Difference between revisions of "Arrows"
m |
m |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Stars2|Category = Missiles|Typology = Arrow Heads|TypologyFile = Arrowheads.png}} | {{Stars2|Category = Missiles|Typology = Arrow Heads|TypologyFile = Arrowheads.png}} | ||
| − | + | 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 Regia’s period.<br> | |
| + | Old English had a number of words for arrow: earh, arwe, flā, flān, wifel, strǣl, strǣle . [Manley 1985: p.225]<br> | ||
| + | <br> | ||
| + | ==Arrow shafts== | ||
| + | Many types of wood were used for arrow shafts:<br> | ||
| + | Birch: (Oppdal, Femund, Hedeby);<br> | ||
| + | Scots Pine: (Scar, Dublin); <br> | ||
| + | Yew: (Hedeby, Cork, Waterford); <br> | ||
| + | Willow: (Dublin).<br> | ||
| + | Ash: (Altdorf)<br> | ||
| + | Honeysuckle; (Altdorf)<br> | ||
| + | Hazel; (Altdorf)<br> | ||
| + | <br> | ||
== Arrow heads == | == Arrow heads == | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
Revision as of 12:05, 1 August 2015
| Arrows |
|---|
 |
|
|
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 Regia’s period.
Old English had a number of words for arrow: earh, arwe, flā, flān, wifel, strǣl, strǣle . [Manley 1985: p.225]
Arrow shafts
Many types of wood were used for arrow shafts:
Birch: (Oppdal, Femund, Hedeby);
Scots Pine: (Scar, Dublin);
Yew: (Hedeby, Cork, Waterford);
Willow: (Dublin).
Ash: (Altdorf)
Honeysuckle; (Altdorf)
Hazel; (Altdorf)
Arrow heads
Arrow head development
There is no easy way to categorise broad-headed arrow heads into leaf-shaped or shouldered (angular) shapes. Many arrowheads do not easily fall into either category. [HALPIN 2008:p.81-85]. Leaf shaped and tanged very common in Scandinavia [OTTAWAY 1992:p.711]. Later C11th appears an abrupt change to socketed elongated tapering heads (bodkins). [OTTAWAY 1992:p.714]
Tanged Arrows - leaf or shouldered
Usually a ‘leaf-shaped’ or lentoid blade usually with a diamond shaped cross-section.
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 2008:p.66-70]
Archaeology
- 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
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.
Art
--
Archaeology
- Thetford, England [OTTAWAY 1992:p.710] 2 leaf shapped heads
- Dublin, Ireland
Bodkin heads
Archaeology
- Dublin, Ireland Late C10th/C11th [HALPIN 2008:p.169] 54% of heads
- Trellborg, Denmark C11th [HALPIN 2008:p.169] 56% of the arrows
- Staigard/Oldenburg, Germany C11th [HALPIN 2008: p.169] majority of heads
Discussion
A range of sites across Northern Europe show comparable evidence for a shift towards bodkins in the second half of the C10th. It has been argued that this may reflect the emergence of the armoured and mounted aristocratic warriors. [HALPIN 2008:p.169]
Although the Roman’s had bodkin arrow heads they seem to have gone out of fashion in England until the C10th.
Notched blade
Archaeology
- Rundhogda, Norway c.800-1000AD [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:p.249 cat.88]
Discussion
For hunting birds such as woodcock or grouse. The notched blade prevents the arrow from glancing off the birds feathers. [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:p.249 cat.88]
Arrows shafts and flights
Shafts
Art
Literature
Archeology
- Dublin, Scots pine, willow and yew
- Waterford
- Scar
- Hedeby, Yew
- Birka.
- Oppdal, Norway, 800-1000AD, birch shaft with tanged leaf shaped head. Traces of resin from holding the flights [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:p.249 cat.88]
- Femund, Norway, 800-1000AD, birch shaft with tanged head attached by lashing with tendon (sinew), then covered with birch bark. [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:p.249 cat.88]
Flights
Art
--
Literature
--
Archeology
Taken from the pinion feathers of large birds such as eagles, geese or swans and glued using birch tar [PAULSEN 1999]. Arrows from the Viking Age seen to use the traditional three feather style.
Whipping
Thread wrapped around the nock and flights of the arrow shaft.
Art
--
Literature
--
Archeology
- Sinew:
- Oppdal, Norway, dated 400-600AD, on pine shafts (Halpin) or birch (Roesdahl & Wilson) along with resin glue [HALPIN 2008:p.47] [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:p.249 cat.88]. Used for hunting.
- Femund, Norway, 800-1000AD, birch shaft with tanged head attached by lashing with tendon (sinew), then covered with birch bark. [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:p.249 cat.88]
- Nydam used birch tar and sinew whipping [BISHOP and COULSTON 2006:p.206]
- Horse hair:
- Roman Dura-Europos?
- Linen:
- --
- --
- Brass wire:
- Hedeby. Paulsen mentions the use of brass wire to reinforce the tanged arrow heads at Hedeby. [PAULSEN 1999]
- Hedeby. Paulsen mentions the use of brass wire to reinforce the tanged arrow heads at Hedeby. [PAULSEN 1999]
Discussion
Whipping seems to have normally been done around at least the nock. Other places are before the flight, spiralled through the flight and optionally around the head end to strengthen a tanged arrow head.
Self-nocks
Art
--
Literature
--
Archeology
- Snohetta, Norway, birch shaft with tanged leaf shaped head. Traces of resin from holding the flights [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992: p.249 cat.88]
Discussion
All are self-nocks or flat nocks. No evidence of horn inserts. Most are whipped to help strengthen.
Brass or bone nocks
Sweden? Denmark?
Decoration
Roman examples from Duro Europos show black and red paint on the nocks, [BISHOP and 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 P 2007] 36 arrows with red paint on their shafts where found in the late C5th grave at Högum, Medelpad, Sweden. [RAU 2007:p.143]
It is possible that the nocks of arrows in the Viking Age could also have been painted to assist in identification.
References
<nocite> BISHOP2006 BROWNp2007 HALPIN2008 OTTAWAY1992 PAULSEN1999 RAU2007 ROESDAHL1992 </nocite> <biblio force=false>#Template:Bib</biblio>
