Changes
Arrows
,/* Arrows Typologies */
{{Stars2| styleCategory ="backgroundMissiles|Typology = Arrow Heads|TypologyFile = Arrowheads.png}}{{Archery}}Arrows would have been made from suitable locally available materials. Although we have found thousands of arrow heads, we have very few finds of arrow shafts. Because of this paucity of evidence we are forced to look earlier in time to determine how arrows were constructed and here we consider evidence from the late Roman period to the end of the Viking Age.<br>There were a number of words in Old English for arrows: PaleGoldenrod; widthearh, arwe, flā, flān, wifel, strǣl, strǣle . [Manley 1985: 100%"p.225]<br>|- <br>| scope="col" width="0" |Arrow shafts==''For a full list of finds please refer to [[File:Stars2Catalogue of Archery Evidence]].png''<br><br>We have very few finds of arrow shafts. What we have found shows a diverse use of woods. The following woods have been found at:<br> {|110pxclass="wikitable"|frameless-! Wood !! Found at|left-|link=Completion RatingsBirch |Completion Ratings]]| Oppdal, Femund, Hedeby| scope="col" width="1000" style="text-align: left;"|[[Completion RatingsScots Pine |This article's completion rating is 2 out of 5]]| Scar, Dublin|- | colspan="4" Yew | Article structure and content is subject to change as data is still being collected | Hedeby, Cork, Waterford|-| Willow || Dublin|-| Ash || Altdorf|-| Honeysuckle || Altdorf|-| Hazel || Altdorf
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As well as the woods mentioned above, poplar, hornbeam, alder and elder could also have been used for making arrows during the Viking Age as we know that they were used in the medieval era for this purpose.<br>
The shafts were made by one of two methods:
*From small branches or saplings. Cut, straightened by steaming and then finally worked to shape.
*From splitting and working down a block of wood (Scar). This is how most commercially available modern arrow shafts are made.
The maximum diameters were typically between 9mm to 10mm although most of the arrows were shaped. Typically the arrows were wider at the tip, thinning towards the nock and then with a bulging nock.<br>
Lengths are typically 60-70cm long (Dublin, Scar) - shorter and wider than the earlier Nydam and Thorsberg arrows.<br>
===Arrow nocks===
Most arrows would have been ‘self-nocked’, although the earlier simple flat-nock may sometimes have still been employed. In Hedeby we have a unique find of separate brass nocks that had been inserted into the ends of the arrow shafts.
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Archery - Nocks (Gav).jpg
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*Flat-nock. The simplest style but also the most dangerous. This can only be used on very low poundage bows. for crossbows
*Self-nock. The most common form of nock, being quick and easy to make as well as much safer than using a flat-nocked arrow.
*Brass nocks. These are very rare, having been found in only 2 locations. They are made from cast brass. These arrows were more likely to have been used for hunting rather than battle.[Pedersen 2014a:p.96]
:* Old Denmark, Hedeby. Boat grave with at least 9 arrows with inserted brass nocks. The grave was dated to <><> and is thought to have been that of a King, possibly <><>. [Pedersen 2014a:p.96] [Pedersen 2014b:p.104, 153 cat.372]
:* Germany, Oldenburg. 2 brass nocks were found of similar form to those from Hedeby and dated to the C9th. [Pedersen 2014a:p.96]
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The arrow shaft just below the nock was often bound with twine (sinew or hemp) to help stop the arrow shaft from splitting.
=== Attaching arrow heads ===
====Socketed arrow heads====
====Tanged arrow heads====
* Sinew and tar
** Femund, Norway, 800-1000AD, birch shaft with tanged head attached by lashing with tendon (sinew), then covered with birch bark. [Roesdahl & Wilson 1992:p.249 cat.88]
*Brass wire:
** Hedeby. Paulsen mentions the use of brass wire to reinforce the tanged arrow heads at Hedeby. [Paulsen 1999]<br>
=== Decoration ===
Roman examples from Duro Europos show black and red paint on the nocks, [Bishop & Coulston 2006:p.167-168]. Similar painted nocks can also be seen on arrows found at Qasr Ibrim, Nahal Tse’elim as well as Asian arrows. [Brown 2007 B] 36 arrows with red paint on their shafts where found in the late C5th grave at Högum, Medelpad, Sweden. [Rau 2007:p.143]<br>
It is possible that the nocks of arrows in the Viking Age could also have been painted to assist in identification.<br>
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== Arrow heads ==
''For a full list of finds please refer to [[Catalogue of Archery Evidence]].''<br>
=== Tanged Arrows - leaf or shouldered ===
''Usually a ‘leaf-shaped’ or lentoid blade usually with a diamond shaped cross-section.'' <br>
The arrowhead is glued into a hole drilled in to the end of the arrow shaft by its tang. The end of the arrow shaft is then often reinforced with a sleeve of wood or bark, or by whipping linen or more rarely brass wire around the shaft. [HALPIN Halpin 2008:p.66-70]<br> '''Archaeology'''<br>* York, England C9th – C11th (OTTAWAY 1992, p.710) 14 finds; length:102-155mm;width:10-21mm* Sonning, C10th/C11th (OTTAWAY 1992, p.710) 3 finds?* Walton, Bucks, England* Carlisle Cathedral, England* Norwich, England* Dublin, Ireland* Lagore Crannog, Ireland* Hedeby, Denmark* Ladby Ship, Denmark* Arhus, Denmark* Trelleborg, Denmark* Oppdalsfjella, Norway* Kaupang, Norway* Birka, Sweden* Loddekopinge, Sweden* Lund, Sweden
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=== Socketed Arrows - shouldered or leaf ===
''Usually a shouldered blade usually with a diamond shaped cross-section. The arrowhead is attached to the end of the arrow shaft by means of gluing the socket.''<br>
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=== Bodkin heads ===
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Although the Roman’s had bodkin arrow heads they seem to have gone out of fashion in England until the C10th. <br>
=== Notched blade ===
'''Archaeology'''<br>
* Rundhogda, Norway c.800-1000AD [ROESDAHL and WILSON Roesdahl & Wilson 1992:p.249 cat.88]
'''Discussion'''<br>
For hunting birds such as woodcock or grouse. The notched blade prevents the arrow from glancing off the birds feathers. [ROESDAHL and WILSON Roesdahl & Wilson 1992:p.249 cat.88]<br>
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== References==
<HarvardReferences />