Migration Period sword

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Vendel sword hilt from the Snartemo III grave in southern Norway. Hilt is repoussé Early 6th century. The gold plate grips and silver gilt mount at the mouth of the scabbard are in Style I.
Vendel sword hilt from the Snartemo III grave in southern Norway. Hilt is repoussé Early 6th century. The gold plate grips and silver gilt mount at the mouth of the scabbard are in Style I.

Swords of the Migration Period show a transition from the Germanic iron seax influenced by the Early Iron Age Celtic sword, to the the "Viking sword" type influenced by the Roman spatha, including the Romano-Germanic ring sword type.

The blade is normally smooth or shows a very shallow fuller, and often has multiple bands of pattern-welding within the central portion. The handles were often of perishable material and there are few surviving examples.

Surviving examples of these Germanic Iron Age (Vendel period) swords had blades measuring between 28" and 32" (710 and 810 mm) in length and 1.7" to 2.4" (45 to 60 mm) in width. These single handed weapons of war sported a tang only some 4" to 5" (100 to 130 mm) long, and had very little taper in their blades ending in usually rounded tip.

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