The traces of combat use on the roadsword blade from Kyrgyz bureal Koya-2

The buried tombs of Yenisei Kyrgyz connect with the custom of cremation (in the era of Chaa-Tas). The long-knite weapons are not fixed in the tombs until the second half of the IX. Among the funerary equipment were found swords and sabers that were damaged purposefully. To the present date, in the territory of Minusinsk depression and Tuva IX-XIV centuries burials 19 specimens of this weapon were found, with different forms of deformation. There are several hypotheses in explaining the reasons for the damage of weapons. One of them is based on the assumption that the weapons from the funeral fire tombs are not weapons of war, but its copy. In order to test this hypothesis on the basis of the use-wear analysis the blade of broadsword from Kyrgyz cemetery burial Koya-2 was studied. Microscopic examination of the artifact surface revealed traces of very specific damages of the blade. Such deformation could be caused by the force action of a similar in hardness and shape of the blade slashing weapons on the object. This may indicate the broad sword combat assignment, that has been used in real war contact with like-armed enemy.