Archaeology Wordsmith

           

archaeology editor/writer providing solutions for busy archaeologists

Results for scabbard:

(View exact match)

scabbard

CATEGORY: artifact
DEFINITION: Leather, wooden, metal, or woven case in which a sword or rapier is kept when not in use. Most scabbards are provided with fittings so that they can be hung from a belt or sash; those for use by mounted cavalry will have a chape on the distal end that allows the scabbard to be held in place by the rider's foot while the sword is drawn.

(View exact match)

chape

CATEGORY: artifact
DEFINITION: The metal mounting, trim, or case of the upper end of a sword scabbard, protecting the tip.

tongue chape

CATEGORY: artifact
DEFINITION: Metal fitting of elongated form and roughly triangular outline manufactured in the Wilburton Tradition. The chape fitted on the end of a scabbard to prevent the tip of the sword cutting through the leather.

winged chape

SYNONYM: wing-shaped chape
CATEGORY: artifact
DEFINITION: A metal cap covering the end of a sword scabbard that has one or more projecting ribs or wings so that a swordsman riding on horseback can hold the scabbard with the heel of his boot while drawing his sword singlehandedly. Winged chapes are especially characteristic of the European later Bronze Age (Hallstatt C) where they are a sure indicator of cavalry warfare.