Daggers and Swords with Openwork Hilts from Iran: Middle Bronze Age to Iron Age

In archaeological findings, daggers and swords constitute a large proportion of the weapons found. Depending on gender, status, rank, kingship, ethnicity, and profession, these weapons can be highly personalised and be given customised names and meanings. These archaeological objects can provide us with explicit and implicit information regarding technological and social developments. This study aims to comprehensively discuss a group of daggers and swords featuring distinctive hilts with openwork decorations. Generally, these weapons are referred to as “openwork daggers and swords” due to the decorations on their hilts. Their hollow cylinder hilts are decorated with cut-out triangles, rectangles, or slits. During the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age (c. 1450–1100 BC), these weapons were widespread throughout western Iran, and southern Caucasus. They can be classified into distinct groups according to their morphological characteristics and decorations. In most cases, they have been found in burial contexts. A significant purpose of the present paper is to characterise the spatial and temporal distribution of these weapons, their different types, and their social and cultural implications.