Denis Topal of the National Archaeology And History Museum Of Moldova: “The ceremonial sword from Vettersfelde Treasure belongs to the earliest part of the chronological range. The Vettersfelde akinakes has a more elongated pommel and a triangular blade, which the early Scythian pieces lack. The short sword from Vettersfelde is closer to the Suseni-Macişeni type, also mentioned by Vulpe (1990, 38). Several authors (Fialko and Boltrik 2003, 46, then Bruyako 2005, 154 and Babenko 2009, 26) have also drawn attention to a similar series of Scythian swords and daggers. As a result, the amalgamation of the series under a new compromise term (like the Vettersfelde type) is proposed (Topal and Golec 2017, 8).
A grave from mound 13 near the village of Kirikovka (Ukraine, Sumy Region) with an akinakes of the Vettersfelde type (Melnik 1902, 686, fig. 131) again could be dated ‘no later than the sixth century BC’ (Chernenko 1981, 39–40)
Daggers of Vettersfelde type in burials are concentrated mainly in three regions: the Pontic (comprising the Dnieper forest-steppe and the Crimea), the Caucasian (western Trans-Kuban, Transcaucasia), and the Danubian (the eastern Carpathians). The likely route taken by this specimen to its findspot is most likely from the Eastern Carpathians.
In 2019, a sword in a golden sheath was discovered in the grave at the Mamai Gora burial ground [Ukraine], which combines a lyre-shaped ornament and triangles made in the granulation technique. The sword has not yet been published, but is preliminarily dated to the second half of sixth century BC.
The Scabbard/ Sheath
The gold covering need not be of the time when the akinakes itself was produced: cases of ‘chronological delay’ for swords placed with ceremonial intent in assemblages are well known in the Scythian milieu.
The design of the sword’s sheath is quite specific. One can see the influence of early Scythian specimens from Transylvania.
The scabbard from Vettersfelde is most likely the result of further evolution of the mid-Scythian scabbard of the Shumeyko type. Triangles, made using the granulation technique, are replaced in the course of time with the teardrop ornament made of gold wire. Such ‘drops’ appear on a series of sheaths of ceremonial akinakes from the Tomakovskaya [Ukraine].
Another distinctive feature of the Vettersfelde scabbard is the double spirals, which also decorate the bronze scabbard from Kolkhida village, Abkhazia (Trapsh 1954, 139).”
Vettersfelde Gold Fish Plaque >
Sword from Mamai-Hora in Ukraine >
“Cradle of Civilizations” book proposes a new reading on the scenes on famous Chertomlyk sheath and mentions number of other amazing Scythian artifacts.
