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Weapons and Military Equipment Found in the German Settlement Area
and its maximum thickness is 36 mm. The closest analogies for this kind of sword are the
swords from Bucova 69 and Satu Mare 70 .
Dating: the mid-13 th century 71 .
Place of discovery: On the occasion of the town stadium construction, in 1957, a medieval
sword bent during a ritual, along with a vessel associated with human bones were
discovered by chance, which led to the presumed existence of an isolated grave or
cemetery. Unfortunately, the complex was destroyed during the stadium construction,
and the bent sword was straightened by the unqualified discoverer; the former ritual
bending could, however, still be distinguished, the weapon currently maintaining a very
wide “S” profile. As for the vessel, it was made of a very fine reddish paste, with strong
traces of a secondary burning, bearing a pentagram mark on the bottom, and “three
runes” deeply ditched, visible on the sides 72 . The author associated this grave to a
German settler arrived in Transylvania from Rhineland 73 .
The origin area for this type of piece: Central Europe.
References: R. Heitel 1995, p. 62-63, fig. 1/a-b, 2/a; Z. K. Pinter 1994, p. 19; Z. K. Pinter
1999, p. 54-55, p. 134-137, pl. 16, 41-a.
The History Museum of Sighişoara, inv. no. 2845
8. Sword from Hamba (plate 2:3). The very well preserved piece has a total length of 1336
mm and the blade length of 1112 mm. The cutting edges slightly converge to a sharp
point, making the width of the blade decrease from 53 mm under the cross-guard, to 32
mm at the point where the 780 mm long fullers end, with a 23 mm extension on the hilt
as well. The radiographical analysis of the item could reveal an inscription on the median
fullers on each side of the blade, which could not be preserved for technical reasons. It is
supposed to be a Latin inscription in capital letters dating from the second half of the 13 th
century or the first half of the 14 th century. The hilt length is 164 mm, with a 34 mm wide
cross-guard, decreasing to 12mm at the entrance into the pommel. The right cross-guard
measures 203 mm in length, and has a rectangular profile in the centre and a tapered
circular one at the extremities. The disc-shaped pommel has a maximum diameter of 53
mm and is 32 mm thick. The sword, provided with a hand-and-a-half hilt was suitable for
combat infantry, being heavier. It was included in type VIIIb according to Z. K. Pinter.
Dating: the end of the 13 th century – the first half of the 14 th century.
Place of discovery: in the neighbourhood of the Hamba village.
The origin area for this type of piece: it has a very large territorial spread.
References: M. Rill 1983, p. 82, fig. 3/1; Z. K. Pinter 1999, p. 140-142, pl. 42-a.
69 Z. K. Pinter, D. Ţeicu 1995, p. 251-262.
70 T. Bader 1985; Z. K. Pinter 1999, p. 54-55, 135-136.
71 In his work, Z. K Pinter dates this sword for the first time in the 12 th century (Z. K. Pinter 1999, p. 54-
55) and the second time, around the mid-13 th century (Z. K. Pinter 1999, p. 137).
72 The author of the article on the sword and the vessel in question suggests with relative reserve the
following versions of interpretation for the “three runes”: “Ingo”, “Ingvo” or „Igo”; the inscription was
interpreted as a sort of patronymic of the owner of the vessel and probably of the sword from
Sighişoara (Z. K. Pinter 1999, p. 54-55, p. 134-137). We find the suggested interpretation of the
“inscriptions” on the vessel as runes a bit far-fetched, as one can only see some scratches that appear to
be recent (see pl. 5:2). In addition, considering the place where the vessel and the sword were found,
we are somewhat reticent regarding their belonging to the same archaeological complex.
73 Regarding the funerary ritual practiced by the German settlers from the south of Transylvania in the
12th – 13th centuries, see the article by M. E. Crîngaci Ţiplic 2007.
89