An ancient rusty saber, which medieval Turkish pirates may have used in Greece, has been uncovered.

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A monastery where the single-edged sword was discovered.

Fortress-guarding Christian monks in northern Greece have discovered the remains of a medieval saber, or one-edged blade, which they believe to be from a time of Turkish pirate raids or the monastery's defense.

The discovery of a sword is unusual because iron weapons from this period commonly corrode quickly.

The weapon's design is also odd, but archaeologist Errikos Maniotis, a doctorate student at Masaryk University in Brno in the Czech Republic, found that similar curved, one-edged swords were employed by both Turks and Byzantines at the time of the raid in the 14th century.

According to Maniotis, it's difficult to tell if the sword belonged to the Byzantine defenders or the likely Turkish [raiders]. "In this era, they both employed the same weaponry."

An archaeologist from the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chalcidice and Mount Athos, the region's governing body, is collaborating with Maniotis to explore the medieval site named after a local saint.

On the Aegean Sea coast, some 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Thessaloniki on the northwest coast, the remains of Chalkidiki (also known as Chalcidice) are located on the beach in the middle of the three significant peninsulas.

Despite how picturesque it looks today, it hasn't always been a tranquil haven here on the coast. According to Maniotis and Dogas, the sword could have come from any of three different battles that took place in the region during the 14th century.

The archaeological remains of the monastery can be seen on one of the three significant peninsulas in Chalkidiki, Greece. According to archaeologists, fire ultimately brought it down during a raid in the fourteenth century.

a monastery in the Mediterranean

As far back as the 11th century, a monastery has been mentioned in historical documents. Still, it's not sure if it was an independent monastery or an "embassy church" of the Mount Athos monastery on the easternmost Chalkidiki peninsula.

A one-edged sword was unearthed at the site in 2000 and 2001, but this year's excavations have shown that the monastery was encircled by a wall of granite rocks between 5.5 and 6 feet (1.7 to 2 meters) thick.

During attacks like pirate raids, such well-built monasteries and churches were frequently used as local refuges. He also claimed that these religious sites may have had their treasures, such as gold-plated sacred artifacts and grain, on hand. Dogas stated that archaeologists uncovered grain seeds in the lowest levels of a monastery tower, indicating that the structure may have served as a food storage facility for the community.

Research suggests that the tower was previously significantly taller than it is today. Evidence points to a fire at some point damaging the structure. Also found in the same layer as the fire damages were weapons and armor, including axes, arrowheads, and the one-edged sword.

The researchers wrote that a scholarly presentation on May 27 in Athens included "evidence that leads us to assume that the tower was destroyed by heavy fire after a raid," the researchers wrote.

Numerous 14th-century glazed pottery vessels were recovered in the same layer, leading archaeologists to believe the destruction occurred sometime in the second half of that century or even as late as the beginning of the 15th century, according to their styles.

A sword with only one edge

Archaeologists can't say for sure who or when the sword was used, despite its remarkable appearance.

For centuries, sabres were utilized in Turkish territories, as represented in an illustrated Seljuk manuscript currently housed in Istanbul's Topkapi Palace Museum.

Archaeologists have also discovered that these swords were used by Byzantine soldiers, presumably those defending the monastery from Turkish pirates, for example.

According to academics, curved one-edged weapons were employed by Byzantine soldiers as far back as the sixth century, when they encountered them in battle with nomadic Avars and the Sassanid Persians, who had adopted them from the warriors of the Eurasian steppe.

As far as Maniotis and Dogas are concerned, three military events in the 14th century may be to blame: Turkish pirate attacks along the coast, which resulted in the kidnapping of Mount Athos monastery officials in 1344; Serbian king Stefan Duan's occupation of the region from 1345 to about 1371; and the siege of Thessaloniki by Ottoman troops from the Ottoman Empire.

Maniotis doesn't know for sure, but he believes pirates used it to raid the monastery.

However, numerous metal rings from its former sheath can still be visible on the weapon, which was bent during the battle that destroyed the monastery.

The researchers found nearly 18 inches (45 centimeters) of the sword's blade, but not enough to tell if it was Turkish or Byzantine in origin solely based on its shape.

The experts noted that this specific sword is the only one of its kind found in a closed archaeological assembly in Greece, so its historical significance cannot be overstated. One of the rare late Byzantine swords recovered in Greece maybe this one. "

According to Maniotis and Dogas, a subsequent study paper is expected to focus on discovering the sword and other items found during the digs.

 

 

Article source :  https://www.livescience.com/medieval-saber-found-greek-monastery

Image source :  https://pixabay.com/id/photos/ksatria-muram-mistik-pedang-4698269/