Large Medieval Iron Incendiary Fire Arrowhead

Formed with a rounded butt and flared cutting edge; flat in cross-section. 113 grams, 16.9 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

Piriform body decorated with concentric circles inside a pointed star pattern, with domed filler-hole, intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 610 grams, 11.5 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

The Arabs, following the Roman examples, made great use of these weapons. The efficiency of the weapon appears, for example, from the account of the siege of Akka in 1189, given by the contemporary historian Ibn al-Athir. He tells how the Christians exercised their engineering skill and built mighty beffroys. The situation was hopeless for the defending Arabs until a man from Damascus showed up, because he knew how to produce Greek Fire: ‘To trick the Christians he first threw some vesseIs with naptha and other things, which were not set on fire, upon one of the beffroy’s, and it was without power. The Christians...climbed the top of the beffroy...the man from Damascus waited until the contents of the vessels were spread all over. When the moment came, he threw a new pot, which was set on fire. In a few moments the fire was spread all over, and the beffroy was eaten up by the flames. The fire was spread in such a hurry that the Christians could not manage to climb down from the beffroy. Men, weapons, everything was eaten up by the flames.’

Biconvex in profile and annular in plan with rounded edges to the socket. 1.66 kg, 16.8 cm



Private UK collection. Acquired in the 1980s. Property of a Cambridgeshire gentleman.