Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > European Armoury

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 4th July 2014, 12:01 AM   #1
dana_w
Member
 
dana_w's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Southeast Florida, USA
Posts: 429
Default Excavated Partizan Polearm For Comment

This excavated polearm appears to be a Partizan. Possibly Colonial Spanish from the early to mid 18th century.
Attached Images
 
dana_w is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th July 2014, 06:39 PM   #2
Jim McDougall
Arms Historian
 
Jim McDougall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,719
Default

Dana you continue to bring amazing contributions here, thank you!!
This excavated polearm would appear to be distinctly Spanish as you have well observed. In "Spanish Military Weapons in Colonial America 1700-1821" (Brinckerhoff & Chamberlain, 1972), p.106, pl. 206, a Spanish 'esponton' (spontoon) which has the same side blade profile and overall blade similarity of the spear blade is shown.
It is classified as c1750, and the authors note an unspecified similarity to French patterns.

Apparantly these polearms were carried by junior officers as a weapon and badge of rank until 1768, when superceded by short swords and fusils for these men. These remained in use until end of the century but certainly longer in the colonies (Havana had them in armouries in 1771).

It seems the terms partisan and spontoon are often used somewhat interchangeably with these widely varied polearms, while the halberd if I understand correctly is actually an axe on a pole with long spike atop.

I checked "Swords and Blades of the American Revolution" (George Neumann, 1973) but found no corresponding head shapes which were notably as close as the Spanish example cited.

While this example does not have the same ferrules around the base fixture and does not seem to have the raised royal escutcheon which usually appeared in the blade center between the blade projections, the side blades have the same distinct shape with volute terminals top and bottom symettrically.
Also the blade seems somewhat narrower and has the raised midrib of earlier examples in the century (Neumann, p.208) .
Jim McDougall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th July 2014, 07:06 PM   #3
dana_w
Member
 
dana_w's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Southeast Florida, USA
Posts: 429
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
This excavated polearm would appear to be distinctly Spanish as you have well observed.
Thanks Jim. I've been wondering if I am posting too many excavated relics lately. I tend to photograph for several weeks. That is followed by weeks or months of research and very few postings.

I'm glad you agree that the Partizan / 'esponton' (spontoon) could well be Spanish Colonial.

Now here is another excavated relic that probably has the raised royal escutcheon you were talking about on one side. It is completely indecipherable. The reverse side shown here, has an almost indecipherable image of a rearing horse, and some indecipherable text. The text looks like FXADVL SODECVS or EXADVL SODECVS. These letters are the most questionable ?XAD?? SODECVS. It is very hard to read in person with good lighting, and it is difficult to photographic. Maybe someone will recognize it anyway.
Attached Images
  
dana_w is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th July 2014, 09:29 PM   #4
Jim McDougall
Arms Historian
 
Jim McDougall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,719
Default

Dana, before I even comment on this example, I cannot resist loudly exclaiming - there is no such thing as posting too many examples, and excavated examples are a personal favorite as well as of others here.
What is so important is that these are historic artifacts and have been static often from the moments they were in use last, to me almost virtual time machines.
A great example of this is the many medieval and renaissance artillery and ordnance artifacts Matchlock has so graciously shared here for years. Many of these are either excavated or of equivalent status from static locations.

Keep them coming!!!
Jim McDougall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th December 2014, 04:00 PM   #5
dana_w
Member
 
dana_w's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Southeast Florida, USA
Posts: 429
Default

I have just discovered that the first polearm / Partizan posted here was excavate by my father, Jack Williams (F.E. Williams III) near Fort Mose, and probably dates from the War of Jenkins' Ear. The Siege of Fort Mose occurred on June 26 of 1740.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Mose

This screen shot is from an interview Dad gave to a local TV station in 2007.
Attached Images
 
dana_w is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17th December 2014, 08:06 AM   #6
Matchlock
(deceased)
 
Matchlock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
Posts: 4,310
Default

Hi Dana and Jim,


I, too, think that this is the remains of a partisan or spontoon (German: Partisane, Sponton) of ca. 1700:

http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=h...ed=0CG0QrQMwFg

The one in the top att.
was sold Hermann Historica, Munich, 8 November 2013.

Jim, I am having a VERY bad conscience about being so silent for so long but I will contact you soon - please do have patience on me!


Best,
Michael
Attached Images
        

Last edited by Matchlock; 17th December 2014 at 08:22 AM.
Matchlock is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:09 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.