Difference between revisions of "Spears found in Britain"

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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:

• Find Location
• Find Type: Grave, Hoard, River or Stray
• Current location
• Dimensions (if known)
• Any other information
• Bibliography of other 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 E

England, Hertfordshire, Nazing Current Location- ? Dimensions- Total- L.249mm x W.21mm Blade- L.? x W.? x T.7mm Socket- broken (under 20mm diamter) 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- [MORRIS 1983]

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 he removed wings as a determinant of typology making Petersens D2 and G types the same. See the section on ‘Winged Spears’ for examples of D2 style spear heads.
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

	England, London, Thames at Hampton Court Current Location- London Museum Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- possible mouldings at base of blade Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:P.85] [WHEELER 1927:P.28 Fig.12.2]
	England, London, Walthamstow Current Location- London Museum Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:P.85] [WHEELER 1927:P.28 Fig.12.3]

Petersen Type H

In most ways the same as type G except for the moulding at the base of the blade.

	England, Cambridgeshire, Soham Current Location- University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Fine spear-head of the late Viking type R.523, with a moulding at the base of the blade Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:P.64 Fig.33]
	England, Cambridgeshire, Ely Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Spear-head of the type R. 523, of about 1000AD Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:P.64]
	England, Cambridgeshire, River Cam at Dimmock's Cote nr. Upware Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:P.69] [WOV:cat.1242]
No Picture	England, Lincolnshire, River Witham at Lincoln Current Location- City and County Museum of Lincoln Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:P.99]

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

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 [PETERSEN 1919].

	England, Cumberland, Hasket-in-Forest, near Carlisle Current Location- Dimensions- Total- 11” long Blade- Socket- It has 6 pairs of close set rings each with a pair of rivet holes. 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. Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.20 item c]
	England, Oxfordshire, River Thames Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Small spearhead R529 Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.59]

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].

England, Cumberland, Hasket-in-Forest, near Carlisle Current Location- Dimensions- Total- 17 5/8” long with its tip missing. Blade- Socket- It has 7 pairs of rivet holes. Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.20 item b]

Petersen Type K

	England, London, Old London Bridge Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.77]
	England, London, Old London Bridge Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.77]
	England, London, Old London Bridge Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.77]
	England, London, Old London Bridge Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.77]
	England, London, Old London Bridge Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.77]
	England, London, Old London Bridge Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.77]
	England, London, Putney Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.28 Fig.12.4] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.85]
	England, London, nr. Tate Gallery Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.28 Fig.12.5] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.85]
	England, London, Thames River Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- socket covered with alternating silver and copper chevrons Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.28 Fig.12.5] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.84 fig.49]
	England, London Current Location- Dimensions- Total- 24" Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.84 fig.50]
	England, London Current Location- Dimensions- Total- 18" Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.84 fig.51]
	England, London Current Location- Dimensions- Total- 12" Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.84 fig.52]
	England, Yorkshire, Camphill near Bedale Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Long and slender late Viking - Type K? Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.15]
	England, Cambridgeshire, Ely Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- found in the fens Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.67]
	Isle of Man, Balladoyne Current Location- Dimensions- Total- L:20-25” Blade- Socket- Type K, very rusty. A thin disk is attached to the socket. Inside the socket are fragments of fine linen fabric which had been bound twice around the point of the wooden shaft. Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.26]

Petersen Type M

	England, Essex, Nazing Current Location- Dimensions- Total- L:246mm x W:35mm Blade- T:6mm Socket- D:18 mm 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- [MORRIS 1983]
	England, London, Thames Street Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:pl.XI 4] [MORRIS 1983]
	England, London Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Unprovenanced, but found in London Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:pl.XI 5] [MORRIS 1983]
	England, Kidlington, River Cherwell Current Location- Ashmolean Museum: 1949/928 Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Bibliography- [MORRIS 1983]
	England, Hertfordshire, Lugg Mills Current Location- Ashmolean Museum: 1949/928 Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Unpublished Bibliography- [MORRIS 1983]
	England, London, Thames at Datchet Current Location- Dimensions- Total- Blade- Socket- Unpublished Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.28 fig.12.6]

Unclassified Spearheads

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

• Magdalen Bridge, Oxford, England (SHETELIG, Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland Part 4, VIKING ANTIQUITIES IN ENGLAND 1940, P.12)
• West Ham, near Basingstoke, Hants, England. Possibly Saxon (SHETELIG, Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland Part 4, VIKING ANTIQUITIES IN ENGLAND 1940, P.15)
• Claughton Hall, near Gortstaug, Lancashire, England (Lost) (SHETELIG, Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland Part 4, VIKING ANTIQUITIES IN ENGLAND 1940, P.18)
• Ballaugh, Isle of Man (Lost) (SHETELIG, Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland Part 4, VIKING ANTIQUITIES IN ENGLAND 1940, P.22)
• Boiden, near the lower Bridge of Froon, Scotland (Lost) The spear-head is 11 in. long and 2 in. broad.

References

<nocite> BJORN1940 FUGLESANG1980 MORRIS1983 PETERSEN1919 RYGH1885 WHEELER1927 WHEELER1935 WOV </nocite> <biblio force=false>#Template:Bib</biblio>