Changes

* Hedeby, Denmark (Germany). A type E spearhead found in the harbour complete with 1m of remaining ash shaft. The shaft is 25mm in diamter and slightly oval in cross section. The shaft is only held on by the 71mm of wood inserted into the spear socket. No rivets or other forms of attachment have been found. [WESTPHALEN 2002WESTPHAL 2006: p.61]

==Using spears a spear two-handed with a slung shield==

There are no depictions So far all the images of spears being used men using a spear two-handed with a slung shield from the Viking age. What evidence we do have comes from before or after the Viking age and depict combat show them against either horsesanimals, ships or castles.

Two-handed Using a spear in combat two-handed and with a slung shield evolved in the 1980’s as a way of winning re-enctment enactment battles [SIDDORN 2005]. Using a spear in this fashion has one huge obvious disadvantage, you cannot defend your head with your shield! Having said this I do beleave believe that some of the large headed winged spears could of have possibly been used two-handed , as both hunting spears and combat spears. A counter argument to <br>To the best of my knowledge we have no written sources that describe this form of warfare. This is not surprising, however, as most of the dipiction writings that we have are either short, factual chronicles or allegorical poems. From archaeology we have hundreds of warriors using winged spears onelarge spearheads. On the whole these still have thin sockets, usually less than 25mm (1”) in diameter, and so would be unsuitable for the stout spear shafts that you would expect to see associated with a two-handed weapon. Another argument against their use in this manner are the manuscript images clearly showing these large spear heads being used single-handed, such as the Codex Aureus Epternacensis illustrated in AD c.1040AD1040. <brBr>In summary I think that We do however have numerous images of warriors using spears two-handed. Just not in association with a shield. This is what you’d expect as anyone armed with just a spear would automatically use it with both hands.<br> This leaves us with the 4 images shown here. The earliest is from a Pictish picture stone depicting a battle and dating to somewhere between AD 700 to 850. The second is from a European manuscript made in Switzerland dating to AD 1125-1150. The third is from a stained glass window in Canterbury Cathedral and dating to AD 1190.All of these images depict warriors fighting against non-infantry. <br>Byzantine and Carolingian armies were known to use two-handed spears, or pikes, for use against mounted warriors. But for England we have scarce evidence for the use of mounted warriors prior to the Norman Conquest. If two-handed spears were in common use in AD 1066 we would be unusual expect to see a spear them depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry and being used in against the Norman cavalry. Instead we see Dane-axe wielding warriors fulfilling this role. It appears that England and Scandinavia chose a different way to deal with cavalry than adopting the two-handed fashion on spear.<br>It seems then that the battle field and any main use for stout two-handed spears in England was probably for use in hunting, the pursuit of the rich. This is not to say that were they could not have been used on the battlefield as they would be high status hunting winged spearshave made very effective weapons.<br>

{{Ref|Book=Westphalen 2002Thompson 2004}}{{Ref|Book=Westphal 2006}}