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LOT 1837
Viking Iron Fighting Broad Axehead
CIRCA 9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
7 7/8 in. (474 grams, 20 cm).
With triangular spurs flanking the square socket, broad flaring triangular-section blade extending to a curved edge with carination to its rear, hammer extension to the reverse of socket. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx North American private collection, 1970s-1990s.
PublishedExhibited at the Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 4th March 2026-7th June 2026; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefacts on display.
LiteratureCf. Williams, G., Pentz, P. & Wemhoff, M., Vikings Life and Legend, London, 2014, item 25, p.90, for type.
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:
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Canaanite Bronze Axehead
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Roman to Medieval Iron Arrowhead Collection
3rd-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Comprising seven tanged arrowheads, one a swallowtail type. 86 grams total, 5.7-13 cm
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Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Ovoid in profile with a domed filler hole, a circumferential line above the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 474 grams, 14.6 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.
