Spartan Spear

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

There are sparheads with rivets,but it's not so often to butt spikes. I have seen only one butt spike that appears to have a very tiny hole on top that might have been for a rivet,but it's both rare and controvertial.
Khaire
Giannis

[brennivs - tony drake]

Thanks again Giannis D D D
Regards Brennivs

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Tony,i hope you haven't started making the iron head,because i just fount this photo

Probably hellenistic iron,silvered or tinned. Ex Axel Guttmann collection. I really like it. And you can see how small it was. I think the fact that it was silvered/tinned makes it almost certain that it belonged to a spear and not a javelin.

Also,i have found a second bronze buttspike that has a tiny hole on the top of the socket,so it is certain that just like the spearheads,some of them were and some weren't nailed.
Khaire
Giannis

[Paullus Scipio]

Great photo, Giannis! Thanks for posting it. Do you know any more about the provenance - where found, dating info etc?

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Unfortunately no. In the site i found it it was just saying "Probably hellenistic. c.a. 340-200 BC" No provenance.

[brennivs - tony drake]

WOW many thanks again D D
Regards Brennivs

[PMBardunias]

Based on reports I've read of similar spear heads, both bronze and iron, I would guess that that one is hollow for at least the first third, if not almost half of its length.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Paul,the first third is just the socket! Except if you talk of the blade itself.
Tony,dogwood or ash. I don't know of identifications of existing pieces,but Xenophon suggests these.I think you'll find it a bit difficult to find such a big dogwood shaft,but ash is more common i think.
Khaire
Giannis

[PMBardunias]

Paul,the first third is just the socket! Except if you talk of the blade itself.

Yea, you're right, that was pretty unclear. I meant to point out that the socket extends into the blade section in this type of tip, which might not be obvious. In some, like the smaller tip from Vergina, which may be a sarissa head or a cavalry spear head, there is a hollow well down the blade's length.

[WorkMonkey1]

I would imagine most of that central rib is hollow, up to about the 10-11cm mark, and then maybe solid for the last section, I assume the blades are then welded to the central midrib? If its hollow all the way up it would be very difficult to weld the blades without damaging the midrib, so I would think the last bit is solid.

[Dain II.]

In some, like the smaller tip from Vergina, which may be a sarissa head or a cavalry spear head, there is a hollow well down the blade's length.

Is there any photo or exact drawing of this tip? I searched but could not find anything only the big one.

@Giannis: Can you tell where the finds of the two sarissabutts are from that you showed at your photos? I'm especially interessted in the tipps and butts at the pdf-photograph.

lg Stephan

[PMBardunias]

Stephan, see below.

Also, you can read a good portion of "Die Angriffswaffen aus Olympia", By Holger Baitingeron, on google (Sauroters start on page 54):

http://books.google.com/books?id=h4Xb8T ... ze&f=false

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Stefan,can you post the photos you are talking about, i didn't understand. Which pdf photo? And which sarissa butts?
Khaire
Giannis

[Dain II.]

@Giannis:

Sorry I forgot. I meant this picture [url:309p0pao]http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/download/file.php?id=7189&mode=view[/url] and this one [url:309p0pao]http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/download/file.php?id=7187[/url]. I thought they may are from other exavations than vergina, but because of they look so similar I wasnt sure.

@P.M. Bardunias:

Many thanks, now i can tell my blacksmith to start to make my Sarissaparts. Again, thank you.

lg Stephan

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Stefan,in the pdf photo it's a collection of different mudeums. The three spearheads at the beginning are from Olympia and they're 8th century,the sauroter next is from Athens National museum,as well as the sword beneath. The sarissa head and butt are those from Vergina,though i'm not 100% sure they're indeed of a sarissa.At least not as a set. Connoly didn't use this big head,but a smaller one in his reconstruction.
The other similar sauroter from the other photo i think it's from a sauth italian museum,so probably it was found there.
I have posted also another photo of a sarauter from vergina, which has considerable part of the guilded shaft in place. I think it was found in the "tomb of the Prince" in Vergina.
Khaire
Giannis