Grave with a machaira from Most na Soči

Last versions of single-edged swords with a bent hilt

Abstract

The article discusses the cremation grave 25 from the Repelcfallow at Most na Soči, which contained the remains of a warriorequipped  with  a  curved  single-edged  sword  and  a  pilum-likeweapon. The fill of the badly damaged grave pit yielded a potteryfragment  with  combed  decoration,  while  a  bronze  fibula  ofthe Middle La Tène scheme was found on the grave’s surfaceand  probably  also  formed  part  of  the  grave  unit.  The  swordbelongs to the group of the latest versions of Iron Age machairas,known exclusively from central and western Slovenia. Two ofthese were found in the Ljubljanica River, at the Ljubljana Moor,and two are of unknown provenance. The composition of theRepelc  grave  not  being  entirely  reliable  and  other  swords  es-caping chronological determination, both result in the date ofthe Ljubljanica type swords remaining open. Based on the similaritywith the grave contents of the La Tène Idrija group, the pre-sumed  typological  development  of  the  machairas  with  a  ten-dency towards prolongation of the blade, and other instancesof the Hallstatt weapon forms being used during the Late IronAge in the south-eastern Alpine area, the authors are inclinedtowards  dating  the  grave  in  the  last  two  centuries  BC