a flanged spear from Crete

[E Farrell]

Originally Posted by Skarts_ss

Hi all,
recently i found this spear in Heraklion(Crete). I think that it is of Italian origin, probably Venetian and dates to 14th-15th century. Could it be earlier or from an other origin? Maybe Arab or Byzantine 10th century???
All opinions welcome
Thank you

You may wish to consult with the 13th Ephorate regarding this. It is my understanding that all portable antiquities predating 1493CE are the legal property of the Greek state, and you would require a permit from the ministry of culture to possess such an object. Portable antiquities which pre-date 1830CE and are recovered from excavation or diving are likewise the legal property of the Greek state.


Although it is only tangential to the purpose of this forum, I would discourage people in general from digging up objects. In Greece the Classical and earlier periods are held in high regard, but later periods are less esteemed. Few archaeologists deliberately study the later Byzantine and Venetian periods, so little is recorded and people care less about the looting which occurs. But each object which is removed without record destroys a little more of the historic record of the Greek people. There will come a time when the people of Greece do care about the history and objects of these periods, and the more is removed now the less will be recoverable when that time comes.