File:Bronze Age, Spearhead Spear (FindID 147067).jpg

English: Cast bronze side looped and socketed spear (spearhead) of Middle Bronze Age date (1500 - 1150 BC). The spearhead is broadly sub-triangular in plan and profile with a sub-oval / leaf-shaped blade, hollow socket and cast side loops. It measures 124.6mm length, has a maximum width of 21.7mm and maximum thickness of 16.4mm. The spearhead weighs 41.18 grams.

The blade (sides and tip) of the spearhead is incomplete having been slightly damaged in the burial environment. This damage has resulted in the slight loss of shape to the blade and the tip, however, the overall shape of the spear is accurate. The majority of the spear blades cutting edge has been lost. The blade measures 70.9mm length, 21.7mm width. The overall shape of the blade can be described as being leaf-shaped. The centre of the blade is divided by a tapering (tip to base) lozenge shaped midrib. This midrib expands into the socket of the spear. The central line of the mid-rib extends to the edge of the socket. The sockets mouth is broadly circular in cross section and tapers evenly along its length to the junction with the blade. The base of the socket is complete and has an internal diameter of 14.2mm. The socket extends into the hollow mid rib of the spear and is 69.4mm deep. The two loops are positioned approximately 1/3 of the way along the length of the socket. The loops are 10.1mm long, 2.4mm wide and project 3.9mm. The internal dimensions are 4.1 x 2.6mm. The cross sections of both the loops are sub-oval. The style of this type of loop is known as ‘string’ due to the small size and nature. These two loops would have originally been used to help attach and secure the spearhead to the wooden shaft. They also may have been used as suspension loops for some form of tassel or decoration. There are no visible areas of cast or incised decoration on the spearhead, apart from the central mid-rib, described above. The casting seams on either edge of the spear have trimmed and hammered flat.

The spearhead is a mid-brown green colour with an even (but slightly flaky) patina. The patina has been abraded in several areas and there are several areas with an unstable surface. Some of these unstable surfaces have been caused by corrosion, which has caused the metal to laminate slightly. As mentioned above the blade of the spearhead has been abraded in the burial environment and the entire spearhead has a slight curve to it. This seems to be due to pre-deposition factors, such as either use or possible deliberate damage prior to deposition. The reasons for this is that the patina shows no evidence of damage through bending (such as latitudinal stress factures) and the unstable surfaces show no signs of extreme damage as would occur if it was bent. The spearhead itself has been cleaned of mud and dirt by the finder. There is no evidence for the preservation of organic material within the socket.

Similar looped spearheads have been classified by Margaret Ehrenberg as Class IV dated to the Middle Bronze Age specifically the second phase of Acton Park (2), Taunton (Cemmaes) or Pennard metalworking traditions. These phases correspond with Needham’s Period 5 (c. 1500 – 1150 BC). Ehrenberg notes that only two other examples, both from Windsor (Catalogue entries 140 and 143), have similar ribbed decoration extending from the mid-rib of the blade. She suggests that these may be burrowing from Kite-bladed spearheads (Class III page 6-7) which date from the later phases of the Early Bronze Age and the early phases of the Middle Bronze Age (1600 – 1400). They do also share typological similarities to other leaf shaped spearheads from Aberdeen (page 7). With this in mind it may be possible to suggest that this example may date from the earlier part of the Middle Bronze Age and be associated with the Acton Park (2) phase of metalworking c 1500-1350 BC. However such detailed dating and assumptive accuracy maybe somewhat flawed. Two similar examples of the overall style of spearhead are illustrated in Savory: Guide Catalogue to the Bronze Age Collections ref: 230, Llanbeblig, Caern. and 337:2 Nantcwnlle, Cards. The later example was discovered in an excavation of a burial mound in association with a Pygmy Cup. The metal of this example has been analysed and found to be of Cemmaes metal dated to the period 1400-1200 BC.