Weapons unearthed in the course of archaeological excavations are always a subject of particular interest. The most popular area of research in this regard includes the typological classification of individual weapon types, aimed at the issues of the origin and chronology of particular items. The role of weaponry in the society to which an archaeological site that produced weapons was attributed to is also investigated, or even its role in a wider context, within a particular cultural circle the community was part of. From the point of view of history, such research area seems more interesting and extends beyond common, nevertheless necessary and useful, analysis of sources. This approach towards weapon interpretation has been already undertaken by Polish researchers and is reflected in a number of publications. One of the researchers who played a significant role in the field was Jerzy Fogel with his important work concerning the weaponry of the Lusatian culture. Weapons have always played an important role in all societies, and despite the results of its standard use, its role has been significant also for the development of civilisation. There are a number of premises to demonstrate that beside the basic function of weaponry, it was also meant to emphasise the social status of its owner. The evidence showing that weaponry played such a role is known since the Upper Palaeolithic; it was also mentioned several times in Homeric epics. Within the Hallstatt culture of the Alpine region, represented also by the Early Iron Age communities inhabiting Silesia and a part of Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) such a role of weaponry has been observed in several cases. Graves from the Hallstatt cemetery included pieces of weaponry, i.e. daggers with beautifully ornamented hilts. Despite being of rather little use in fight, such daggers might have played a symbolic role and belonged to especially important people – leaders-chiefs. A stunning dagger in a golden sheath from the Hochdorf Chieftain’s Grave provides a similar example of a beautiful piece of artistic craft. All the grave goods from Hochdorf demonstrates a very high position of the dead. The dagger was accompanied by a gold torque which was also meant to manifest the social standing of its owner. These two elements appear repeatedly to emphasise the importance of their owners, as exemplified by a well-known stone stele of Hirschlanden. The evidence for such a distinctive role of weaponry in the Hallstatt culture in Silesia has been recently yielded in the course of excavations at an Early Iron Age cemetery in Domasław near Wrocław. In order to illustrate such a role of weaponry among the Early Iron Age society in Silesia, only graves with swords shall be presented. The occurrence of weapons in eight graves, namely seven iron swords and one bronze, makes the cemetery in Domasław a unique site. The swords were discovered in the following graves-features: No. 390 (Figure 1), 3754 (Figure 2), 4395 (Figure 3), 5996 (Figure 4), 7391 (Figure 5), 7429 (bonze sword – Figure 6), 8905 (Figure 7), 8956 (Figure 8). All structures were chamber graves, and except for the graves 390 and 7391, the upper rectangular layouts of the chambers were surrounded by shallow circumferential furrows of several up to about ten metres in diameter (Figure 9). The presence of swords in chamber graves of developed constructions, mostly rich in grave goods, links the burials discovered in the cemetery to the already formed leading social class among the society inhabiting Silesia in the Early Iron Age. In the graves with swords, the urn was sometimes accompanied by over 20, or even up to 59 other vessels, as in case of the feature-grave 390, as well as by a number of metal or other items, mainly of luxury character, such as imported bronze vessels, amber and glass items of adornment. All graves with swords, except for feature 3754, included also iron axes with side knobs. The image of two fighting horsemen on the Vače belt-plate demonstrates that they were also equipped with such axes. It might be assumed then that also in Domasław, as in other regions where the Hallstatt culture developed, the axes must have been part of weaponry. Grave 3754, without an axe, produced an iron spearhead, which is an exception to the rule. While I do not intend to provide a deeper explanation of this case, it should be emphasised that the grave was most probably of a female or a very young (juvenis/adultus or early adultus) male, who could have been equipped with a different set of weapons. The special position of graves with swords is also proved by the fact that of all four bronze vessels found in the cemetery, the most impressive two were discovered in graves with swords, namely 390 and 8905. Regardless of knifes, probably occasionally used as weapon, grave assemblages from the Early Iron Age cemetery in Domasław rarely included weaponry. Apart from the swords, the excavations at the cemetery yielded also three iron daggers, three spearheads and the already mentioned 25 axes with side knobs. It would probably be an overestimation to claim that the eight graves with swords together with some other ones equipped with the above described sets of weaponry indicate the existence of a special group of warriors within the community. It rather seems that the weaponry, and especially swords, indicated the social status of their owner. Assuming that these imported swords were of great value, they might have been meant to demonstrate the social standing also in the imaginary reality the deceased travelled to after their death. As regards studies on weaponry, the data yielded in the course of investigation at the Early Iron Age cemetery in Domasław near Wrocław conspicuously indicates the need to take into consideration also the distinctive function of weaponry, probably varied through the ages.