Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Helleri · 9th February 2022, 03:35 PM

So I've been sat here comparing images and I feel kind of dumb, lol. There are so many obvious markers of Native American spears that these simply do not posses. The first thing I notice is though there are a lot of Native American spears with metal spear heads. The heads are not much wider in diameter than the shafts (by a few millimeters at best). Nor do they really have a non bladed portion to them.

Also the way they tend to be mounted is entirely different from these. They're mounted the same way one might mount a flint head. Sat inside a notch as apposed to these which are rods inside a hole.

Native American spears also tend to have a lot of tassels or dangling bits otherwise, with holes often drilled into the shafts to accommodate them. As well as full shaft enclosure with some sort of wrapping. As mentioned previously here they also tend to be a lot longer. Which makes sense given the frequency at which they would have been used from horse back.

But compared with known South African spears. These are dead ringers. Everything about them screams South African. The thing is I have seen plenty of south African Spears on these very forums. I'm kicking myself here for not having heard her say "Native American" and going "Ehhhhh...I don't think so." It's been so long since I've had a new acquisition (and I wasn't even on the lookout for anything) that I guess I left my critical eye behind.

Thanks all for weighing in on this.

9th February 2022, 03:35 PM	#7
Helleri Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Boulder Creek, CA. Posts: 202	So I've been sat here comparing images and I feel kind of dumb, lol. There are so many obvious markers of Native American spears that these simply do not posses. The first thing I notice is though there are a lot of Native American spears with metal spear heads. The heads are not much wider in diameter than the shafts (by a few millimeters at best). Nor do they really have a non bladed portion to them. Also the way they tend to be mounted is entirely different from these. They're mounted the same way one might mount a flint head. Sat inside a notch as apposed to these which are rods inside a hole. Native American spears also tend to have a lot of tassels or dangling bits otherwise, with holes often drilled into the shafts to accommodate them. As well as full shaft enclosure with some sort of wrapping. As mentioned previously here they also tend to be a lot longer. Which makes sense given the frequency at which they would have been used from horse back. But compared with known South African spears. These are dead ringers. Everything about them screams South African. The thing is I have seen plenty of south African Spears on these very forums. I'm kicking myself here for not having heard her say "Native American" and going "Ehhhhh...I don't think so." It's been so long since I've had a new acquisition (and I wasn't even on the lookout for anything) that I guess I left my critical eye behind. Thanks all for weighing in on this.