File:Bronze Age spearhead (FindID 755056).jpg

English: An early Middle Bronze Age copper alloy side looped spear head, probably dating to c. 1600-1400 BC. The spearhead was found in two parts, and subsequently pinned and the join obscured by green, probably acrylic-based paint. That the break fits would suggest that it was fairly recent damage, rather than an intentional feature of the object's deposition.

The spearhead has an abraded piriform blade, surviving to 19.6mm wide at its shoulders and tapering into a worn break below the point, 10.8mm wide. The blade has a central rib, sub-lozengiform in cross section, flanked by the largely flat wings of the blade, in thickness this mid-rib is 6.8mm at the break, and 12.6mm at the juncture between the blade and socket. This is is sub-circular in cross section and sub-connical in form, tapering from 16.8mm in width at the mouth to 9.6mm at the juncture between the socket and blade. In profile the spearhead tapers continuously from the mouth of the socket, 18.0mm thick, to the break at its point. Two integral, incomplete side loops expand from opposing sides of the socket, on the same plane as the wings of the blade. The depth of the socket could not be measured, with it being blocked by the abovementioned repairs.

A small amount of wood was found preserved within the socket.

Dimensions: Length 116.5mm; width 19.6mm; thickness 18.0mm; weight 56.96g.

A spearhead of very similar form and proportions is published by Pearce (1984: 457, no. 309), from Pinhay and now in the collections of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. cf. DOR-2D27D7 on this database, which is also very similar. In LANCUM-7609C0 Dr Dot Boughton notes "Side-looped spearheads are Greenwell and Brewis' Class IV and date to the early Middle Bronze Age. They are likely to belong to the Acton Park 2, Taunton (Cemmaes) or Penard metalwork assemblages, corresponding to Needham's (1997) Period 5, c. 1500-1150BC. [...] A side-looped spearhead from the Thames at Mortlake (DoB 31) has been radio-carbon dated by Needham et al (1997) producing an early radiocarbon date of 3225+/- 65BP (OxA-5948) 1680-1400BC with a 95% confidence rating."