#Swordgate Podcast and Poster

1/18/2016

I've got a lot of work to do today, so I won't be able to write anything substantive related to #Swordgate until later on, if at all. There's been a lot going on that's worth talking about, and we've apparently got a sword-based episode of The Curse of Oak Island to look forward to tomorrow. I've been getting emails and messages and there were all kinds of great comments in my blog posts from yesterday and the day before, and I wish I had the time to try to distill it all immediately, but I don't.

If you just can't get enough Swordgate, the ArchyFantasies podcast I did with Ken Feder and Serra Head is now live. I had fun talking with Ken and Serra. This was recorded a while ago, however, and I honestly don't remember where we were in terms of the number of swords that had popped up a that point and what I said about them. I'm not a big fan of listening to myself talk, so I probably won't go back and listen to it. If you do, let me know if I said anything completely stupid. (Note: there's an error in the description of the podcast, which calls it the "recently discovered Roman sword in Michigan." I'm not sure why that's garbled, but my PhD is from Michigan and the sword, of course, was allegedly found in Nova Scotia.)

I'd also like to post a link to Peter Geuzen's latest sword compilation. We'll be able to arm our own legion soon. Maybe we can make a blacklight version of the poster. Maybe one with dogs playing billiards. Or a unicorn and the moon. Or a Led Zeppelin logo.

View post on imgur.com

25 Comments

Jonathan Feinstein

1/18/2016 11:09:13 am

I've already listened to the podcast. Very well done, Andy!

Bob Bell

1/18/2016 11:22:48 am

Have you tried contacting the Italian e-bay seller through there facebook page to see if they have any further information about where it came from https://www.facebook.com/villagestore1/ Judging by the other items the sell they look like a legitimate antique shop rather than a run of the mill tat shop

Peter Geuzen

1/18/2016 11:28:26 am

Thanks. It's a bit sloppy, in terms of formatting, but hey it was midnight.

Andy White

1/18/2016 11:29:25 am

At 10:00 pm EST tomorrow they'll all turn into pumpkins anyway.

Oprah

1/18/2016 12:44:12 pm

You get a sword! you too get a Sword! EVERYBODY GETS A SWORD!!!!!

Pablo

1/18/2016 12:47:41 pm

There is a detail that most of the swords show regardless of the length, it looks like a scar and it's located near the part where the blade starts becoming the tip of the blade. I don't see it on the Spanish blade nor I see it on the Rome Sonja sword. It is shaped kind of like a "j".

Andy White

1/18/2016 02:47:27 pm

Holy cow, Pablo - you're right. And I don't think the similarities stop there. I think some of the other ridges and bumps might match up also. We need to look at this closely. This could be game over for the "authentic Roman sword" idea (if the game is even still going at this point). Good spot!

Cleo

1/19/2016 10:45:07 am

I also pointed this out two days ago. Good to see it resonating.

Andy White

1/19/2016 10:54:30 am

You did? Sorry I missed it or it didn't register. There's been a lot going on.

Andy White

1/19/2016 10:56:00 am

Ah - indeed! I owe you a beer also:

"Interestingly, the blade of the OI sword has the identical tip asymmetry (slope and length of both top and bottom) and mold lines (running length wise) as one of the recent Ebay swords. They are very closely related in my estimation."

Killbuck

1/18/2016 02:38:46 pm

Well Howdy.... yes, I do see that same anomaly... a curved, elongated J shape on the O.I. sword, the Ebay sword and the French Sword. Though the Florida and French swords have shorter blades, the mark starts at the same distance from the guard of the hilt. Good spot on that Pablo.

That would suggest a result of casting from the same source used to make the mould.

The Sonja Rome and Spanish swords... can't see it. But the Florida sword... though the picture seems smaller in scale, shows what might be the upper part of that J mark.

Killbuck

1/18/2016 03:07:51 pm

I'm a graphic artist and illustrator... I saved the poster earlier. I copied the Ebay sword and made a semi transparent overlay. After adjusting the Ebay sword image to the same proportions, I placed it over the O.I. sword, thenI toggled the Ebay sword image on and off. The J mark is in exactly the same place, same size as on the O.I. sword.

There are at least 5 casting anomalies, round bumps, that appear in the same places on both the O.I. and the Ebay sword.

Additionally, there is another elongated ridge or perhaps groove, mid way and a bit higher, between the guard and the J shape. This is striking to see when toggling the images back and forth. These were cast from the same mother.

Killbuck

1/18/2016 03:18:51 pm

I just tried the same method using the French Sword, overlaying it on the O.I. sword. Though it's more challenging because the french sword has a somewhat shorter blade and the angle of its photo is not flat on, I did adjust the proportions to match the size of the hilt. The J shape mark is on the same location along with a trace of the other elongated mark seen on both the Ebay and O.I. swords.

Killbuck

1/18/2016 03:31:03 pm

The florida sword too is challenging. Photos from a camera lens are not horizontal scans, so there is always proportional distortion to some degree. The Florida sword is also photographed at a different angle- more looking down it's length while the O.I. sword is looking slightly upward on the hilt.

Despite the very poor quality of the Florida image, once the proportions to the hilt are adjusted as an overlay on the O.I. sword, I could toggle it and see the J shape at the same location as on the O.I. sword. The grainy image won't allow any more comparison beyond that.

Peter Geuzen

1/18/2016 03:36:11 pm

Andy we need a pic of the California blade - Get it to Killbuck; sounds like he's got the software for the job.

Killbuck

1/18/2016 03:45:16 pm

Peter, it was your comparative poster that got Pablo's eyes going. I looked at that poster repeatedly, and I missed the stuff too, until he pointed it out. Hiding in plain sight!

Your poster though is great!

Andy White

1/18/2016 03:54:41 pm

Ah - you already did everything I was going to do with the images, but I had to walk home first!

I'm going to write something about this this evening. I think this all but seals the deal that we're probably looking at a single generation of replicas with these "J marks" and other casting-related matching anomalies on the blades. The California sword doesn't have them, which I think is consistent with the idea that it's from a different (probably previous) generation of replicas.

This is good stuff. Killbuck, do you want to email me images or should I create them from scratch?

Killbuck

1/18/2016 04:02:57 pm

Andy- Since I already got started, I'll just go and finish. Tell ya what... I'll place the blades together, scaled the same as best I can and note the similarities. I'll try making a small gif animation that with replicate toggling between images, which is best seen with the O.I. and the Ebay swords. I'll email those to you.

Peter and Pablo, have earned the Crown of Commodus and deserve a genuine 100% replica Roman sword souvenirs!!!!

Andy White

1/18/2016 04:28:31 pm

Sounds good. I'm writing now.

Andy White

1/18/2016 07:11:20 pm

It's up: http://www.andywhiteanthropology.com/blog/blade-anomalies-99-bust-the-myth-of-the-roman-sword-from-nova-scotia

Mark

1/18/2016 02:46:12 pm

Good article,
http://vinceforvermont.com/swords-and-sophistry-questionable-archaeology-to-the-hilt/4735

you are amassing credit for asking the right questions. Keep up good work.

Ryan

1/18/2016 10:15:24 pm

That article, and many others on the page would appear to be direct copies of Doubtful news articles.

http://doubtfulnews.com/2016/01/swords-and-sophistry-questionable-archaeology-to-the-hilt/

Mark

1/18/2016 03:32:27 pm

Andy, I know you are rightly focuses on the 100% Roman sword. But I thought this was rather interesting.

http://www.heritagedaily.com/2016/01/genetic-data-does-not-support-ancient-trans-atlantic-migration-professor-says-see-more-at-httpnews-ku-edu20151217genetic-data-does-not-support-ancient-trans-atlantic-migration-professor-say/109249?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HeritageDaily+%28Heritage+Daily+-+Archaeology+%26+Palaeontology+News%29

This is more "published" evidence and theory that will go against the eagerly awaited white paper,and it's many pieces of evidence pointing to Rome.

I am amazed at the lunacy of this mans claims. Seriously he needs help. I think he is holding out to watch the next episode of Curse of oak island, so he can formulate his next set of tales.

I think his next name change could be " Hans christian, Grimm, Carroll". What a clown.

Billy

1/19/2016 08:38:16 am

Andy stop making believe you are a Roman expert or archeologist - which you are not. To say there are replicates and no original is plain silly. Orginals are gifts from Emperor Commodus. All you are doing is comparing replicas to other replicas. Would you even know how to authenticate a Roman artifact?

Andy White

1/19/2016 08:40:01 am

I agree with you that they're all replicas.

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