Well Made Small African Spear Head
 

Picked this up last week. The spear head seems very well made but is on the petite side maybe some kind of hunting spear? I just had a look at some of my other pics and think this could be a Tetela spear? Notice the similarity when compared to this dagger. Comments welcome.

Nice
 

That is a beautiful little spearhead Lew, clean, good condition, nice patina and well detailed. Any idea as to ethnic origins and what it might have looked like complete?
The sharpened flat back edge looks to make it a good stabber that wont get caught in the prey, it could be withdrawn without effort and stab again.

Gav

The head's a good size, maybe a little wide for length, but the socket looks a little small for a stabbing spear. I think you're right about hunting, but perhaps it could also be some sort of throwing head.

Best,

F

Gav

I am thinking Tetela tribe due to the shape of the blade and similar file work on the lower end between the head and the socket. Luc or Wolf may be able to shed more light on it possibly even have a pic of the entire spear?

Thanks Fearn

I have an old hunting spear possibly Ngoni with a very narrow shaft a bit thicker than a pen used for hunting small game. So I still think it could made for hunting or a small javelin type spear made for combat? Below is a light weight hunting spear with a narrow blade.

I'm not sure on this one, Lew.

If you figure that the wound from the weapon will be as wide as the head, then your weapon looks like something designed for a human or larger target. I don't think you could hit a rabbit with it, and if you did, it would bisect the rabbit.

However, the shaft is thin, which suggests a throwing weapon, albeit an odd one (big head, thin shaft, where's that center of gravity?). The thing that bothers me is that the head is wide. I keep thinking that the head could easily act as a aileron or an airbrake if it didn't fly perfectly straight, and it that would take the weapon off course.

Not that I'm an expert on war spears, but I do have one, and it's got a 1" shaft. Basically, the shaft shouldn't bend or break when you thrust it into a target.

Wrapping this all up, I'm thinking this specimen is some sort of javelin head, but I'm not perfectly happy with that assignment.

Neat weapon though.

Best,

F

Hi Lew,
IMHO I do not think this is a head from throwing hunting spear. The wide blade would require alot of impact force to penetrate the animal to any sufficient depth. The other 'problem' is that if the animal is hit in the 'rib cage' area at an angle of around 45-90 degrees to the ribs ...it would hardly penetrate at all (ie between each rib). Generally, that is why throwing hunting spears tend to have a narrow, extremely pointed spear head.

I think a 'thrusting' type spear is much more likely.....the target can be hit more accurately and forcefully. The wider blade profile would create wide 'shallow' cuts .....targetting the arteries in the neck, arms or legs would cause fatal or debilitating wounds. I would not be surprised if this type of spear was used in warfare. Although, obviously it could be used as the final killing blow to an animal, that had been 'tracked', after being previously wounded by the hunters and was too tired to escape....but still to dangerous to get too close to.

Regards David

Hi David,

Except for the narrow socket, I agree with you.

That socket is a huge exception, though. If the head was on an iron shaft that small, I'd be happy, but a wooden shaft a centimeter across? That seems a weak thing to thrust with, especially in a fight. And since the socket is asymmetrical, it would be tricky (not impossible) to have the force of the shaft travel through the lip of the socket, rather than the inside.

Fun to discuss though. I'd love to get a better inside diameter on that socket.

F

Ok

I plan on mounting the head on a thin shaft in the near future and will get some cardboard targets to test it on. ;) Will let you know whats the results are.

Hi Fearn,
I have a thrusting spear with a shaft diameter (at the head) of 14mm which gradually tapers towards the butt.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=spear

It is possible that the shaft (for Lew's spearhead) was also originally leather covered ....which would help re-inforce it. Even though on my example the leather is missing.....the shaft , although 'thin' is very strong. (perhaps having a shaft that is slightly 'whippy' helps with 'slashing cuts' :shrug:

Regards David

PS you mentioned a socket diameter of 10mm .....Lew what is the internal diameter of the socket ?

Sounds good. Evidence trumps speculation any day, and I certainly don't mind being proven wrong by a test.

David, how long is your stabbing spear shaft?

Best,

F

I measured it at 10mm across.

Lew

Hi Fearn,
the shaft (from edge of socket) is approx. 30"


Hi Lew,
that would make the shaft a little 'thin'. I suppose the shaft could be 'stepped' so that the diameter of the shaft would be the same as the external diameter of the socket, but suspect this would only increase the diameter of the shaft by a couple of mm.
Some spears are designed with a short, thin fore-shaft, which connects the head to the thicker, heavier main shaft.....but have not seen an African example. But this arrangement is used with many examples of African arrows.
I'm now leaning towards a throwing spear, perhaps one that is used at short range so that it could be thrown accurately at vital areas of an animal /human (?). Some larger game is trapped or surrounded and then basically 'speared to death'. An accurate strike to an artery would speed up the animals demise and certainly 'weaken' it quickly (due to blood loss)

David