11-18-2009, 11:33 AM
Hi Gioal,
They are two different types of spears or javelins from different times as far as i know.
The Soliferum was an Iberian or Celt-Iberian javelin about two meters long made of one piece of iron. Most of these have a very small, four-sided, pyramidal point a few centimeters long, sometimes with the corners extended into short barbs, though there are examples with a small bladed point.
These date generally between 300 BCE to 100 BCE. A good source is anything written by Sanz.
The Gaesum dates to much later, Late Imperial times - about 300 CE. This seems to be about the length of a Pilum ( 215 cm ) with a socket and longish shank, ending in a head shaped like a long barbed arrowhead about 15 cm long. Connolly illustrates one in "Greece and Rome at War" and i think that there is an illustrastion in Warry's " Warfare in the Classical World".
What might be what you are looking for, and closer in time and area, are the long shanked spearheads found at La Tene in Switzerland. These spearheads are long - 38 cm to 76 cm. They are socketed, have a long shank much like a Pilum, but usually have a good sized, slim leaf-shaped point often with a mid-rib. Vouga's original monograph on the finds at La Tene shows a number of these.
These also show up ( usually two of them ) in alot of the Celtic warrior graves in the cemetary at Montebibile in Northern Italy.
They are two different types of spears or javelins from different times as far as i know.
The Soliferum was an Iberian or Celt-Iberian javelin about two meters long made of one piece of iron. Most of these have a very small, four-sided, pyramidal point a few centimeters long, sometimes with the corners extended into short barbs, though there are examples with a small bladed point.
These date generally between 300 BCE to 100 BCE. A good source is anything written by Sanz.
The Gaesum dates to much later, Late Imperial times - about 300 CE. This seems to be about the length of a Pilum ( 215 cm ) with a socket and longish shank, ending in a head shaped like a long barbed arrowhead about 15 cm long. Connolly illustrates one in "Greece and Rome at War" and i think that there is an illustrastion in Warry's " Warfare in the Classical World".
What might be what you are looking for, and closer in time and area, are the long shanked spearheads found at La Tene in Switzerland. These spearheads are long - 38 cm to 76 cm. They are socketed, have a long shank much like a Pilum, but usually have a good sized, slim leaf-shaped point often with a mid-rib. Vouga's original monograph on the finds at La Tene shows a number of these.
These also show up ( usually two of them ) in alot of the Celtic warrior graves in the cemetary at Montebibile in Northern Italy.
