Die Gefäßkonstruktion zweier hethitischer Schwerter aus den mykenischen Gräbern vom Değirmentepe bei Milet

Abstract

Two swords from Miletus were technologically investigated for the construction of their hilts which characterizes them as Hittite products. The swords belong to the technologically developed grip type, their hilts are assembled from several single elements: a core made of an organic material, a cross guard of bronze sheet with a blade spout forged onto, four core covering sheets, and a forged pommel of bronze sheet. A few  comparable swords are published of which a sword with completely cast hilt and two single cast cross guards are striking. These cast pieces might be dated slightly later, because the technical characteristics of the ›sheet hilts‹ were just optically copied in the casting technique ›faking‹ the time consuming sheet element assemblage.