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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Ancient Art / Iron Age Iron Knife blade - 33 cm (No reserve price)
ITEM: Knife blade MATERIAL: Iron CULTURE: Iron Age PERIOD: 1st millenium B.C DIMENSIONS: 210 mm x 30 mm CONDITION: Good condition PROVENANCE: Ex English private collection, acquired between 1980 - 1990 The iron spearhead stands as one of the defining artifacts of the Iron Age (c. 1200–1 BCE), marking a fundamental shift in ancient metallurgy, warfare, and society. Unlike bronze, which required long-distance trade networks to obtain tin and copper, iron ore was widely abundant across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East. The transition to forged iron allowed tribal chieftains and early states to mass-produce reliable, lethal weaponry for entire armies rather than equipping only an elite warrior class. As the primary offense weapon of both infantry foot soldiers and cavalry, the iron spearhead became an essential tool of territorial defense, conquest, and power projection. In terms of design and craftsmanship, Iron Age spearheads demonstrate a high level of blacksmithing skill, tailored for penetration and structural resilience. Blacksmiths hand-forged bloomery iron into a variety of shapes—ranging from broad, leaf-shaped blades designed to inflict wide slashing wounds to narrow, diamond-sectioned points engineered to pierce leather or chainmail armor. A central longitudinal rib often reinforced the length of the blade to prevent bending under heavy impact. At the base, a hollow split socket was hammered to fit snugly around a long wooden shaft, often secured with iron rivets, nails, or tight leather bindings. Beyond its practical role in battle, the iron spearhead held profound symbolic and ritual significance across Iron Age cultures, including Celtic, Germanic, and Iberian tribes. Spears were viewed as extensions of a warrior's martial identity, honor, and social status. Archaeologists frequently discover iron spearheads in rich warrior burials, deliberately bent, broken, or "killed" prior to interment to decommission their physical strength and dedicate their spirit to the deceased. Others were cast into rivers, bogs, and lakes as votive offerings to deities, underscoring the spearhead's dual role as a deadly military implement and a sacred object bridging the physical and supernatural realms. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export license
Estimate:$227.55
To the auctionView all items fromCatawikiorAncient Art
Estimate:
$227.55
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