Paalksnių, Kelmės r., pilkapyno kalavijas

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Archeologija; Baltai; Ginkluotė; Kalavijas; Lobis; Palaidojimai; Vėlyvasis geležies amžius; Archaeology; Arms; Balts; Burials; Late Iron Age; Sword; Treasure.

ENDuring the excavation works in the Paalksniai (Kelmė distr. Barrow cemetery in 1995 a hoard of four items was found under the turf layer at the edge of burial mound No VI. The hoard included a sword fragment, 2 spearheads and an axe with a wide blade and blunt end. The artefacts were concentrated by the burial mound right under the turf of the balk. All items have been burnt, therefore, well preserved. One more axe with wide blade and blunt end was found not far off but, it seems likely, it did not belong to the hoard. The blade of the sword is broken, there is no point. The length of the preserved fragment is 57,4 cm. The width of the blade is 4,5-5 cm. The tripartite butt is 8,3 cm long, 3,4 cm wide and 3,55 thick. The upper crosspiece of the haft is slightly convex, 9,7 cm long, 2,3 cm wide and 2,55 cm thick.The haft had a silver ornamentation. The butt and the crosspiece have a fused drop of silver. The blade was, evidently, also inlaid with silver. Its surface bears marks of silvering. The inlay might have melded in the fire. The Paalksniai sword has traits of T and Z types and can be attributed to an intermediate type T/Z. It was forget by local armourers in the XII century. The spearheads uncovered with the sword are of two types: socketed lanceolate and hafted lanceolate. Both types of spearheads were characteristic of Baltic warriors and are found in burials of Late Iron Age. Such spearheads uncovered in Paalksniai hoard may be dated to the XII century.The axe with a wide blade and a blunt end is also characteristic of the Baltic male grave goods of the Late Iron Age. Such axes were used in the household. Only the lighter and more graceful axes and axes made of Damascus steel were used as battle axes. The Paalksniai axe should be dated to the same age as the sword - the XII century. The interpretation and chronology of the hoard can be the following: the weapons uncovered under the turf of burial mound No VI represented burial items of one male grave. A presumption is possible that the sword got into the barrow from the destroyed cremation grave of the nearly situated burial ground of the Late Iron Age. The items contained in the burial were, most likely, uncovered during the earth works and again buried in one of the burial mounds. The date when the hoard was buried is not clear. The items included in the hoard - judging from the type of hilt of the sword and other weapons - should be dated to the XII century. [From the publication]