With contributions by B. G. Scott.
This book deals with the history of the long sword, the principal weapon used by Celts during their raids in the 4th-2nd centuries B.C. The Celts adopted this weapon from European Bronze Age cultures and completed its development after it had been superseded by short, stabbing weapons in the warfare of advanced civilizations. Nonetheless, the role played by the Celtic long sword remained considerable. In this first major study of the subject, Pleiner assesses the importance of the sword, and provides the first systematic treatment of the relevant historical and technological problems associated with its manufacture.
Author(s): Radomír Pleiner
Publisher: Clarendon Press
Year: 1993
Language: English
Pages: 250
City: Oxford
List of Plates xi
List of Figures xii
List of Tables xv
Introduction 1
1. THE ORIGIN OF THE CELTIC LONG SWORD IN EARLY EUROPE 4
The Birth of the Sword 5
The Origin of the Long Sword 6
The Sword and Combat in Homer 10
Changes in Warfare in Southern Europe 11
The Genesis of the Celtic Sword 13
2. STYLES OF COMBAT AMONG THE CELTS 19
The Written Evidence and its Value 19
The Nature of Continental Celtic Warfare during the Great Invasions 24
Single Combat and the Survival of Archaic Customs in Fighting 28
The Celtic Long Sword as Seen by the Classical World 33
The Later Role of the Sword in Society 35
3. NOTES ON THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE CELTIC SWORD 38
Sword Graves in Cemeteries 39
The Problem of Chieftains’ Graves 42
Mass Deposits 59
4. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CELTIC SWORD 61
The Long Sword 61
Punchmarks 64
Scabbards 65
The Anthropoid Short Sword 69
Rapiers 69
5. HOW THE LONG SWORD WAS MADE 71
The Starting Point 71
Forging Trials 73
Making Flat Blade A 75
Making Blade B, with Midrib 76
Fitting a Hilt 77
6. METALLOGRAPHIC EXAMINATIONS OF SWORDS FROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA 78
The Finds 78
Methods of Investigation 80
Results of Investigations 81
7. METALLOGRAPHS EXAMINATIONS OF OTHER LA TÈNE PERIOD SWORDS FROM EUROPE AND THE BRITISH ISLES 99
The Finds and Methods of Investigation 100
Investigation Results 104
8. TECHNIQUES OF SWORD MANUFACTURE 134
The Manufacture of Sword Blades 134
Group A: Swords Made of Wrought Iron 140
Group B: Swords with Medium or Hard Steel Edges 143
Hardening 151
Surface Finishing 152
Hilts 153
The Manufacture of Scabbards 154
9. BATTLEWORTHINESS 157
Criticisms in Ancient Sources 157
Notches on Blades 159
Practical Testing 163
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 165
Bibliography 170
Glossary of Technical Terms 182
Topographical Index 187
Subject Index 191
