Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Late Bronze Age bronze spearhead

leaf shaped blade, point missing. The base of the blade fades into the socket as a sort of seam terminating at the rivet holes.

Pegged bronze spearhead, 1000-800 BCE.

Bronze Age weapons have been discovered across Europe. They show how important warriors were in these early metal-working communities. Weapons have changed over time. At first flat daggers and knives were the most typical. These were followed by dirks and rapiers for stabbing and thrusting. Towards the end of the Bronze Age, the first true slashing swords became the weapons of choice. Bronze spearheads were also used. 3,700 years ago they replaced bows and arrows as the most common projectile weapon.

SC5.5

Collection Area

Archaeology & Numismatics

Item Number

1897.187/4

Find Information

Site Name: Great Wood, St Fagans

Date: 1849-1855

Notes: found while quarrying in the wood during construction of the Great Western Railway. The socketed axe under accession number 31.78/108 is also part of this hoard. Savory, in the Bronze Age Collections catalogue (1980), states a collection date c.1855; the OS 10000 map in the department states 1849

Acquisition

Donation, 1897

Measurements

length / mm:315
width / mm:53.5
thickness / mm:30
weight / g:338.3

Material

bronze

Location

St Fagans Gweithdy gallery : Bronze Age Weapons

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