Arrows

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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. . Leaf shaped and tanged very common in Scandinavia . Later C11th appears an abrupt change to socketed elongated tapering heads (bodkins).

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.

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
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Archaeology

• Thetford, England 2 leaf shapped heads
• Dublin, Ireland

Bodkin heads

Archaeology

• Dublin, Ireland Late C10th/C11th 54% of heads
• Trellborg, Denmark C11th 56% of the arrows
• Staigard/Oldenburg, Germany C11th 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.

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

Discussion
For hunting birds such as woodcock or grouse. The notched blade prevents the arrow from glancing off the birds feathers.

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
• Femund, Norway, 800-1000AD, birch shaft with tanged head attached by lashing with tendon (sinew), then covered with birch bark.

Flights

Art
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Literature
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Archeology
Taken from the pinion feathers of large birds such as eagles, geese or swans and glued using birch tar . Arrows from the Viking Age seen to use the traditional three feather style.

Whipping

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.
Art
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Literature
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Archeology

Sinew:

• Oppdal, Norway, dated 400-600AD, on pine shafts (Halpin) or birch (Roesdahl & Wilson) along with resin glue . Used for hunting.
• Femund, Norway, 800-1000AD, birch shaft with tanged head attached by lashing with tendon (sinew), then covered with birch bark.
• Nydam used birch tar and sinew whipping

Horse hair:

• Roman Dura-Europos?

Linen:
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Brass wire:

• Hedeby. Paulsen mentions the use of brass wire to reinforce the tanged arrow heads at Hedeby.
  

Self-nocks

Art
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Literature
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Archeology

• Snohetta, Norway, birch shaft with tanged leaf shaped head. Traces of resin from holding the flights

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, . Similar painted nocks can also be seen on arrows found at Qasr Ibrim, Nahal Tse’elim as well as Asian arrows.
It is possible that the nocks of arrows in the Viking Age could also have been painted to assist in identification.

References

• Bishop, M. C., and J.C.N. Coulston. Roman Military Equipment. Batsford Ltd, 1994.
• Brown, Paul. Romanarmy.net - Roman Arrows. 2007. http://www.romanarmy.net/arrows.htm.
• Halpin, Andrew. Weapons and Warfare in Viking and Medieval Dublin. National Museum of Ireland, 2008.
• Ottaway, Patrick. Anglo-Scandinavian Ironwork from Coppergate. York Archaeological Trust, 1992.
• Paulsen, Peter. Alamannische Adelsgräber von Niederstotzingen, Kreis Heidenheim. Müller u. Gräff in Kommission, 1967.
• Roesdahl, Else, and David M. WILSON. From Viking to Crusader, The Scandinavians and Europe 800-1200. Nordic Council of Ministers, 1992.