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Identifying Ancient Metal Arrowheads - Appendices

Appendix 1: Schmidt Persepolis plate 76 (slightly modified for online display). Some of the types are undoubtedly, not Achaemenid Persian types. Some may have been captured booty.



Schmidt Persepolis plate 76 key follows below (modified for internet display).


See Schmidt Persepolis page 97 ff. and the original key for more information on martial equipment found at Persepolis. Some of the types are likely captured booty, not Achaemenid Persian types.



Appendix 2: Stronach, Figure 94 (modified for online display). Scale 1:1 [Scale not applicable online].



Appendix 2: Stronach, Figure 94 Key.

OBJECTS FROM PASARGADAE

FIG. 94. Socketed bronze trilobate arrowheads and one iron arrowhead from the Tall-i Takht. [Page 219]

1. PAS/63/45 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 2.1 cm. B Drain. Achaemenid.

2. PAS/63/46 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 2.4 cm. B Drain. Achaemenid.

3. PAS/62/144 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 2.5 cm. Room 83. Post-Achaemenid, not later than 280 A.C.

4. PAS/63/13 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 2.9 cm. Room 140. Achaemenid.

5. PAS/62/8 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.0 cm. Area P, unstratified.

6. PAS/62/175 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead, a rivet hole survives at the base of the short shaft. L. 3.2 cm. Room 94, Floor 2. Achaemenid.

7. PAS/63/23 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.1 cm. Room 117, Floor. Achaemenid.

8. PAS/63/16 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.5 cm. Area K, unstratified.

9. PAS/63/91 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.0 cm. Room 99, Floor 2. Achaemenid.

10. PAS/63/227 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead with a rivet hole at the foot of the shaft. L. 3.1 cm. Room 196, Floor 2. Achaemenid.

11. PAS/63/56 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.5 cm. B Drain. Achaemenid.

12. PAS/63/63 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.3 cm. Room 99, Floor 2. Achaemenid.

13. PAS/63/21 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.2 cm. Room 30, Floor 2. Achaemenid.

14. PAS/63/42 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead, one lobe damaged. L. 3.2 cm. Room 99. Achaemenid.

15. PAS/61/69 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.3 cm. Room 82, Floor 3. Achaemenid.

16. PAS/62/207 Large socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 4.5 cm. Room 95, Floor 2. Achaemenid.

17. PAS/61/64 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead. L. 3.3 cm. Room B2, Floor 1. Post-Achaemenid, not later than 28O B.C.

18. PAS/63/228 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead with a heavy solid point, three long barbs lie against the sides of the socket. L. 3.3 cm. Room 195, floor 2. Achaemenid.

19. PAS/63/30 Socketed bronze trilobate arrowhead, with cut-away lobes and an elongated rivet hole. L. 3.3 cm. Room 33, floor. Post-Achaemenid.

20. PAS/63/148 Iron arrowhead with cylindroid mid-rib and leaf-shaped form. Lower part of tang missing. Extant length 4.2 cm. Area 104. Post-Achaemenid, not later than 230 B.C.



Appendix 3: Whitcomb, Figure 63 (upper half only - arrowheads).


Whitcomb, Fig. 63 Key. The Met Collection identifies all these arrowheads as Sasanian, certainly in error. Whitcomb only notes dates for s and t, 6th - 3rd century B.C.





Appendix 5: The Six Basic Types of Hungarian Arrowheads.



The source of the chart about is unknown. It was posted on a Hungarian discussion forum. The titles are translated from Hungarian and modified (the original Hungarian did not include oblanceolate or lanceolate in the titles). All the types are iron. None of the types appear to be uniquely Hungarian and probably can only be identified as Hungarian by find locations. Because we know so little about this chart and "Hungarian" types, we are not certain if these are medieval Hungarian kingdom points or Iron Age points found in Hungary. D and E, are splayed types. Type D is sometimes called a "forker" and, although rare, is found as far from Hungary as England was used for bird hunting in the medieval period. Type F is the ubiquitous bodkin point. If you know more about this chart or its origin, please email Forum.



Appendix 5: Jessop Fig. 1 & 2.

Jessop Fig. 1 The new arrowhead typology.


Jessop Fig. 1 Abbreviated Key - For full key see Jessop online - http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-769-1/dissemination/pdf/vol40/40_192_205.pdf.

Note: Physical descriptions below vary from Jessop 's to better follow the terminology used throughout this web page.

T - Tanged. Cut from a flat iron bar and sometimes hammered, predominantly from contexts dating from the 9th-10th centuries.

T1: 9th-11th century. Long, thin, leaf-shaped blade triangular in cross-section, sometimes with a low midridge; blade tapers from slight shoulder to a narrow tang, tang is diamond or circular in cross-section, sometimes blade is twisted. Function: hunting. Dimensions: length 102-155 mm, width 10-13 mm, 20-21 mm.

T2: 11th-12th century. Small leaf-shaped blade, rectangular tang. Function: uncertain. Dimensions: length 40-55 mm, width 15-25 mm.

T3: 12th-15th century. A development from T2. It has a triangular-shaped blade with an oval cross- section, rectangular tapering tang. Function: hunting/military. Dimensions: length 40-55 mm, width 15-28 mm.

MP - Multi-Purpose. These types could have been successfully employed for both hunting and warfare, but the more likely function may be noted. All are socketed. Types MP1-MP6 are very similar in design. All except MP4 have triangular heads which are diamond or oval in cross-section.

MP1: 11th-15th century. Triangular blade with diamond cross-section, socket. London Museum Medieval Catalog, type 2. Function: hunting. Dimensions: length 40-120 mm, width 20-45 mm.

MP2: 11th-14th century. Like MP1 but with an extended socket. London Museum Medieval Catalog, type 3. Function: hunting. Dimensions: length 45-60 mm, width 20 mm.

MP3: 10th-16th century. Very common. Triangular blade with rounded shoulders, diamond or oval cross-section. London Museum Medieval Catalog, type 1. Function: hunting/military. Dimensions: length 50-70 mm, width 20-30 mm.

MP4: Mid-13th century. This form is a thin leaf-shaped blade, diamond in cross-section, short socket. London Museum Medieval Catalog, type 4. Function: uncertain. Dimensions: length 60-75; mm, width 10-20 mm.

MP5: Late 11th century. Triangular with shoulders cut off at an obtuse angle. Function: hunting/military. Dimensions: length 40--60 mm, width 15-25 mm.

MP6: Mid-12th century. Triangular blade with slight barbs curving down from the shoulders, diamond or oval in cross-section. Function: hunting/military. Dimensions: length 35-60 mm, width 15-30 mm.

MP7: Early 13th century. Wide barbed, variations in barb size and socket length, oval or diamond cross-section. London Museum Medieval Catalogue, Type 13. Function: hunting/military. Dimensions: length 40-60 mm, width 18-30 mm.

MP8: Mid-13th century. Similar to MP7, with socketed mid-rib, flat barbs which vary in size. Function: hunting. Dimensions: length 35-50 mm, width 15-25 mm.

The final two forms within this multi-purpose group, MP9 and MP10, may have been specifically designed for archery practice, as evidenced by their recovery from sites such as Baile Hill in York and the Free Grammar School in Coventry. Their blunt shape would allow straightforward removal from an archery butt and help reduce the likelihood of serious physical wounding in the case of an accident. They can vary in size, and are occasionally mistaken for ferrules from staffs or spears.

MP9: 12th-15th century. Cone-shaped with internal socket. A stubby version of M6. Function: practice/military(?). Dimensions: length 15-35 mm, width 7-13 mm.

MP10: 16th century. This form is similar to MP9. Bullet-shaped with internal socket, occasionally decorated. London Museum Medieval Catalogue, Type 5. Function: practice. Dimensions: length 5-30 mm, width 6-12 mm.

M - Military. The ten military forms can be divided into either compact warheads or slender armor-piercing heads. The warheads M1 - M4 would have been effective against early forms of armor and body protection.

M1: Late 14th century. Lanceolate biblade with thin walled conoid internal socket and flat blades, occasionally barbed. Function: warhead. Dimensions: length 25-45 mm, width 10-20 mm.

M2: 15th century. Similar to M1. Biblade with conoid internal socket extending from a short stem to the tip, very thin narrow blades. Function: warhead. Dimensions: length 20-35 mm, width 10-20 mm.

M3: Late medieval. Lanceolate biblade head, midrib narrows at tip and base and widens at the center following the contour of the blades, conoid socketed stem. Function: warhead. Dimensions: length 22-40 mm, width 14-20 mm.

M4: 14th century. A small compact lanceolate bilobate head with close fitting barbs, diamond or oval in cross-section, socketed stem. London Museum Medieval Catalogue, Type 16. Function: warhead. Dimensions: length 25-40 mm, width 12-20 mm.

The forms which appear to have been designed for armor piercing, M5-M10, have a comparatively small cross-sectional area and a slender shape. These specific features would allow them to pass successfully right through plate armor. M5 and M7 are of a surprisingly early date; examples from Goltho Manor date from 1000-1080 and Castle Acre from the 12th century. They appear to be the forerunners of the larger types, M8, M9 and M 10, which are predominantly found on castle sites.

M5: Mid-13th century. Narrow conical internal socket tapers into a square sectioned point. Function: armor-piercing. Dimensions: length 35-50 mm, width 7-14 mm.

M6: 11th-14th century. Long and narrow conical point with internal socket. Function: armor-piercing. Dimensions: length 50-70 mm, width 7-12 mm.

M7: 11th-14th century. Very long, thin point with a diamond cross-section widening to socketed round cross-section stem. London Museum Medieval Catalog, type 7. Function: armor-piercing. Dimensions: length 140-200 mm, width 8-12 mm.

M8: Mid-13th-15th century. This form has a long, narrow, tapering blade with a diamond cross-section, socketed stem either joins the blade smoothly or with a prominent shoulder. Function: amour-piercing. Dimensions: length 80-1 70 mm, width 8-13 mm.

M9: Mid-13th-15th century. Similar to M8. Long sharp tapering lanceolate biblade head with thick diamond cross-section, long conoid socketed stem. Function: armor-piercing. Dimensions: length 100-140 mm, width 10-18 mm.

M10: Mid-12th-15th century. This form has a short thin blade, with a diamond cross-section, conoid socketed stem. London Museum Medieval Catalog, types 8 and 10. 178 Function: armor-piercing. Dimensions: length 30-80 mm, width 8-16 mm.

H - Hunting. Types H I and H2 are sometimes referred to as forkers, because they have two forked points, either in a crescent or V shape. Their exact function is unknown, although they were possibly used for catching fowl. The larger forms, H3 and H4, are often referred to as broadheads. The enormous barbs allow the maximum cutting edge possible, which would have caused extensive blood loss, and effectively weakened a pursued animal. The last arrowhead form within the new typology is H5. There is a lack of archaeological evidence for its existence; possibly because it was made from an organic material such as wood or leather. However, its inclusion within the typology is due to its illustration in medieval manuscripts. It is suggested by Blackmore that it would be ideal for catching smaller game birds, because their delicate flesh would be extensively damaged by forked or barbed heads.  In the 14th- century hunting book written by Gaston Phoebus there is an illustration of the use of this form for hunting hares. It appears that the arrowhead would have stunned the animal, allowing easy retrieval by the waiting hounds.

H1: Late 13th century. Crescent-shaped forker head, the inside of the crescent sharpened, socketed short stem. London Museum Medieval Catalogue, type 6. Function: hunting. Dimensions: length 30-60 mm, width 25-40 mm

H2: Late 14th century. V-shaped forker head, sharpened inner angle, socketed short stem. Function: hunting. Dimensions: length 30-50 mm, width 25-40 mm.

The two examples of broadheads H3 and H4 are representative of a very large range of forms. They do, however, split into two distinct groups; those with a flattish diamond cross-section, H3, and those with a central socketed spine, H4. Their size varies from c. 100 mm in barb width to c. 40 mm. They appear to be absent from early assemblages, and they may be a late introduction.

H3: Mid-13th century. This form has a centrally enclosed socket, by the addition of two, large, flat barbs, it is diamond in cross-section. Many derivatives. Function: Hunting (Broadhead). Dimensions: length 50-100 mm, width 45-100 mm.

H4: 14th century. Similar to H3. A tapering socket forms the spine of the arrowhead, with two long curving barbs. London Museum Medieval Catalogue, types 14 and 15. Function: hunting (broadhead). Dimensions: length 35-80 mm, width 50-100 mm.

H5: 12th-13th century. Blunt-ended arrowhead, short socketed stem. Function: hunting (birds/rabbits). Dimensions: length 20-45 mm, width 10-:25 mm.

Jessop Fig. 2 Medieval arrowhead timechart (divided in half for better internet display).


A. Coppergate, B. Durham, C: Goltho, D. Gt. Yarmouth, E. Castle Acre, F. Glastonbury Tor, G. Castle Acre Priory, H. Llandough, I. Castleskreen


J. Castell-Y-Bere, K. Red Castle, L. Butcombe, M. Customs House, N. Christchurch, O. Dyserth Castle, P. Doonbought, Q. Bramber Castle, R. Seafin Castle, S. Llantwit Major, T. Leith, U. Huish, V. Free Grammar School, W. Basing House.

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