Authors: Oksana Rotar, Oksana Dragomyretska, Andrii Fedoruk

Among the sites of the Chernyakhov culture, the burial ground located near the village of Oselivka, Dnistrovskyi (formerly Kelmenetskyi) district, Chernivtsi region, is one of the well-known archaeological sites. Valuable artifacts have been recorded there, making it possible to trace the direct influence of Roman military culture on the military affairs of the local population in the Late Antiquity period. Of particular interest is a ritualistically bent sword, found during the 1977 excavations at a depth of 0,55 m in burial 70, which, judging by other weapons found there, contained a funerary urn with the cremated remains of a warrior. Currently, this ancient blade, which is preserved in the collections of the Chernivtsi Regional Museum of Local Lore, is displayed in its exposition among archaeological items of regional significance.

Sword from the Chernyakhov burial ground near Oselivka village.

Modern photos.

The structural and morphological parameters of the investigated sword are as follows: total length – 81 cm, blade length – 70 cm, maximum blade width in the upper part near the hilt – 6 cm, and in the middle – 5 cm. In cross-section, the blade has the shape of a strongly flattened ellipse. Regarding the shape of the double-edged blade of the investigated sword, there is no consensus among scholars. Specifically, according to Halyna Nikitina, "the blade shape tapers uniformly without any profiling for rigidity." In contrast, Borys Magomedov and Maksym Levada rightly noted that "the published (by H. Nikitina – Authors) reconstruction of the Oselivka sword, burial 70, raises doubts among a number of researchers, as a uniformly tapered blade shape finds no analogies among Roman-era antiquities." Therefore, according to these scholars, the width of the said blade is almost uniform (5,5-5,2 cm) along its entire length down to its sharp, but heavily rust-damaged, lower end. As for the sword's hilt, it also stands out somewhat with its structural parameters. The total length of its tang – 11 cm, its thickness near the pommel is 0,8 cm, and near the blade is 2,7 cm. The tang of the hilt gradually widened from the pommel to the blade. Its cross-section is rectangular, the transition to the blade is at an obtuse angle, and the blade shoulders have a drooping configuration. In its upper part, the tang ends with a slightly convex, rhomboid pommel.

Drawing and reconstruction of the Oselivka sword

(after H. Nikitina; M. Levada)

Based on the external features presented, certain analogies to the sword from the Oselivka burial ground can be found in blades discovered at other Chernyakhov sites – the Kompaniivka burial ground (Kobeliaky district, Poltava region, Ukraine) and the Budesti settlement (Criuleni district, Moldova), as well as those found in the area of Razgrad (Razgrad region, Bulgaria), where modern researchers localize the site of the great battle of Emperor Trajan Decius with the "Scythians" in 251 CE. Furthermore, metallographic analysis of the investigated blade showed that the type and quality of the metal, and its processing methods, indicate a high level of craftsmanship, which involved the application of appropriately complex technological techniques for manufacturing such a sword. The latter was made from so-called "pattern-welded metal" – from iron and steel strips welded together. Moreover, such a manufacturing technology testifies to a fairly high skill level of the armourer. This gives every reason to assume that the blade from the mentioned Chernyakhov burial ground is an item produced in Roman workshops, which made swords of high technical quality.

Judging by its general appearance, the found blade from the Oselivka burial ground can be attributed to the type of Roman long sword – the spatha – which was widespread among barbarian tribes in the mid-3rd – 6th centuries CE. Its widespread distribution in the territory of Eastern European Barbaricum can also be explained by the fact that in the late 2nd – early 3rd centuries CE, the traditional gladius in the Roman army gave way to the spatha. According to Vegetius, "large swords, which were called spathae, and others, smaller, which were called semispathae," were fully established in the legions even before the era of Emperor Diocletian. Moreover, the tang of the hilt of the blade from the Oselivka burial ground, characterized by widening at an obtuse angle at the transition to the blade, indicates a corresponding hilt configuration. According to Mike Bishop's classification, it belongs to the so-called "Roman Late Imperial type," dated to the mid-to-third quarter of the 3rd century CE – the period of the Late Principate, and significantly differed in shape from the "T-shaped" hilt of the Dominate period (late 3rd – 6th century CE), in which the tang joined the blade's base at a right angle. Thus, chronologically, the dating of the sword from the Oselivka burial ground falls at the apogee of the "Scythian Wars" (232 – 276 CE) in the Lower Danube region, which served as a certain external backdrop for the formation of the general area of the Chernyakhov culture.

Types of Roman spatha hilts from the 1st – 6th centuries CE (after M. Bishop):

1 – Principate era (1st – 2nd centuries CE); 2 – period of the Empire's crisis in the 3rd century CE;

3 – Dominate era (4th – 6th centuries CE).

Overall, it can be stated that during this period, long swords were widespread among barbarian tribes, which also differed in blade type. The first type consisted of spathae that had an unprofiled blade with a flattened elliptical cross-section. In literature, this type of sword is classified under the name "Pompeii" type, after the location of the first such blade discovery. Other types of spathae had blades profiled with longitudinal grooves – fullers – which enhanced the rigidity of the working parts of the swords. Therefore, it can be confidently stated that the sword from the Oselivka burial ground, by its morphological characteristics, clearly belongs to the first type of blades.

It is not easy to ascertain the path of appearance of such a rare item of Roman military culture. However, Halyna Nikitina's assumption that the way such a blade entered the territory of the Middle Dniester region was most likely through import appears quite plausible. Whether this sword was brought as a war trophy or for some trading operations is impossible to state unequivocally. Nevertheless, it should not be ruled out that the buried owner of the sword from the Oselivka village burial ground, whose blade is distinguished by a remarkable level of technological execution, might also have served in the Roman army for some time. The involvement of barbarian contingents from among the participants of the "Scythian Wars" continued until the 270s CE inclusive. For instance, preserved fragments of Dexippus's historical work report on Emperor Aurelian's peace negotiations with Eastern Germanic tribes. As a result, "from that time on, two thousand cavalry from the Vandals served in the Roman army. Some were chosen from the entire people and enrolled as allies, others voluntarily entered Roman service." As mentioned above, the investigated sword from burial 70 of the Chernyakhov burial ground near Oselivka was found in a bent state in accordance with a ritual characteristic of the Przeworsk culture, which gives reason to assume that its owner could have been a Vandal warrior.

Classification of Roman spathae (after M. Bishop):

1 – "Pompeii" type; 2 – "Lauriacum/Hromówka" type;

3 – "Straubing/Nydam" type.

Thus, the archaeological find discussed allows us to speak of quite close contacts between the population residing in the territory of the Middle Dniester region in the second half of the 3rd century CE and the Roman Empire in the military sphere, which occurred in various ways. As a result, Roman-made weapons could have reached local barbarians both as trophies obtained from major military confrontations and as rewards after their temporary military service under the banners of the legions.