Circa 600-400 BC An iron sword with long, broad tapering blade, which terminates in a point, rectangular grip with lobed lower guard, rounded pommel. Excellent condition. Mounted on a custom-made display stand. This example is from Siberia, where the people were known as Scythians or Scytho-Siberians who left behind an imaginable number of tombs full of precious metalworks. Although horse warfare is what the Scythians are famous for, their weapons and saddles, lacking hard stirrups, seem better suited to dismounting and melee fighting; the acinaces would have been a primary weapon in that kind of situation. For similar see: Archaeologicheski almanah 1, Catalog sluchaynih nahodok is archaeologicheskih sobraniy Donetskoy oblasti, 1993, cat 281. Size: L:450mm / W:70mm ; 595g. Provenance: Private UK collection; Formerly acquired on the European art market from pre-2000 collections.