Hi all.
Now its not often that we hear about socketed Pilum, always the tanged type seems to be the popular for discussion.
Well I would like to change that.......for those that do not know, the tanged Pilum has an older brother that's socketed.
There are many documented cases/excavations....especially here in the South West of the UK circa 60AD, to units, Auxillary and Legionary, using both type of Pila at the same time. II AVG. I would be very interested to know if the same occurs in other regions of the UK where different Legions had their operating areas.....ie 9, 14, 20.
We always hear about the tanged type and the process it goes through once thrown...penetrate, bend, etc. Was the socketed the same? I think that the design would do the same thing but it was not designed to do so.
Your thoughts people please on that often omitted older brother of the tanged.....the socketed.
Kevin
Found this pic online. Shows the difference. Cannot vouch or say where this pic came from......does look familiar though.
from what i read in the past, socketed version was heavier than tanged (1.7kg vs 1.3kg) and a bit longer. besides, due to its construction it would be possible to use it as a thrusting weapon relatively well, question is why it disappeared.
there is a "socket of a spear" (3) and "large Iron spoon" (1) found at Farthingstone in 1957.
[attachment=10932]northantsarchaeo.jpg[/attachment]
Almost looks like the shaft of the spoon and that of the spear could be part of the same object. A leaf shaped socketed spear/pilum? The finds card for the spear describes it as a chisel, similar to one found at Hunsbury, and the form seems identical to a "plough share" found at the neighbouring site of Castle Dykes so there is clearly a big "?" over whether this really does represent a socketed spear or whether the other finds represent other spears.
I would love to know how this squares up against the the "many documented cases and excavations", as this seems quite different in form to the images at the top of the post.
Quote:Now its not often that we hear about socketed Pilum, always the tanged type seems to be the popular for discussion.
Well I would like to change that.......for those that do not know, the tanged Pilum has an older brother that's socketed.
The only sort of pilum in the Corbridge Hoard ;-)
Quote:There are many documented cases/excavations....especially here in the South West of the UK circa 60AD, to units, Auxillary and Legionary, using both type of Pila at the same time.
You have evidence that auxiliaries were using pila? I think we'd all be interested in that! Or was that merely a deduction based on the old fortress = legionaries, fort = auxiliaries meme?
Quote:Your thoughts people please on that often omitted older brother of the tanged.....the socketed.
To be honest, I'm not sure there's even a problem here. Sure, some re-enactors only think in terms of tanged pila, but by no means all and certainly not most archaeologists working in the sphere. Certainly Peter Connolly always used to talk to me about both equally.
Quote:Found this pic online. Shows the difference. Cannot vouch or say where this pic came from......does look familiar though.
Thanks for that ... I think ...
Mike Bishop
You know my method. It is founded upon the observance of trifles
The "spoon" is most likely a drillbit, the socketed object indeed a chisel. Both for woodworking
The mcb in the JPG file titel in the OP is a dead giveway for the provenance of that illustration. Bishop & Coulston "Roman Militairy Equiptment" and yes, that Bishop is Mike (or Mike is the Bishop) :woot:
Thanks for all your comments
Possibly my grammatical context was wrong Mr Bishop..........
I wrote...
There are many documented cases/excavations....especially here in the South West of the UK circa 60AD, to units, Auxiliary and Legionary, using both type of Pila at the same time.
Mr Bishop wrote...
You have evidence that auxiliaries were using pila? I think we'd all be interested in that! Or was that merely a deduction based on the old fortress = legionaries, fort = auxiliaries meme?
The general reference was to Waddon Hill, one of your favs I believe, and that it was home to both Legionaries and Auxillia at the same time and produced finds of both socketed and tanged Pila...........I think, you now have me doubting myself due to the fact that the books in question with the info are on loan to a friend.
Anyway,,i hope that clears up my bad grammatical explanation of my meanings. I sound like a Politician.. :woot:
Kevin
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