What was the pilum made of?

[Malleus]

I was looking at a book on the weapon finds in Illerup in Denmark, circa 200 AD. They recovered hundreds of spear shafts. Of the thirty found in the heap under discussion, ALL were Ash heartwood, split and planed down. They even found a shaft plane with a concave underside to make them. So, apparently no coppicing in a Scandinavian setting, despite a lively trade in Roman sword blades and baldric fittings.


`Steve P/ Malleus