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LOT 1348
Anglo-Saxon Iron Socketted Spearhead
5TH-7TH CENTURY A.D.
10 1/4 in. (190 grams, 26 cm).
Lentoid-section leaf-shaped blade with slender neck and long closed socket; Swanton's Group D1. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound near Wetwang, East Yorkshire, UK.
Acquired circa 2005.
Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Cf. Swanton, M.J. Spearheads of the Anglo-Saxon Settlements, London, 1973, fig.18(d).
FootnotesA small number of leaf-shaped blades measuring between some 16 and 28 cm in length are similar to the smaller leaf-shaped pieces of the Swanton series C, except that they tend to be more slender overall. The socket is always narrowly split up its entire length.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
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Roman Iron Ferrules and Javelin Head Group
3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Comprising: square-section missile head with short neck; conical ferrule with square-section finial; conical ferrule socket with long square-section finial. 64 grams total, 8.2-12.8 cm
Found S.E. England, UK. Acquired from Allan Cherry, Bournemouth, UK, circa 2004. Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK.
The usual form of the butt of the spears in this period was a cone shape, sometimes split down one side, but more often forged into a complete circle. The butt was fastened to the wooden shaft by one or more rivets. The butt or ferrule of the Roman spears essentially had two functions. Firstly it acted as a counterweight to the blade of the spear/javelin, ensuring that the weapon was balanced and therefore effective. Secondly, it kept the wooden shaft out of contact with the ground if the spear was grounded and thus avoiding damage to it. -
Medieval Lozenge-Shaped Iron Arrowhead
14th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Lanceolate in profile with split socket. 16.8 grams, 99 mm
Acquired prior to 2000. Ex Private collection, Cambridgeshire, UK. Property of a Kent lady collector. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Piriform body with segmented shoulder and impressed roundels, domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 420 grams, 10.8 cm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards. 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 corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
