Loading, please wait...
LOT 1385
Germanic Iron Socketted Javelin Head
CIRCA 5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D.
16 in. (210 grams, 40.7 cm).
Long shaft tapering towards a triangular blade with strong mid-rib and squared shoulders; professionally cleaned, conserved, and restored. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the family collection of a South East London collector; formerly acquired in the late 1950s.
LiteratureCf. Wilcox, P., Rome's Enemies, Germanic and Dacians, London, 1982, p.25, for a similar specimen from Austria.
FootnotesThe total length of these javelins, including iron heads, shanks and wooden shafts, was probably about 210cm. The design was, obviously, intended to kill or cripple efficiently. The length of the shaft suggest that these javelins, including the infamous angon, were used also in hand to hand combat, where there was a danger of the head being lopped off.
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
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
.jpg)
Byzantine Decorated Bronze Archer's Thumb Ring
5th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
Circular in section with triangular flange to one edge, incised ring-and-dot markings. 3.72 grams, 24.34 mm overall, 16.19 x 13.95 mm internal diameter (approximate size British F 1/2, USA 3, Europe 4.3, Japan 4)
From a private Tyneside collection, formed since the early 2000s. -
Medieval Bronze Sword Chape
15th-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Scalloped border on the upper edge, sharply tapering body with collar at the narrow end. 16.7 grams, 71 mm
Ex European collection, 1990s. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
A piriform missile with ribbed filler-hole, diagonals and impressed discs to the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 928 grams, 14 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 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.
