Difference between revisions of "Spears found in Britain"

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{{Type|The socket commonly has 11 pairs of holes originally with bronze rivets. Some have up to 15 pairs of holes. Petersen classes these as not numerous in Norway [PETERSEN 1919].}}  
 
{{Type|The socket commonly has 11 pairs of holes originally with bronze rivets. Some have up to 15 pairs of holes. Petersen classes these as not numerous in Norway [PETERSEN 1919].}}  
  
====Isle of Man, Ballateare====
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====Isle of Man, Ballateare (I)====
 
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Revision as of 19:06, 12 November 2015


More Found in Britain pages

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Viking Age Compendium articles on Spears and Banners:
VA Spears found in Britain.jpg
Spears found in Britain
Viking Age Compendium articles on Spears and Banners:
VA Spears found in Britain.jpg
Spears found in Britain

The catalogue follows Thålin groups and then subdivided by Petersen's [PETERSEN 1919] types. Winged spearheads have been ground together in their own section and also include finds from outside of Britain. Each entry consists of the following components:

  • Current location- The Musuem and catalogue number.
  • Find Type- River find, grave find or stray. Also includes any proposed period dating.
  • Find Date- The year that the find was discovered.
  • Total length- The length, width, etc of the find
  • Blade- The length, width, etc of the blade. Plus any published sugestions of typology.
  • Socket- The length, width, etc of the blade plus decription of any decoration.
  • Comments- Any other information or opinions.
  • Bibliography- A list of published references.


Dimensions are given where known and can be stated in either imperial or metric measurements. Reference is sometimes made to Rygh types. Rygh’s [RYGH 1885] book illustrates examples of many pre-historic objects from Norway. These are designated as R.xxx where xxx is Rygh’s figure number.

Thålin Group 1

Leaf-shaped Spearheads (Pre 900AD)
Petersen Types A-E
Group 1 consists of Petersen types A, B, C, D1 and E. They are all types with a lancoid blade and gradual transition from socket to blade.

Petersen Type D1

Long socket with a long narrow leaf shaped blade.

Similar to the type C but with a narrower blade and longer socket. Petersen discuss types D1 and D2 together and dates them to the C10th and in Norway they are found with Swords or types: S, Q, Special 20 and 1 with a type H. Also with Axe types: I-K and shields of R565.

England, Yorkshire: River Ouse

Spear River Ouse.jpg
Current Location-



England, Nottinghamshire: Nottingham

Spear Nottingham.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum:
Find Type- Grave find, C9th
Find Date-
Total length- L: 62.2cm (24.5” long x 2.5” wide)
Blade- Type C-D
Socket- Affixed to a wooden shaft by a brass pin
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Cambridgeshire: River Ouse, Braham's Farm

Spear Brahams Farm.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology: 1929.283
Find Type- River find.
Find Date- 1929?
Total length-
Blade- Pattern-welded
Socket- Richly inlaid with silver, copper and ornaments of gold
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London: Wandsworth

Spear Wandsworth.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Museum of London:
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-




Petersen Type E

Short socket with a subtle transition into a long leaf shaped blade.

Petersen describes the blades of this type as having 'an almost regular width' along its length and it being 'not especially pointed'. In Norway found with Swords or types: C, D, E and H. Axes of types: A, D and 1 of C. Shield boss type: R564


England, Hertfordshire: Nazeing

Spear Nazeing E.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- ?
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- L.249mm x W.21mm
Blade- L.? x W.? x T.7mm
Socket- broken (under 20mm diamter)
Comments- This socketed spear-head has a well-preserved blade, but very corroded and broken socket. Dated by Petersen to the 8th and 9th centuries
Bibliography-



England, London: River Thames

BM-Web London Spearhead 1854,0330.1.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: 1854,0330.1
Find Type- River. C9th-C11th
Find Date- 1854
Total length- L.744mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Split socket and grooves around junction
Bibliography-



England, London: River Thames

Spear Thames Winged.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- ?
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- L.249mm x W.21mm
Blade- L.? x W.? x T.7mm
Socket- broken (under 20mm diamter)
Comments- Fuglesang has suggested that this spear resembles a type E spear.
Bibliography-



Thålin Group 2

Angular Spearheads with Short Sockets (950-1075AD)
Petersen Types D2, G & H
Group 2 consists of Petersen types D:2, G and H. They are all types with edge shoulders placed low on the blade and a short conical socket with marked narrowing below the blade.

Fuglesang includes the winged spears of Petersens type D2 in with this group as she removed wings as a determinant of typology making Petersens D2 and G types the same.
It has also been suggested by Fuglesang and Petersen that type G spearheads without wings may be of eastern origin with the majority of finds coming from Sweden and Finland. A few decorated type G spears have been found with Urnes style decoration.

Petersen Type G

A short, thick socket that usually continues partly into the blade. The blade is quite flat.

Petersen matches this type in Norway to Swords of types: R, S, Q, 2 of Y, 1 of X and 1 of AE. Axes of types: L, M. Dates to the second half of the C10th and into the C11th.
Ornamented versions of this type are mainly found in Sweden and the Baltic [PETERSEN 1919].

England, London: River Thames, Hampton Court

Spear Hampton Court.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum:
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket- possible mouldings at base of blade
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London: Walthamstow

Spear Walthamstow.jpg
Current Location-




Petersen Type H

In most ways the same as type G except for the moulding at the base of the blade and the socket is slightly longer.


England, Cambridgeshire: Soham

Spear Soham.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket- moulding at the base of the blade
Comments- Fine spear-head of the late Viking type R.523 (Bjorn & Shetelig 1940)
Bibliography-



England, Cambridgeshire: Ely

Spear Ely.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- ?
Find Type- c.1000
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade- Rygh type R.523 (Bjorn & Shetelig 1940)
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Cambridgeshire: River Cam, Dimmock's Cote nr. Upware

Spear Dimmock.jpg
Current Location-



England, Lincolnshire: River Witham, Lincoln

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- City and County Museum of Lincoln
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-




Petersen Type D2

Similar to type H but with wings (lugs).

Petersen discuss types D1 and D2 together and dates them to the C10th and in Norway they are found with Swords or types: S, Q, Special 20 and 1 with a type H. Also with Axe types: I-K and shields of R565.

England, London:

BM1856,0701.1449.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: 1856,0701.1449
Find Type- C9th-C10th
Find Date- before 1856
Total length- 485mm
Blade-
Socket- domed copper alloy rivets in milled wire collars
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, ?

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: No. 22
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments
Bibliography-



England, ?

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: No. 21
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Bibliography-



England, York

Spear York.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Bronze socket of spearhead from Farnham, C11th. This type of spearhead could be considered to be an eastern (Finish) type except for this find from York and another from the British Museum.
Bibliography-




Thålin Group 3

Angular Spearheads with Long Sockets from Britain (840-1100AD)
Petersen types F, I, K & M
Group 3 consists of Petersen types F, I, K & M. They are all types with a narrow blade which is often shouldered and a socket that is long, narrow and conical.

Fuglesang has studied the K & M types of spearhead that are decorated in Ringerike designs. Due to difficulty in determining the exact typology of many of these spearheads she has introduced a new K/M type that falls between those of Petersens K and M [FUGLESANG 1980].

Petersen Type F

long and thin socket ornamented with encircling ridges and depressions. The blade is widest as it joins the socket.

Found with sword types: M, L, K, H and I. Axes types: E, G and D. Type F spearheads generally have a length of 30-60cm with most being between 50-60cm. Petersen classes this a very numerous type in Norway and dates it from the middle C9th.[PETERSEN 1919]. Possibly a precursor to type I spears.

Isle of Man, Ballateare

Manx-Spear Ballateare F.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- 26.3cm
Blade- Type F?
Socket- It has 6 pairs of copper-alloy rivets.
Comments- A Norwegian type (Bersu & Wilson 1966)
Bibliography-



England, Cumberland: Hesket-in-Forest, near Carlisle

Spear b hesket.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- 11” long
Blade-
Socket- It has 6 pairs of close set rings each with a pair of rivet holes.
Comments- I consider this to be a transitional type between F and I like those from Bruhaugen in Norway [PETERSEN 1919: Fig. 16] and Sodermanland in Sweden. [BJORN & SHETELIG 1940]:p.20 Edwards quotes Cowan who considers this spear as a hybrid between Petersen's type F and I.[EDWARDS 1992:P.46]
Bibliography-



England, Oxfordshire: River Thames

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Small spearhead like R529
Bibliography-



Petersen Type I

The socket commonly has 11 pairs of holes originally with bronze rivets. Some have up to 15 pairs of holes. Petersen classes these as not numerous in Norway [PETERSEN 1919].

Isle of Man, Ballateare (I)

Manx-Spear Ballateare I.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- 44.7cm
Blade- Type I? or an Irish type
Socket- No row of rivet holes.
Comments- Probably of Irish type. (Bersu & Wilson 1966)
Bibliography-



England, Cumberland, Hesket-in-Forest, near Carlisle

Spear a hesket.jpg
Current Location-



Petersen Type K

--------------

Isle of Man, Ballateare (K)

Manx-Spear Ballateare K.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- 60.0cm
Blade- Type K
Socket-
Comments- Has no prominent rib and so may be of Irish manufacture (Bersu & Wilson 1966)
Bibliography-



Isle of Man: Balladoyne

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- L:20-25”
Blade-
Socket- Inside the socket are fragments of fine linen fabric which had been bound twice around the point of the wooden shaft.
Comments- Type K, very rusty. A thin disk is attached to the socket.
Bibliography-



Wales, Caerwent, Insula XII

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Newport Museum & Art Gallery: NPTMG:D2/43
Find Type- Burial?
Find Date- 1910/11
Total length- L:550mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Found with an Axe
Bibliography-



England, Yorkshire: York

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Yorkshire: Camphill near Bedale

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Long and slender late Viking - Type K?
Bibliography-



England, Cambridgeshire: Ely

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- found in the fens
Bibliography-



England, Surry, Sunbury Weir

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Reading Museum
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade- Central panel of herring-bone pattern welding
Socket- Tubular socket
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Berkshire, Cookham

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Reading Museum
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade- Central panel of herring-bone pattern welding
Socket- Split socket
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London, Thames at Kingston

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Reading Museum
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade- Central panel of herring-bone pattern welding
Socket- Split socket
Comments-
Bibliography-




England, London: Old London Bridge (K9)

Spear London Bridge 9.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum: A 23352
Find Type- River find. Part of a group of 16 items including 6 type k spearheads. Dated to the early C11th.
Find Date- 1920s
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- "traces of a serrated band of inlay along each side of the mid-rib"[WHEELER 1927]:p.23
Bibliography-



England, London: Old London Bridge (K10)

Spear London Bridge 10.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum: A 23348
Find Type- River find. Part of a group of 16 items including 6 type k spearheads. Dated to the early C11th.
Find Date- 1920s
Total length- L:372mm x W:26mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London: Old London Bridge (K11)

Spear London Bridge 11.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum: A 23350
Find Type- River find. Part of a group of 16 items including 6 type k spearheads. Dated to the early C11th.
Find Date- 1920s
Total length- L:420mm x W:40mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- "has slight traces of a zigzag strip of inlay down each side of the central rib."(WHEELER 1927,p.20)
Bibliography-



England, London: Old London Bridge (K12)

Spear London Bridge 12.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum: A 23351
Find Type- River find. Part of a group of 16 items including 6 type k spearheads. Dated to the early C11th.
Find Date- 1920s
Total length-
Blade-
Socket- fragment of wooden shaft in socket (WHEELER 1927,p.23)
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London: Old London Bridge (K13)

Spear London Bridge 13.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum: A 23349
Find Type- River find. Part of a group of 16 items including 6 type k spearheads. Dated to the early C11th.
Find Date- 1920s
Total length- L:512mm x W:35mm
Blade-
Socket- fragment of wooden shaft in socket.
Comments- slight moulding at base of blade
Bibliography-



England, London, Old London Bridge (K14)

Spear London Bridge 14.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum: A 23353
Find Type- River find. Part of a group of 16 items including 6 type k spearheads. Dated to the early C11th.
Find Date- 1920s
Total length-
Blade-
Socket- "The socket ls decorated with an elaborate interlacing pattern, inlaid in white metal; above this, the neck of the spear has eight facets, each bearing an inlaid key pattern. The lower end of the socket is damaged. but can be to some extent reconstructed from a strikingly similar spearhead found at Hyilestad, north of Bergen in Norway."[WHEELER 1927]:p.20 Wheeler identifies the decoration as Ringerike.
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London: Putney

Spear Putney.jpg
Current Location-



England, London, nr. Tate Gallery

Spear Tate Gallery.jpg
Current Location-



England, London, Thames River

Spear Thames.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum 93.7-15.2
Find Type- Unknown, probably a River find.
Find Date- 1848
Total length- L:546mm x W:23
Blade-
Socket- D:20mm
Comments- socket covered with alternating silver and copper chevrons.[BJORN & SHETELIG 1940]:p.84 This type of decoration is known mainly from Norway.[GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980:p.73]
Bibliography-



England, London

Spear London 24.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: 56-4-1-1376
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- 24"
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London, Thames at Ditton

Spear Ditton.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: 62-8-2-3
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- 18"
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London

Spear London 12.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: 55-10-29-1
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- 12"
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, London: River Thames at Battersea

BM-Web Battersea Spearhead 1857,0623.3.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: 1857,0623.3
Find Type- River. C9th-C10th
Find Date- 1857
Total length- 494mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-
[British Museum (image)]



Petersen Type M

----------

Scotland, Kiloran Bay, Colonsay

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- National Museum of Scotland
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- original length:63.5cm
Blade- in more than 5 badly rusted fragments. width:6.5cm
Socket- with preserved rivets
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Kidlington, River Cherwell

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Ashmolean Museum: 1949/928
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Hertfordshire, Lugg Mills

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Unpublished
Bibliography-



England, Essex, Nazeing

Spear Nazeing M.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length- L:246mm x W:35mm
Blade- T:6mm
Socket- D:18 mm
Comments- Decoration between blade and socket consists of a barrel-shaped collar with two ribs above and below it. These had been forged by cutting into the spear when hot during manufacture. Pattern-welded blade.
Bibliography-



England, London, Thames at Datchet

Spear Datchet.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum: A 17479
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Unpublished
Bibliography-



England, London, Thames Street

Spear Thames Street.jpg
Current Location-



England, London

Spear London.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- London Museum:
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Unprovenanced, but found in London
Bibliography-



England, Berkshire, Pangbourne

BM-Web Pangbourne Spearhead 1856,0701.1377.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- British Museum: 1856,0701.1377
Find Type
Find Date-1856
Total length- 382mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Purchased from Charles Roach Smith
Bibliography-
[British Museum (image)]



Unclassified Spearheads

Wales, Flintshire, Talacre

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type- grave
Find Date-1930
Total length- 500mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Kentmere

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Kendal Borough Museum: We. SD 456 028
Find Type-
Find Date-1942
Total length- 343mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Type M but with a split socket
Bibliography-



England, Kentmere

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location- Kendal Borough Museum: We. c.SD 456 028
Find Type-
Find Date-1942
Total length- 400mm
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Estheaite

Example.jpg
Current Location-



England, Lancaster

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments-
Bibliography-



England, Nan Bield Pass

Example.jpg
Current Location-
Current Location-
Find Type-
Find Date-
Total length-
Blade-
Socket-
Comments- Unpublished
Bibliography-



The following spearheads are referenced but have both no associated image and no type mentioned.

  • Magdalen Bridge, Oxford, England [BJORN & SHETELIG 1940]:P.12
  • West Ham, near Basingstoke, Hants, England. Possibly Saxon [BJORN & SHETELIG 1940]:P.15
  • Ballaugh, Isle of Man (Lost) [BJORN & SHETELIG 1940]:P.22
  • Boiden, near the lower Bridge of Froon, Scotland (Lost) The spear-head is 11 in. long and 2 in. broad.
  • Scotland, Eriskay. 3.5" long and broken at the socket. leaf shaped blade. [GRIEG 1940]:p.73 Javelin?


Winged

Unclassifiable Spearheads

The following spearhead remains are either too fragmentary or have been lost so that a type cannot be ascertained.

  • England, Lancashire, Claughton Hall, near Gortstaug. (Lost) [BJORN & SHETELIG 1940]:P.18 [EDWARDS 1992:P.46]
  • Scotland, Eigg. Grave 2. Only the spearhead socket survives complete with some parts of the wooden shaft. [GRIEG 1940]:p.68

Select Bibliography

Bjorn, Anathon, and Shetelig, Haakon (1940) Viking Antiquities in England. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 4 [BJORN & SHETELIG 1940] ^ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 *
Edwards, B.J.N. (1998) Vikings in North West England. The Artifacts. [EDWARDS 1998] *
Graham-Campbell, James, and Batey, Colleen E. (1998) Vikings in Scotland, an archaeological survey. Edinburgh University Press. [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL & BATEY 1998] *
Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2 [GRIEG 1940] ^ 1 2 *
Wheeler, R.E.M. (1927) London and the Vikings. London Museum Catalogues: No 1 [WHEELER 1927] ^ 1 2 *
Wheeler, R.E.M. (1935) London and the Saxons. London Museum Catalogues: No 6 [WHEELER 1935] *