The centuries-old sword, found in a Christian tomb in northern Greece, has been revealed to have possible association with Turkish pirates in the Middle Ages.
Researchers from Masaryk University in the Czech Republic have determined that the one-mouthed sword may have belonged to the Turkish pirates who raided the monastery in the 14th century, or to those who defended the monastery against them.
Archaeologist Errikos Maniotis said that such curved and single-mouthed swords were used by both Turks and Byzantines at that time.
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“It is difficult to determine whether the sword belonged to the Byzantines or to the Turkish raiders,” Maniotis said.
During this period, both sides used similar weapons.
Maniotis worked with archaeologists in Greece to excavate the archaeological site, called the “Monastery of Agios Nikolaos of Hrisokamaros” in honor of a priest who lived in the area.
The remains were unearthed on the northwest coast of the Aegean Sea, about 64 kilometers southeast of Thessaloniki.
The team of archaeologists identified three military incidents in the area in the 14th century where this sword may have been used.
The first was an attack by Turkish pirates along the coast in 1344, in which they also kidnapped the monastic rulers. The second was the attack of the Serbian king Stefan Dušan, who aimed to conquer Byzantine territory between 1345 and 1371. The last was the siege of Thessaloniki by Ottoman troops between 1383 and 1387.
The investigators said the sword’s approximately 45-centimeter blade remained intact but was warped during the attack.
Archaeologists say it will not be possible to determine whether the weapon belonged to the Byzantines or the Turks just by looking at its shape, and plan to conduct new research to obtain detailed information about the origin of the sword.
“A rare find”
According to experts, it is unusual that the iron sword has survived to this day, because iron weapons from this period often rust quickly.
Archaeologists discovered this rare find between 2000 and 2001. Since then, excavations in the area have continued and scientific investigations into the finds have continued.
Excavations over time showed that the monastery was surrounded by a solid wall made of granite rocks, 1.7 to 2 meters thick.
Such durable monasteries were often used as shelters during attacks such as pirate raids.
Archaeologists also believe that the monastery was home to valuable religious items and grain stocks. The discovery of grain seeds in the lower floors of a tower belonging to the monastery during excavations confirms this idea.
The tower is currently about 5 meters high. But research notes that it was once much higher. There is evidence that the structure was severely damaged in a fire at some point.
In addition, finds such as axes, arrowheads and one-mouthed swords were discovered in the same archaeological layer where traces of fire were seen.
Maniotis and his colleagues presented this information from the new reviews at an academic meeting in Athens on May 27.
“This is the evidence that led us to conclude that the tower collapsed due to a violent fire after a raid,” the scientist said during the presentation.
