Marko Aleksi (Belgrad)

One exceptional example of mediaeval sword find

from Southeastern Europe

The museum in the town of Pljevlja, northern Montenegro, kept

a remarkable nding of medieval weapon. It is a sword with the two-edged
blade, hilt for one hand and mushrooms shaped pommel. This sword is a sole
nd, which means that data or the archaeological context that could directly or
indirectly indicate the time or circumstances under which this object fall to soil
are missing. According to the information from museum documentation, sword
was discovered by chance at the fort of Pirlitor at the mountain Durmitor in 19561.
The basic features of the sword hilt for one hand, slender blade with a long and
narrow fuller and long and straight cross-guard generally refer to the typological
characteristics that were present in much of Europe in the 11th and 12th century.
Those general characteristics of swords from Pirlitor could be best understood
as the youngest stage in the development of spate the type of weapon that was
dominant in most of the continent during the early middle Ages.
The sword is preserved almost in its entirety, and apart that the grip,
which was of an organic material, is missing, possibly only missing is the very top
of the blade in the length of less than one centimeter. Blade is the right, doubleedged and moderate to severe narrowing slightly towards the top. The sword is
forged of steel, and on both sides of the blade there is an ornament made by
inlaying of bronze wire. The total measured length of the weapon is 101.5 cm of
which the length of the blade is 88, and of hilt is 13.5 cm. Maximum width of the
blade, under the cross-guard, is 4.5 cm and 60 cm from it, 3.4 cm. The fuller is
72 cm long while its maximum width is 1.2 cm, and 40 cm from the cross-guard
it is 1 cm width. Cross-guard is straight, with square-section and its length is
26 cm, while its thickness is 0.8 cm. Tang of the hilt is 10 cm long. Pommel is
2.6 cm height, 4.8 cm width and 2.4 cm thick. On both sides of the blade, there
are ornaments in the form of circular medallions and a long tendrils. Medallions
have a diameter of 3.2 cm and are located about 7.5 cm from cross-guard, while
the tendrils, in a form of series of spiral motifs, 64 cm long. On the one side of
the blade the spiral ornament is of a simple, geometric shapes, 0.8 cm width, and
from the other side there is a series of simple oral motifs, about 0.7 cm width.
By its form, pommel of sword from Pirlitor mach with Oakeshotts type
B which is dated in the 11th and 12th century (Oakeshott 1981, 93). In the division
1 I thank Mr. Radoman Risto Manojlovic which has enabled me to personally review this sword during my
stay in Pljevlja in August 2009.

43

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One exceptional example of mediaeval sword nd from Southeastern Europe

of the pommel shapes which was made by Alfred Gajbig, this shape corresponds
to his Combinationtype 15 III, which is dated from the second half of the 10th to
the third quarter of the 12th century (Geibig 1991, 66-68, 146-147, 151). Although
the shape of this pommel corresponds exactly to this type as it is conrmed also
by the relationships of all three dimensions of pommels, for the dimensions of the
pommel of the sword from Pirlitor can be said that are small, i.e. that are in all
three parameters below the values measured by Gajbig for this type (Table 1).

Sword

Pommel
width
(PW)

Pommel
height (PH)

PW/PH

PH/PT

PW/PT

Pirlitor

4.8

2.6

1.85

1.08

Geibig 15 III

5.17

2.84

1.661.97

0.881.2

1.782.36

Tab. 1. Dimensions of pommel of sword from Pirlitor and Geibigs Combination type 15 III.

Blade of the sword from Pirlitor is very slender, with a fuller which
occupies about four-fths of its length and which with is small, as well the width
of the blade. Such blades of slender silhouette Oakeshott marked as type XI and
dated its greatest popularity in the 12th century, altrought they were produced in
something smaller number in the previous and next centuries (Oakeshott 1981,
31). By typology of Alfred Gajbig, this blade would belonged to his type 9 which is
also dated in the 12th century (Geibig 1991, 153-154, Abb. 40).
Mushroom-shaped pommels of Oakeshotts type B, as well as those of
lens-shaped forms which are marked as type A, are the most common form of the
pommels on the European swords from around the end of the 10th to 12th century.
Generally speaking, older specimens of swords with pommels of type A and B
usually have blades of Oakeshotts type X, while the younger specimens have
mostly blade-types Xa and XI. These circumstances generally indicated that the
sword from Pirlitor belongs to the younger specimens of swords with pommels of
type B, which would generally indicate the 12th century.
The youngest specimens of lense- and mushrom-shaped pommels (types
A and B), from about the second half of the 12th century, are often characterized
by a slightly larger size than usual for these types (Aleksi 2007, 37-38). These
metrological variations of late pommels of types A and B can be best understood
as a consequence of increase of the general size of swords at the time. In addition
to blades, which shows a mild tendency of increasing their length which also
resulted in the increase of their weight, the period around the second half of the
12th century is also characterised for the occurrence of extended hilts, for oneand-a-half hand (Oakeshott 1981, 43-45). In contrast to these general tendencies
in the development of a European sword in the second half of the 12th century,

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45

hilt of Durmitor sword is for one hand, and his pommel-type B is remarkably
small. These characteristics are especially important because this sword, by all its
typological characteristics, shows a clear relationship with the general tendencies
of European swordsmithies of the time.
In contrast to the small dimensions of the pommel and hilt for one hand,
the extremelly long cross-guard is indicating the time around the nal decades
of the 12th or even the rst decades of the 13th century. According to its value of
26 cm, it is among some of the largest cross-guards which are older than 13th
century. As examples of some of the earliest cross-guards whose length exceeds
25 cm, can be mentioned a sword from the river Ljubljanica, site Crna Vas, in
Slovenia (Nabergoj 1997, 224-300, 262, 263, cat. no 66.1, g. 38a, pl. 18:2. Crossguard lenght is 26 cm) or, for example, from unknown sites from the Hungarian
National Museum in Budapest (Gosek 1984, 174, cat. 460, pl. XXVIII:2. Lenght
of this cross-guard is 27.7 cm) and in the Military Museum in Belgrade (Petrovi
1976, 210, g. 2; 1996, 149, g. 6,; 1993, 8, 24, cat. 5. Cross-guard
lenght is 27 cm) and from the site Seehausen in upper Bavaria (Seehausen am
Staffelsee, Geibig 1991, 53, cat. No 47, pl. 33. Lenght of cross-guard is 26.6 cm).
All of these swords are, however, dated to the rst half or mid-13th century. This
is even more interesting becouse the length of the hilt of the Durmitor sword
is small, for one hand, causing the entire length of the weapon is just slightly
larger than one meter, which the overall silhouette of weapons makes very crossshaped.
The lenght of the cross-guard as a features of the sword which could
indicate the time of theirs production was considered in a many of ways.
However, this process could be followed up in a general terms. Alfred Gajbig
made a general framework of the lenghts of the cross-guards during the period
9-13 century. He noted that at the beginning of this period their maximum length
does not exceeded 13-14 cm, during the 10th century is was not more than 16 cm,
and in the 11th and 12th century appears the cross-guards whose length can reach
20 cm and even more. The greatest length of the cross-guards, and up to 28 cm,
reaching swords from the end of the 12th and the 13th century. As it can be seen
from this outline of the calculation of this parameter, the length of the Durmitor
sword cross-guard corresponding to the values that are characteristic for the
youngest part of this period, and that is the late 12th and 13th century. In relation
to this it should be noted that, despite the fact that from the middle of 13th century
in Europe emerging swords with hilts long enough for both hands, i.e. the twonaded swords in the true sense of the word, the tendency of increasing the length
of cross-guards almost stopped. The largest number of cross-guards from the 14th
and 15th century were long between 20 and 25 cm and rarely surpass this value.
In any case, we could conclude that this extremely long cross-guard of Pirlitor
sword, whose value exceeds 25 cm, is feature that almost does not allow its dating
before around the mid 12th century, and even for this period is to some extent
an exception.

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One exceptional example of mediaeval sword nd from Southeastern Europe

Basic typological features of the sword from Pirlitor, particularly its blade
type, points to the rst half or the middle of the 12th century. Small size of its
pommel and grip which is still for the one hand, indirectly referring to its dating
prior to the rst decades of this century. On the other hand, extremely long crossguard chronologically refers to the second half of 12th or even the rst decades
of the 13th century. However, considering that the length of the cross-guard is
chronologically secondary criterion, and the fact that nding place of the sword
and some elements of its decoration allow the assumption that it originates
from the workshops that are not strictly followed all typological tendencies of
the Western swords of this time, this criterion could be relatived as sole younger
chronological indications. Therefore, the sword could be primarilly dated to the
decades around the middle of the 12th century.

***
Sword from Pirlitor bears an ornament, inlayed with yellow metal wire,
which covers a large part of his blade. Ornamet on both sides consist of circular
medallion and decorative long tendril. The medallions are the representations of
faces framed with four wings that match the performance of Cherub characteristic
for Byzantine artistic tradition. Unlike the Byzantine art, in which the Cherub is
presented only in this way, in Western Europe this, one of the supreme angel, is
portrayed as a gurative representation, usually as a boy. Four wings are clearly
visible on both medallions, and the eyes on the face of an angel in the center of
the representation can be detected in one of them.
Figure and other more complex motifs in the medallion are extremely
rare motif on medieval swords. The elements of circular medallions motif of
medieval swords may be required in simple signs which are inscribed within
a circle. The most numerous are the representations of the cross inscribed in
a circle, and is not a rare case of letters, usually the letter S, inscribed in a circle.
Sometimes inscribed cross may be more or less complex or stylished, and there
are also examples of oral motifs, owers or rosettes, in medallions. A unique
example is the sword discovered in the River Danube at the island Tahi, not far
from Budapest, which has, inlayed by a yellow and silver wire, representations
of female gure and owers on one side of the blade, while on the other, there
are two medallions with motifs of rosettes2. As an example of the medallion with
more complex representation can be quoted the blade from an unknown site that
is housed in a museum in Komarno, south Slovakia3. On one side of the blades,
2 Hungarian National Museum, Budapest (inv. nr. 67.8521). The sword has a pommel of type A. It should
be mentioned that hilt length and blade length of this sword is close to those of the sword from Pirlitor
(L = 98.1 cm; BL = 84.7 cm; HL = 13.4; TL = ca 9.8 cm). The sword is dated to the 13th century (Gosek
1984, 173, cat. 443).
3 Danube Museum in Komrno (inv. nr. III-2062). Ruttkay 1975/76, 165, 198, 203, 278, Abb. 13:1, 25:1,
27:3 a, b.

Marko Aleksi

47

inlayed with bronze wire, there is a representation of an eagle in the medallion

and letters TADS, and the other side shows a lion in a medallion, letters NIC and
latin cross. Based on these representations, which are actually heraldic motifs,
sword is attributed to the Czech king Ottokar II (1253-1278) (Gosek 1984, 141,
cat. 50), (Fig. 3).
In contrast to the obvious Christian symbolism, the representation of
Cherub on sword from Pirlitor is a unique phenomenon so far. Cherub is one
of the highest rank heavenly angels in Christianity. The only concrete sword
mentioned in the Bible is a aming sword. When Adam and Eve expelled from
Paradise, Cherub took the aming sword and stood at the entrance of heaven
preventing entry into it (The book of Genesis, 1 Book of Moses, chapter 3, verse
24). Crucial importance of Christianity for European medieval society is reected
in numerous representations of the cross, religious inscriptions and other
Christian motifs on medieval swords. Considering the importance of Cherub
in the Christian tradition that could be easily and obviously be connected with
a only concrete sword from Bible, the fact that nding from Pirlitor is for now
only one which bears such motif, suggests its exellence.
Decorative motif of long tendrils on the blade is not so rare on the
mediaeval swords, but their number is not too large. Geometric ornament on
one side of the blade of the sword from Pirlitor, as intertwined with a series of
S-motives, is quite simple. Ornament on the other side of the blades consists of
a series of trifoil oral motives which make tendrils. As an analogy for this motif,
it may be cited two ndings from eastern Germany (Gosek 1984, cat 138, 173). In
these cases, on the other side of the blade is a long Latin inscription. The fact that
this complex and long ornament on the sword from Pirlitor do not follow the latin
letters, which is a common case with similar ndings in Europe, could possibly
also indirectly indicate the origin of this ornaments from the Byzantine cultural
tradition. However, in this case remains evident effort of artists to follow, by this
motif, the general aesthetic and symbolic principles of decoration of Western
swords of this time.
Based on morphological analysis of this weapon it can be concluded that
according to the typological characteristics, the Pirlitor sword belongs to the
general Western European traditions of sword production. On the other hand,
the representation of Cherub in the Byzantine and not Western artistic tradition,
could indicated that the sword was decorated by an artist from the East or that it
was a result of the wish of its owner. The fact that this is a high quality art work,
indicate that the artist most likely belonged to some signicant cultural center.
Based on these circumstances, we may conclude that the sword from Pirlitor is
very representative object, in fact, one of the most lavish 12th century swords from
this region. How such luxurious and unique object came to this epic highlands?

48

One exceptional example of mediaeval sword nd from Southeastern Europe

***
Pirlitor medieval fortress, where the sword was found, is located on the
left bank of the middle ow of the river Tara. This is a central part of the gorge
of river Tara, the largest gorge in Europe and second in the world (after the
Colorado River canyon in the U.S.). Pirlitor fort, the most famous fortress of the
Serbian mediaeval epics, is situated on the hill, above the left bank of the Tara
River gorge. It lies on the route of the Roman and medieval road that went from
the Adriatic coast, via Onogot (roman Anagastum, todays Niki), arrived to the
area Jezera, and then, crossing the river Tara, goes to the Pljevlja and further to
the north in the Balkan hinterland. One of the two main roads which was used
by caravans of the Dubrovnik merchants during the Middle Ages, went to the
interior of Serbia using this route and was called via Jesera or via Anagasti
( 1978, 311). The dominant position of the Pirlitor fortress, close the place
where the road crossed the river near the present village Lever Tara, indicate
that its main role was to control this ancient communication. In fact, on the left
side of this part of the river ow, in an area which was called Jezera (Lakes) in
Middle Ages, Pirlitor is only known fortied place (Mijovi, Kovaevi 1975, 126;
Srednjevjekovni... 2004, 36-37). The historical Pirlitor is not mentioned under
this name, but in the area Jezera in 1399 is mentioned the court of the Bosnian
nobleman Sandalj Hranic and in the Jezera took place the negotiations between
the Sandaljs sucesor, Herceg Stjepan Vukic Kosaa (by which the Herzegovina
got its name) and Dubrovnik in 1453 (Mijovi, Kovaevi 1975, 126; irkovi
1964, 202). It is most likely that the court and place of negotiation are the same
site and that it was in fortress Pirlitor or in its vicinity.
Area of River Tara belonged to the core territory of early mediaeval
Serbia. The boundary between the two major Serbian early mediaeval states,
Dioklea and Rascia, in 11th century was a little further south from Jezera, in
the area between the rivers Tara and Piva (... 1981, 162, fn. 14 .
). One of the few writen evidences about this area in early middle ages
is from the dokument called Chronicle of the Priest of Dioclea or Gesta Regum
Sclavorum that describes the territory of Dioclea from the time of king Bodin
(1081-1099). It is in this area is mentioned only upa (counties) Komarnica
(Comarniza, Comerniza), which was undoubtedly located in the region of river of
the same name, right (northern) tributary of the River Piva ( 1928, 327,
453; 2009, 118-119). However, the area Jezera, including the fortress
Pirlitor, is located outside of the presumed territory of this counties, northwest
from it. In todays city Mojkovac, about 40 kilometers upstream the river Tara,
was situated Brskovo, the important mine of mediaeval Serbia, but historical data
about it comes just from 13th century.

Marko Aleksi

49

There is a possibility that one signicant military conict took place in this
area, and just in time when the sword could reach into the ground. It is a battle
on the river Tara, in which the Byzantine emperor Manuel Comnenus defeated
the joint Serbian and Hungarian troops under the command of Serbian grand
upan Uro II in 1150 ( ... 1971, 33, fn. 65 . ; about
use of swords in this batle: 2010). This battle has attracted much
scientic attention and today, there is no single opinion on whether the battle
took place on the river Tara in Montenegro, or near another river of the same
name, tributary of the river Kolubara near the todays town Valjevo in Serbia, some
250 km northern ( 1976). Anywhere that was the site of this battle,
it and the military operations that followed, could be an rare example of
circumstances under which this remarkable sword could reach such areas. The
old Roman road and place of its crossing the river Tara near the fortication of
Pirlitor, had a denite strategic importance also in the 12th century and becouse
of that could be the place which was used by the armies.
Although there is no much knowledge about where the battle took place and
its surviving material traces are missing, there is one item of military equipment
that could possibly be linked to it. It is a gilden spur which was discovered in the
tomb of a upan of Trebinje, Grd ( around 1170) at the site Poljice near Trebinje
in eastern Herzegovina (Aneli 1962, 173-175; about the time of the death of
the upan Grd 1963, 256-257; 2006, 459-460)4. Grd is
identied with the upan Grdea (Gerdesa, Gerdessa) that was mentioned as a
witness in two charters of the prince of Zachlumia (Zahumlje), Desa from 1151
( 1928, 201, 237-238; ivkovi 2009, 327; Foreti 1952. upan Grdea
is mentioned and in one another charter, of some ban Slavogost, 1928,
191-192; 2009, 327). upan Grdea () which is mentioned
as a participant in the battle on the river Tara is usually identied with the same
Gerdes(s)a and Grd from Herzegowina ( ... 1971, 33, fn. 65,
. ). Regardless of whether the sword from Pirlitor and a golden spur from
Herzegovina actually met during the Battle of the 1150 in the gorge of Tara, or
not, remains the fact that these are two unique ndings of representative weapons
and military equipment from this area and from the same period.
This sword could reach the slopes of the Tara gorge and in various other
circumstances. The old Roman road did not used only by the armies, but also, above
all, by traders, people who had also, in certain circumstances, be in position to
carry such a luxury object. During the very tumultuous intensive political turmoil
in Doclea and Rascia during the 12th century, this road could have been used by
some of the many members of royal families and high nobles who, in the struggle
for power, moved between those Serbian states with armies or just with theirs
escorts (more about these tumultuous political circumstances: 2006,
4 This tombstone is now kept in the Museum of Herzegovina, Trebinje: http://muzejhercegovine.org/
pages/inline2/arheologija/zupan_grd.htm [12.05.2010].

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One exceptional example of mediaeval sword nd from Southeastern Europe

458-461). The lack of historical sources about this areas in 12th century does not
exclude the possibility that the Pirlitor fortress, which is still not archaeologically
investigated, could be signicant strategic of administrative center even in the
12th century. The sword from Pirlitor is an exceptional archaeological nd from
the time in which the political, cultural and other impacts from the West and
East were dynamically intertwined in this region. This unique object represent
a vividly testimony of the intertwining of these inuences.

Bibliography
Sources:
...
1971

(Fontes Byzantini historiam

populorum Jugoslaviae spectantes), T. 4, ed. G. Ostrogorsky, F. Barii, .

.
1928 , .
Literature:
Aleksi M.
2007 Mediaeval Swords from Southeastern Europe, Belgrade.
Aneli P.
1962

Mamuza trebinjskog upana Grda, Glasnik zemaljskog muzeja u Sarajevu, 17,

173-175.

.
1976

, (Setzenitza, Strymon et Tara dans

loeuvre de Jean Kinnamos), (Byzantine Studies), 17, 69-75.

irkovi S.
1964

Herceg Stefan Vuki Kosaa i njegovo doba, Beograd.

.
1978

(Dubrovniks Medieval Caravan

Trade), [in:] . , , .

.
2010 Srpsko naoruanje i taktika u delu Jovana Kinama, Vojno-istorijski glasnik, 2, 9-19
Foreti V.
1952

Dvije isprave Zahumskog kneza Dese o Mljetu iz 1151. godine, Anali Historijskog Instituta JAZU, 1, 65-72.

Geibig A.
1991

Geibig, Beitrge zur morphologischen Entwicklung des Schwertes im Mittelalter, Neumnster.

Marko Aleksi

51

Gosek M.
1984 Miecze rodkowoeuropejskie z X-XV w., Warszawa.
...
1981

1, ed. S. irkovi, .

Mijovi P., Kovaevi M.

1975

Gradovi i utvrenja u Crnoj Gori (Towns and fortresses in Montenegro), Beograd.

.
1993

XIV XX , catalogue, .

Oakeshott R.E.
1981

The Sword in the Age of Chivlary, London.

Nabergoj T.
1997

[in:] D. Svoljak, P. Bitenc, J. Isteni, T. Knic, T. Nabergoj, Novo gradivo v Arheolokem

oddelku Narodnega muzeja v Ljubljani (pridobljeno v letih 1987 do 1993), Varstvo
spomenikov 36/94-95, Ljubljana, 224-300.

Petrovi .
1976

Dubrovako oruje u XIV veku, Beograd.

1996

XII-XIV , [in:] , ed. S. Terzi .

. .
1963

, (Byzantine Studies), 8 (1), 255-259.

Ruttkay A.
1975/76 Waffen und Reiterasrstung des 9. bis zur ersten halfte des 14. Jahrhunderts in der
Slowakei I, Slov. Arch. XXIII-1, 1975, 119-216, XXIV-2, Nitra 1976, 245-395.
Srednjevjekovni...
2004 Srednjevjekovni gradovi Crne Gore (Medieval Towns of Montenegro), Kotor.
.
2006 XII (Dioclea between
Rascia and Byzantium in the rst half of the twelfth century),
(Byzantine Studies), 43, Beograd, 359-460.
ivkovi T.
2009 Gesta Regum Sclavorum, Beograd.

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One exceptional example of mediaeval sword nd from Southeastern Europe

Fig. 1. Sword from site Pirlitor,

northern Montenegro, Museum
in Pljevlja (phot. M. Aleksi).

Marko Aleksi

Fig. 2. Sword from site Pirlitor, northern Montenegro, Museum in Plljevlja

(phot. M. Aleksi).

53

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One exceptional example of mediaeval sword nd from Southeastern Europe

Fig. 3. Sword of king Ottokar II (1253-1278), Danube Museum in Komrno (pic. M. Aleksi).