Three Sabers of the Mongol Empire Times from the Territory of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Purpose. The article considers three sabers stored in the Akmola Regional Museum of Local History (inv. No. ГИК 2322/1, ARMLH, Kokshetau, Kazakhstan), National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan (inv. No. KRUM 802, NMRK, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan) and a private collection. The saber from NMRK was found in a destroyed mound in the Shet District, Karaganda Region (Central Kazakhstan). Results. Total lengths of these sabers are: 90.5, 73.0 and 91 cm (including the blade length – 82.2, 66.3 and 82.2. cm, widths in the area of the ricasso are 3.5, 3.4 and 3.5 cm). All three single-edged blades under consideration have a more or less strong curve. The tip of the saber from the private collection has a rib and double edge clips with long pronounced iron ‘tongues’ welded on to the ricasso of the blade. In two cases the ‘tongues’ are decorated with sharpangled spikes. A rivet attaching the ‘cheeks’ of the hilt is inserted into the hole of the tang blade that is bent sideward (the saber from the private collection has an S-shaped rivet head). The guard has a characteristic ‘boat-shaped’ design. Based on the typological analysis, it was identified that the samples under consideration differ from traditional sabers of the Turkic nomads of Kazakhstan during the Kimak and Kipchak periods (10th – 12th Centuries). Their closest analogues were found on the territory of Southern Siberia and date back to the 13th – 14th Centuries. It is highly possible that the appearance of sabers of this type on the territory of Northern and Central Kazakhstan were associated with the events of the Mongol invasion in the 13th Century and the inclusion of Eastern Dasht-I Kipchak into the Mongol Empire. Conclusion. It seems that the sabers were forged by masters in Southern Siberia and were then brought to Northern and Central Kazakhstan by the Chingizid troops. The small number of long-bladed weapons of the 13th – 14th Centuries found on the territory of Kazakhstan determines high scientific value of the considered sabers.