinforcement? Archaeological finds show a significant preponderance of known swords over the number of chapes. In Central Europe, no sword has been found in a grave with a chape, so either naked swords were placed in graves, or swords in scabbards but without this element. The presentation will be devoted to considering whether chapes served other functions in addition to practical ones. Various symbols visible on their surface can be interpreted in heraldic or apotropaic categories.
Muzeum Archeologiczne Środkowego Nadodrza w Zielonej Górze z/s w Świdnicy
A simple weapon in the form of a wooden club provided with a metal or stone head at the end has been known since antiquity. In Eastern milieu, this weapon very quickly become also a symbol of power, which was probably due to the emblematic role of the clubs. It is likely that as a result of Rus influence, that maces also reached medieval Poland. Based on the finds, it seems that it could have been used by all social classes. From the 15th century onwards, it was referred to by a term of Tartar or Turkish origin - bulava. From the 16th century, mace was a symbol of dignity of the hetman's power, and its military function was reduced. Only hetmans were allowed to use maces, hence the hetman's office was referred to as a buława. To carry a mace (buława) meant to lead an army.
However, did the post-medieval highly prestigious function of buława in Poland have its roots in the Middle Ages, as in other European states? Possible origins and circumstances will be analysed.
The early medieval Old Prussian and Yatvingian communities, until the Teutonic conquest, remained a significant threat to their neighbours, which is confirmed by numerous historical sources. It means, contrary to the commonly held belief about their limited cultural potential, they possessed a substantial military force, supported by a system of rule allowing for its effective use in offensive actions.
In this context, the standard of the early medieval weaponry of the Old Prussians and Yotvingians - becoming better known thanks to the results of archaeological research carried out in recent years - remains a key issue. Its most spectacular elements, i.e. swords (along with the related problems of diversity and function - also symbolic), will be the subject of the presentation announced in this abstract.
Since its birth in the Bronze Age, the European sword has had both practical combat functions and symbolic ones. In the latter, it referred to the world of gods and, more broadly, mythology, power, social structure, ethics and law. Before it became a powerful symbol of European knighthood, it was the hallmark of the Celtic warrior of the La Tène period, while in the 5th century AD the so-called Goldgriffspathas, and in the 6th and 7th century AD ring-swords were a clear sign of members of elite warrior groups in Germanic countries. In my presentation, I ask whether, in the early Piast realities, some types of swords, apart from the obvious emblem of the upper layers of social stratigraphy, could also be a carrier of information about membership in a professional warrior group. I will take a closer look at the decorated S and Z type (by J. Petersen) swords, but also at the α type distinguished by A. Nadolski, which gained popularity from the beginning of the 11th century.
So-called ‘emblems of Rurikids’ represent extremely unusual phenomenon of early medieval East European emblematics. It is considered, that each of representatives of branched Rurikids dynasty had the own, different from others, emblem in the form of a bident or trident which could be represented on coins or seals, or was put on various objects, being a symbol of princely authority or property. Separate, relatively few, but extremely interesting, category of objects with emblems of Rurikids make finds of elements of weaponry.
The paper is devoted to consideration of finds of weapons with emblems of Rurikids from the territory of Polack principality, and also, connected with representatives of Polack princely house. The basic attention will be given to the analysis of methodology and basic possibilities of attribution of certain emblems of Rurikids to certain representatives of princely dynasty.
The paper focuses on the interpretative potential of medieval arms and armor from the moat of Castle Kolno in Silesia. Militaria excavated on the site are mainly related to the siege of this fortress in 1443. Apart from plain, utilitarian objects, personal weapons were recorded, that could be interpreted as dress accessories and status symbols. Blunt-headed bolts, adapted to the role of weapons of war were also documented. Those recorded were carefully worked out of oak and meant for hunting small game. In the discussed case, however, such specimens were found in the destruction layers of the castle accompanied by other militaria. To increase their stopping power, some of their wooden heads were reinforced by iron nails. The main question is, whether the high-end or standard character of objects from an archeological layer depends on the context itself.
Issues related to the age of the dead and the individual life cycle as viewed through the prism of archaeological finds have been discussed in the archaeological literature, with the most common focus on a selected population group, especially children. Exceptions include analyses covering the entire population or most of it. Based on materials from early medieval cemeteries from Polish lands and anthropological analyses, an attempt has been made to grasp correlations and links between the elements of armaments included in post-mortem equipment and the age of those buried with them. It can be assumed that in the successive stages of the human life cycle, which on the one hand were regulated by biological processes, and on the other had social and cultural references, there were changes in the structure of military equipment. It is therefore expedient to ask questions about their causes and conditions.
The presentation will analyse three images of Pomeranian rulers from the 15th century: the kenotaph of Duke Barnim VI from the church in Kenz (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) from around 1410, an image of Eric I of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, from 1424, a recently identified and partly preserved fresco with the figure of Boguslaw X in the castle in Písek (Czech Republic) from 1479, as well as heraldic and sphragistic representations from that period. Consideration will be given to the iconography and elements of the depicted weaponry in the context of the weapons from the area preserved in museum collections. An analysis will be made of the way in which the image of the Pomeranian dukes was created in art by reference to the medieval ethos of the knight.
On the territory of historic Yatvingia, burial sites of elite warriors with leadership roles have been discovered through archival research and recent excavations. This paper presents sepulchral finds from Szurpiły, Krukówek (Suwałki District), and Stacze (Olecko District). In Szurpiły, a grave on Góra Zamkowa’s slopes stands out. The young warrior buried there was treated distinctively—his remains were placed in multiple pits, covered by a shared stone pavement encircled by large boulders and steles. Though modestly furnished, the grave held decorative helmet fittings, while nearby finds included elite weaponry. In Krukówek, a large pit contained multiple male and female burials with rich grave goods, including weapons and horsemen’s gear. In Stacze, on a sandy hill resembling a burial mound, spearheads and an imported sword with an engraved inscription were among the key discoveries.
