Roman arrows

[Crispvs]

I would look in any decent accademic library. BAR stands for British Archaeology Reports by the way, in case you did not already know.


Crispvs

[Richomeres]

Hi folks,

Roman arrows.... really a vast field. I use an a couple od different heads for my 4./5. century archer. Alamannic bodkins (I thinks piercing holes of such heads were found in a bulls skull in Augst), some broad heads, a barbed trigangle as well as two "armour piercers" which are massive like bodkins, but larger and of triangular profile.

For shafts I use "modern" cedar or pine shafts. The hobby is expansive enough without handcarved shafts and fancy arrow material, plus you do not need to cry into your pillow, because you lost an arrow. The fletches are shaped like those found at Dura Europos.

Regarding the materials it has to be remembered, that if you have to supplier a larger contingent over some time, you will have to make use of the resources available. This the archers / fletchers would have had to content themselves with the material of local origin. I am sure that the Hamian archers at Hadrians Wall ran out of reed arrow fairly soon and had to replace them with material easily avalailable in Brittannia.

As a footnote: Poplar was one the favorite arrowwoods in mediveal England, since it is fast growing. Maybe this advantage was already noticed by the Romans.

Cheers,

Helge

[Peroni]

The only roman arrows found come from Duros Europa they were made of reed with a solid wooden foot.

There are also some remains in the British Museum from Qasr Ibrim. (Egypt).

RAT member Caballo recently had the opportunity to view and photograph them out of the display case and wrote an article comparing them to the Dura Europos arrows.

The info is on the board somewhere! A search would be worthwhile!

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

hi, im a little late here, but regarding arrows, im a mix breed cherokee indian, and practice all the traditional methods of weapons making, it struck me, self nocked reed arrows sound alot like certain types my people use. So if i were given draw length, type of feather you want, etc. i would be able to do everything except the head, as mine are usually cut copper trade points or knapped flint that i make.

[Martin Moser]

...self nocked reed arrows sound alot like certain types my people use.

Could you please go a bit more into detail here, please? Would certainly be very interesting to hear/read!

[aitor iriarte]

Wow, wow, John! hock: D
We have only the Dura and Qasr Ibrim shafts as surviving examples. The first ones are accuratley surveyed on Simon James book (I lent mine to a friend last week ) and the Qasr I brim ones have been surveyed and photographed by Caballo. We shoul try to post here the pics so you can compare them more closely with the cherokee arrows.

On the other hand, would you sell arrrows to Europe? Would they survive the travel? 8)

Aitor

[aitor iriarte]

Here is the thread link from old RAT

And, here, one of Caballo's pics:



Aitor

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

interesting, that arrow looks very close to ours, the only difference is that comes to a pointed instead of bulge nock. our archery style is actually different, we pinch the arrow and draw back towards the center of face, but the arrow is so similar that its no problem for me to do it, survivng a trip to europe is another story........

[aitor iriarte]

Mmmh, John we're perhaps too far a way for a good bowshot? :wink:

Could somebody post pics of the Dura arrows? They even have some painted motives near the nock! 8)

Aitor

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

i can do the painting as well for extra, painted designs on arrows and weapons are very important to my people for claiming kills etc. I can definitely make an arrow like in the pic, i just made a shaft for one to test.

[Peroni]

Certainly Aitor..

Dura arrows here..
[url:2ys101qv]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/peronis/DuraArrows.jpg[/url]

[TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX]

the nocks on the dura shafts look like the nock on a arrow my father's grandfather took as a battle trophy, i think it was huron or delaware, not 100% sure. i dont think the shape will be too much problem, however, being handmade, noting can be exact. the qasr iram looks like it was made from steamed branch, can anyone find out? just curious.

[Peroni]

Shaft material
This info is cribbed from Pauls breakdown in the other thread...

a/ Dura :Reed, wood (tamarisk?), Reed/ wood combination (e.g. arrowshaft of reed cane, 10 mm diameter, into the end of which is inserted a tapered wooden footing which forms the front part of the arrow shaft . Similar design found at Nahal Tse’elim and Vindonissa. James, pp204/5)

b/ Qasr Ibrim: Reed (diameter 7-8mm), Wood (diameter 8mm, tapering to arrowhead).
Wooden shaft considerably more robust than reed arrows.
Dura Europas Qasr Ibrim
Fletching shape Parabolic Parabolic
Fletching length 151-157mm 113mm
Fletching colour White? Light brown
Fletching attached with…Glue for both

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Maybe a dumb thing to say/ask but i saw Ray Mears make an arrow on discovery once useing tree resin to attach the feathers..

did the Romans do the same? or did they slot in their feathers... since i cannot get a clear picture from the Dura arrow ends.....

M.VIB.M.

[Richomeres]

Hi there,

the nocks (ends) seem a little odd. The notches look rather broad and not very profiled. If you think for the Mongolian release with a thumb ring, the arrow will have to hold itself on the string (like modern nocks), since the arrow is not supported or held by the fingers. The thumb just hooks the string below the arrow. If you then think of shooting from a horseback at speed, a firm attachment of the arrow to the string is necessay to avoid nasty surprises.

Material about reed arrows, among other interesting stuff on archery, can be found in "The traditional bowyer's bible", vol I-III, Jim Hamm (ed.),
New York, 1992 and "Bows and arrows of the native Amerikans" Jim Hamm, Azle Tex., 1989

Cheers,

Helge