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A question on javelin or bolt heads.
#1
Some detectorist found (among some other curious things) two iron points while looking for Civil War stuff here in the Basque Country. They deposited them in the Archeology museum.

I don´t have a photo, but we were able to make some measurements. Both are quite similar in measures and finish.

The length it´s 15 cm, half of this only for the point. In one case the point section it´s triangular, the other one square. They increase progresively until the end. The shaft hole it´s around 2 cm, the widest part of the points, the narrowest being the transition between the point and the shaft cone. They reminded me like an sort of scaled up "bodkin" type, purely penetrative weapon, no sharpened at all.

They may not be Roman, but Medieval. And from a crossbow´s bolt, javelin or any kind of artillery.

What are your thoughts? :wink:
-This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedevere. Explain again how
sheep´s bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes.
[Image: escudocopia.jpg]Iagoba Ferreira Benito, member of Cohors Prima Gallica
and current Medieval Martial Arts teacher of Comilitium Sacrae Ensis, fencing club.
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#2
Well, a 2cm shaft is a pretty big size for a crossbow, so I'd tend to say javelin, but without any particular reason to say that.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#3
Aitor thinks they are too big for a crossbow (the bow was discarded sooner), so they may be artillery or javelins.
-This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedevere. Explain again how
sheep´s bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes.
[Image: escudocopia.jpg]Iagoba Ferreira Benito, member of Cohors Prima Gallica
and current Medieval Martial Arts teacher of Comilitium Sacrae Ensis, fencing club.
Reply
#4
If they are square-section or triangular-section spikes, not blades, they could be buttspikes. Here in the US such things were produced (often quite crude) as tobacco spikes--placed on top of a wooden stake, the stems of tobacco leaves were impaled on them, and left to allow the leaves to dry. I've seen a couple different varieties, never looking quite like a spearhead, though.

Vale,

Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
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#5
Quote:... they may be artillery or javelins.
Pretty big for a catapult (see here).
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#6
Thanks! Big Grin
-This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedevere. Explain again how
sheep´s bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes.
[Image: escudocopia.jpg]Iagoba Ferreira Benito, member of Cohors Prima Gallica
and current Medieval Martial Arts teacher of Comilitium Sacrae Ensis, fencing club.
Reply
#7
Yeah, at 2cm, a buttspike makes more sense to me- spears could often have a haft diameter around 2cm...
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