5th century AD. A double-edged spatha with parallel-sided iron blade and pointed tip, battle nicks to both cutting edges; the hilt and tang extending over the blade as a tight-fitting sleeve; apanied by an oblate chalcedony pommel, five bronze scabbard guttering elements and a silver buckle for the spension strap. See Dennis, G., Maurice’s Strategikon, handbook of Byzantine Military Strategy, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1984; Lebedinski, I., Armes et guerriers Barbares au temps des grandes invasions IVème au Vième siècle après J.C., Paris, 2001, p.118, for a similar example from Chapka-Tserkovnyi Kholm (Abkhazia); Kazanski, M., Mastykova, A., Tsibilium II, La nécropole apsile de Tsibilium, l’étude du site, BAR, 2007, see swords on pl.6, no.27 (Chapka-Cerkovnyj Holm), pl.13, no.14 (Anuhva); pl.23, no.17 (buckle"). 850 grams total, 3.2-92cm (1 1/4 - 36 1/4"). Acquired 1971-1972. Property of a London, UK, collector; from his father's collection. Apanied by an archaeological report by military specialist Dr. Raffaele D’Amato. Apanied by a positive metal test number HM1461 from an Oxford specialist. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is apanied by AIAD certificate number no.11086-183791. This sword belongs to the group of spathae of late Roman typology, widespread among the Germanic and Abkhazian foederati, and garrison troops of the Northern Black Sea and Caucas. These swords could have been the prototypes of the Eastern Roman spathia, classified in the Strategikon of Pseudo-Mavrikios as Herouliskia (Herulian swords) for their connections with the Germanic mercenaries wearing them originally within the Roman army. [8, No Reserve]