Early Avar-period gold sword fittings from Szarvas (SE-Hungary)

Abstract The paper presents an analysis of early Avar-period gold sword scabbard fittings, discovered during a metal-detector survey at the site of Szarvas-Kovács-halom and subsequently verified through archaeological excavation. These ornates belonged to the scabbard of a so-called ring-pommel sword with a triple-arched suspension and had been deliberately deposited in a shallow pit. An attempt is made to interpret this exceptional assemblage considering its unusual find circumstances and by comparison with similar Avar-period finds. The analysis also seeks to place the assemblage within the broader context of the Trans-Tisza region and the Carpathian Basin.