sword pommel
Description
Iron ring pommel from a short sword with bronze wire inlay from Camelon. Some of the bronze has become detached. (NB This item had previously been identified as a terret ring). 8cm diameter.
The late 1st and early 2nd century AD saw increasing contact between the Romans and trans-Danubian and steppe peoples, reaching a peak with Trajan’s two Dacian Wars of AD 101-102 and AD 105-106. This contact brought with it a range of new influences for the Roman army, including the adoption of the ring-pommel sword. This form originated in Han China during the 3rd century BC and spread west towards the Danube via steppe people such as the Sarmations. Like the gladius it was a short sword worn on the right-hand side, but the blade had less angular points and the tang, instead of tapering to a point, had a large ring riveted to its terminal. Some pommels were decorated with wire inlay.
Most surviving examples come from outside of the Roman Empire, but there are a few from Roman sites. One came from near the Saxon Shore fort of Pevensey (now in the British Museum), Fragmentary ring pommels are also known from the legionary fortress at Mainz and from the civilian settlement outside the frontier fort at Bad Cannstatt (Germany), the Danubian fort of Mautern (Austria) and Chesters fort on Hadrian’s Wall – all from 2nd century contexts. The closest example to Camelon was at Inveresk (unpublished).
The fashion for such swords was short-lived and by the second half of the second century short swords were being phased out in favour of the longer spatha worn on the left hip.
(see Bishop, MC 2016 The Gladius: The Roman Short Sword.)
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Object detail
Fort
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