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Catalog of Migration Period ring-swords and sword-rings

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Recently, I have been asked if there is any list of Migration Period swords whose pommel is equipped with a ring (also called ringed swords, Ringschwert), an interesting phenomenon from the 5th-7th centuries. List of up to 80 pieces can be found in the literature (Evison 1967; Steuer 1987; Vasilev 2018 and others). Although I deal primarily with militaria from another period, I created a catalog and map of currently known finds. In the catalog that includes 116 pieces, I gathered complete swords, separate pommels and rings that are interpreted as pommel remains. I did not differentiate material or typology in the catalog entries. The attached map indicates the distribution among the Germanic tribes, particularly the Franks, Saxons, Anglo-Saxons, Alemanns, Lombards, and Scandinavians.

Typology of the rings mounted on Migration period sword pommels. Vasilev 2018: Fig. 1.

The catalog in the Excel spreadsheet can be downloaded by clicking at the following button:

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Literature

Adamsen, Christian (2008). Sorte muld, Rønne.

Evison, V. I. (1967). The Dover Ring-sword and Other Sword-rings and Beads. In: Archaeologia 101, 63-118.

Evison, V. I. (1976). Sword Rings and Beads. In: Archaeologia 105, 303–315.

Fischer, Svante – Soulat, Jean (2008). « Les Seigneurs des Anneaux », Inscription Runique de France, tome 1, Bulletin de liaison de l’AFAM, Hors série n° 2, Condé-sur-Noireau.

Fern, Chris – Dickinson, Tania – Webster, Leslie (2019). The Staffordshire Hoard. An Anglo-Saxon Treasure, London.

Holmquist, Wilhelm (1961). Excavations at Helgö l. Report for 1954-1956, Stockholm.

Iversen, R. B. – Laursen, S. V. – Nielsen, N. H. (2021). Døden i centrum. Yngre jernalders gravfund i Region Midtjylland, Højbjerg.

Jørgensen, Lars – Nørgård Jørgensen, Anne (1997). Nørre Sandegård Vest. A Cemetery from the 6th-8th Centuries on Bornholm, København.

Jørgensen, Lars – Petersen, P. V. (1998). Guld, magt og tro. Danske skattefund fra oldtid og middelalder, København.

Ljungkvist, John (2009). Continental Imports to Scandinavia. Patterns and Changes between AD 400 and 800. In: Quast, Dieter (ed.). Foreigners in Early Medieval Europe: Thirteen International Studies on Early Medieval Mobility, Mainz, 27-49.

Menghin, Wilfried (1983). Das Schwert im frühen Mittelalter: chronologisch-typologische Untersuchungen zu Langschwertern aus germanischen Gräbern des 5. bis 7. Jahrhunderts n. Chr., Stuttgart.

Menghin, Wilfried – Springer, Tobias – Wamers, Egon (eds.) (1987). Germanen, Hunnen und Awaren: Schätze der Völkerwanderungszeit ; die Archäologie des 5. und 6. Jahrhunderts an der mittleren Donau und der östlich-merowingische Reihengräberkreis ; Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg, 12. Dezember 1987 bis 21. Februar 1988, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte der Stadt Frankfurt am Main, 13. März bis 15. Mai 1988, Nürnberg.

Mortimer, Paul – Bunker, Matt (2019). The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England: from the 5th to 7th Century, Little Downham.

Nerman, Birger (1969). Die Vendelzeit Gotlands, II. Tafeln, Stockholm.

Rundkvist, Martin – Ragnesten, Ulf (2022). Metallsökning och provgropar vid Köpestad i Svarteborg 2022, Göteborg.

Steuer, Heiko (1987). Helm und Ringschwert. Prunkbewaffnung und Rangabzeichen germanischer Krieger. Eine Übersicht. In: Studien zur Sachsenforschung 6, 190-236.

Vasilev, V. T. (2018). The role of ring-sword of the aristocracy in Early Middle Europe. In: Studia Iuridico-Historica 2019.

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