A newly discovered dagger-knife from Dumbrava (Romania).

Október a szkíta "akinakészek" hava a szkíta régészet blogon. Ezúttal egy újabb, 2012 nyarán napvilágra került emléket mutatok be, Erdélyből, a Maros mentéről. Az egyélű harci kés több szempontból is egyedülálló: ez a Kárpát-medence területén ma ismert legépebben fennmaradt darab, s a legkeletebbi képviselője a csoport névadó lelőhelye nyomán Tiszadob-típusnak keresztelt egyélű akinakészeknek. Gratulálok az "adományozó kedvű" felfedezőnek és a szerzőknek, akik a leletet példamutató gyorsasággal közzétették.

In the summer of 2012 Mr. Iuliu Cristinel Pop donated to the Mureş County Museum (Romania) an iron dagger, which was discovered in 22nd of July 2012, during a filed survey and investigation with a metal detector. On the exact find spot of the artefact a small field research has been carried out by the staf of the Museum. Unfortunately no other archaeological material could be identified.

The dagger-knife of akinakes type, is a well known example of the Scythian culture, and based on similar artefacts from Romania and from the Carpathian Basin it can be dated to the end of the 6th beginning of the 5th cent. BC. Thank to the very good state of preservation, and due to the very explicit formal characteristics the weapon from Dumbrava becomes the best and the most eastern representation of the dagger-knives with one cutting edge of the Tiszadob variant from the eastern edge of the Carpathian Basin.

Description of the artefact:

An iron akinakes-dagger with a slightly curved blade, which narrows gradually towards the tip; it has a single cutting edge and a triangular cross section. The guard is composed of two heart shaped iron plates, which were handmade separately and fitted through hammering on to the blade. The two lobes which make up the guard have equal dimensions and are uniform, having a slightly oval shape. The handle is lenticular in cross section, narrowing very slightly towards the upper end. It ends in a straight and perpendicular bar, which has a bipedal axe shaped form, having a lenticular cross section. The handle has on each of its sides a narrow and longitudinal groove, which slides under the guard and under the perpendicular bar as well. The horizontal ribbings are dispersed uniformly on the entire handle, having around 1–2 mm between each other. The blade and the handle were manufactured from a single piece of wrought iron, the guard and the bar being added at the end. The blade was sharpened in prehistory, having obvious traces of use and wear. 

It is made of wrought iron.

Dimensions:

total length: 42.3 cm;

handle length: 10.8 cm;

blade length: 27.1 cm;

guard max. width: 5 cm; guard min. width: 4.6 cm;

handle width inf: 1.1 cm; handle width sup: 1.6 cm;

bar length: 6.1 cm; bar width: 1.3 cm;

handle thickness: 0.8 cm;

guard thickness: 0.5 cm;

blade thickness: 0.6 cm.

weight: 289.5 g.

For further reading:
https://www.academia.edu/8852802/A_newly_discovered_dagger-knife_from_Dumbrava

http://salveazaistoria.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/mica-asezare-a-colonistilor-romani-din-limesul-nord-estic-al-daciei-romane/#jp-carousel-1917