Ancient/medieval spearhead identification

[Michał Kwiecień]

Hello

I found a spearhead in river in Slovenia. Iron, about 30 cm long.

https://tufotki.pl/Sy7Xu

https://tufotki.pl/CNnQB

   
   

4 round holes are characteristic. 
What is the period, anybody recognize the shape?

[Dan Howard]

Get someone who knows what they are doing to perform a proper archaeological survey of the site. As soon as you remove an artefact from its context it loses all value. Ideally you should put it back exactly where you found it but that is difficult with a river.

Slovenia signed the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage in 1996 and ratified it in 1999. There could be serious consequences if you don't let the authorities know what you found.

[Michał Kwiecień]

What serious consequences? I was searching the river with magnet for WWI military stuff. I'm from Poland, should I go to Slovenia and throw this spearhead back to the river? Sounds ridiculous. 
Im just very courious what period it is. What are those holes for? 


Mike

[Arahne]

What serious consequences? I was searching the river with magnet for WWI military stuff. I'm from Poland, should I go to Slovenia and throw this spearhead back to the river? Sounds ridiculous. 
Im just very courious what period it is. What are those holes for? 


Mike

No, you should have contacted local museum, and give them back the spear. My advice.

[Dan Howard]

What serious consequences? I was searching the river with magnet for WWI military stuff.

It is illegal to keep the spearhead. It is even worse if you try to sell it - you can be charged with trafficking cultural artefacts. You are already in trouble because you smuggled it across an international border. Turn it in.

[Clavdivs]

I really must weigh in on Mr Howard's side -- you are in extremely dangerous territory. I should really like to beg you to return it to Slovenia (to the local museum as Mr Lazic suggested?). Incidentally, they will be able to date it and identify it properly.

I sadly can't tell you if you will escape punishment as I believe that unfortunately ''ignorantia legis neminem excusat'', ignorance that one was committing a crime does not serve as an excuse in the eyes of the law. I am sure you did not mean to smuggle anything, and with the Schengen Treaty you may not have been searched as you crossed the borders (though I would have thought it would have been detected if you went by plane?), but unfortunately the law sees you as a smuggler.

Nevertheless, if you do turn it in and cast yourself on the mercy of the museum you might. They will perhaps be able to advise you what to do. In any case, it is the right thing to do -- if everyone kept the artefacts they found, the progress of archaeology would be retarded considerably.