Anglo-Saxon Iron Socketted Arrowhead

With a piriform body and domed mouth; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 603 grams, 11.8 cm high



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.

Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. Such were the γανωτα, vessels (sometimes also in bronze) used for Greek fire. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.

With a broad, lentoid-section blade and wide raised flange down centre, rounded tip, straight sides, well marked shoulders with narrow tang, one hole for rivet to attach an organic hilt; mounted on a custom-made stand. 880 grams total, 38 cm wide including stand



Acquired 1980-1990s. From the private collection of H.N., Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, UK.

This kind of weapon was used in the early 2nd millennium B.C. in Mesopotamia and in Syria and as late as the mid-first millennium in Luristan.

Fitted with a triangular blade with two barbs, expanding tubular socket. 213 grams, 23.5 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

Since the third century, Roman soldiers increasingly started to use long shafted socketed weapons with barbed heads. These weapons were called bebrae by Vegetius, according to whom they were able to cut heads with a single stroke. They first appeared in Northern Europe, as shown by numerous finds of barbed heads in graves and peat-bogs, especially Danish, and were introduced to the Roman army by Germanic mercenaries.