Long Knives of the Scythian Culture: Tool or Weapon?

Abstract

The article examines Scythian long knives that are similar in length to double-edged daggers. Critically analysing the hypothesis which interprets these items as weapons, it shows that the difference between a fighting knife and utilitarian knife consists not in their measurements, but in their constructive features. In particular, long knives have much slimmer proportions, unlike daggers. They have neither cross guards nor pommels. This study is concerned with both flat full-metal knives and knives with a short tang. Considering those knives with a partial tang, even the longest ones looks less durable when compared with samples truly designed for combat, as the construction was not intended for heavy strikes. As a result, only full-metal specimens with organic plates on the hilt are here interpreted as weapons. They are similar to those finds from the Northern Balkan region and their morphological features allow us to consider them to be much like daggers. One can suppose that some of the long knives could have been used in ritual proceedings, during feasts or sacrificial offerings. In some cases, it is also possible to consider long knives as a symbolic alternative to the weapon in the burial inventory. At the same time, it is clear that long knives were in use mostly as utilitarian tools. The difference in morphology between the Archaic and Classical knives shows the variation in the culture of these two periods of the Scythian culture. The spread of the long knives across the Steppe and Forest-Steppe areas also indicates the cultural connections between these regions.