Daker Iron Dacian rhomphaia - 1393 mm

Extremely large Dacian-Thracian Romphaia – iron – 139.3 cm – Old collection with historical documentation

SALE ONLY WITHIN THE EU

Culture: Dacian-Thracian cultural circle, Southeast Europe / Balkan region
Era: Late Iron Age, probably ca. 4th–1st century BC
Object: Romphaia (Rhomphaia), ancient blade- and thrusting weapon
Material: Forged iron
Total length: 139.3 cm (1,393 mm)
Condition: Archaeological find state with pronounced corrosion patina
Special features: Bilateral fire patina, preserved grip rivets, longitudinal grooves
Provenance: Historico-documented private collection, in connection with Ing. Peter Till, court-sworn expert

Description

The sale includes an exceptionally large iron Romphaia from the Thracian-Dacian cultural circle, whose imposing overall length of 139.3 cm and distinctive construction make it a remarkable example of ancient weapon technology.

The Romphaia belongs to the characteristic long weapons of the Southeastern European region during the late Iron Age. These weapons have been particularly associated with Thracian populations and were characterized by unusually long blades and pronounced grip sections.

The present specimen features a long, elongated iron blade part that transitions into a narrow, extended grip shank.

Of special note are the clearly discernible longitudinal grooves along the iron, visible as segmental markings. They represent an interesting constructive feature and have remained visible despite centuries of corrosion.

In the grip area, original iron fastening elements or grip rivets have been preserved. They provide a rare insight into the historical construction of the weapon.

Condition and patina

The Romphaia is in a pronounced archaeological preservation state.

The iron surface shows a multi-layered dark brown to blackish corrosion patina with clear mineral encrustations and, in places, stronger material accretions.

On both sides, areas of a surface change referred to as a fire patina have been preserved. These are of particular interest for assessing the find and preservation history.

The partially preserved surface structures, longitudinal grooves, and constructive details lend the object a distinctive historical character.

Age- and corrosion-related material losses and surface irregularities are present.

Provenance and historical documentation

A particularly interesting aspect of this object is its older collection documentation.

The Romphaia could be identified on the basis of a historical illustration. In this illustration, the weapon is already visible on the same wooden display board on which it remains today.

The wooden board was later re-covered with red velvet. The original mounting and presentation form remained essentially intact.

The historical documentation includes a reference to Ing. Peter Till, court-sworn expert.

According to the preserved collection records, the weapon was initially in a private family collection and later entered the Peter Till collection.

The historical illustration is especially valuable because it allows recognition of the individual object by its form, state, and presentation.

The existing documentation will be handed over together with the object.

Historical significance

The Romphaia is among the most impressive weapon types of the ancient Balkan region.

Because of its exceptional length and distinctive construction, it represented a special form of ancient iron armament.

While many archaeological comparative finds are fragmentary, the present exemplar allows an especially vivid impression of the dimensions of this weapon type due to its largely traceable overall contour.

With a total length of 139.3 cm, it is an exceptionally large collectible object.

Summary

An impressive Dacian-Thracian attributed Romphaia of iron with the following remarkable features:

- Exceptional total length of 139.3 cm
- Distinctive long blade and grip construction
- Preserved original grip rivets or fasteners
- Visible longitudinal grooves
- Extensive old corrosion patina with bilateral areas referred to as fire patina
- Historical collection photography and documented connection to Ing. Peter Till
- Still mounted on the original wooden presentation stand

An extraordinary object for discerning collectors of ancient iron weapons, Iron Age militaria, and Southeast European archaeology.

The existing historical collection documentation and the illustrations are part of the offered materials.

THE SALE IS ONLY WITHIN THE EU