[Stephen Curtin]

Hi everyone, I've been trying to research a little about dagger from hallstatt D lately and I can't seem to find too much info online.

Basically, all I've been able to find out is that in hallstatt D daggers replace the long swords from hallstatt C, these daggers usually had a cast bronze hilt, most of these hilts were fairly unique from one another although a lot of them were of the antennae or anthropomorphic types.

I have a few questions that I would be very grateful if anyone here could help me out with.
1) What was the average length of one of these daggers?
2) How were the hilts constructed and attached to the blade, was by using the bronze age method of flanges and rivets, or was it more similar to the la tene method?
3) Where did this design develope from, villanovan daggers perhaps?
4) Why did these daggers replace long swords?
5) Is there any typology for these daggers, or does anyone have a chart showing the development throughout hallstatt D to la tene anthropomorphic hilts?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Stephen Curtin]

Anyone

[Scott Woodruff]

Stephen, I havn't been researching Halstatt lately, but I'll see what I can remember off the top of my head or dig up from my research.
Length- usually around 8-12 inch blade, but some have very short triangular blades about 6 inches long or so.
Hilt construction- some have cast-on hilts, some, like the single-edged example in the Naturhistoriches museum Vienna
have rivets, while some, like the late example in the Schweizerisches Landmuseum in Zurich, are
constructed like a La Tene sword. The quality and complexity of Hallstatt metal-working is truly astounding.
Origin- The Hallstatt was a period of renewed and increasing contact with the steppes to the east. It was this influx of steppe culture mixing with native Urnfield cultures that produced what we call the Hallstatt culture. The late Halstatt daggers most definitely fit into the steppe tradition of medium-length stabby-things with antenae and antennae-like hilts. The time period when daggers replaced long swords co-incided with the introduction of more advanced horsemanship and the transition from chariot warfare to mounted warfare.

Transition to La Tene- I don't know, but late Hallstatt daggers are not all that different from some early La Tene swords.

I hadn't thought about Hallstatt stuff in a while, but I have thought about making a replica in the past. I will dig around a bit and see If I can come up with something.

[Stephen Curtin]

Thank you very much Scott, this has helped alot. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the hilts being cast on, could you go into more details on this please. And if you should get the urge to re-research the Hallstatt period again I'd be glad to hear from you.

[Scott Woodruff]

Apparently, this was done by building a lost-wax mold around the tang and pouring liquid bronze in, thus casting the hilt around the tang. This technique is especially typical of early iron-age akinakes.

Are you preparing to make a dagger, or just curious?

[Stephen Curtin]

Hey Scott, thanks for the quick reply, so that clears things up about the hilt manufacture. As for making something like this myself I think not, due to a visual impairment I'm afraid I will probably never chance crafting anything from metal or wood. I am just curious, though I may commission someone else to make me one of these at some stage, and I like having all of the information I can before discussing an order.

[Scott Woodruff]

Cool, if you have any more questions I will do my best to be of service.