Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Waterbuck · 2nd January 2009, 11:42 PM

I need some help with the ID of these spears.

The first two (one barbed one plane) are socket head and bound with very fine wire
# 3 & 4 are also socket head but no binding
I think these first four maybe from the Soudan?
# 5 The longest at 63 inches blade has one concave edge on each side bound with raw hide binding Xhosa? May be Zulu?
# 6 Blade cross section is convex round point
# 7 Concave edges, all four
# 8 One concave edge on each side, barbed, approx 3 inches of hide with fur above the counter weight
# 9 Concave edges all four sides, similar to # 7 but barbed, copper ferule looks like it was added recently, square shank
The last four I think are Xhosa
I would think all are throwing spears for hunting with the barbed ones for fishing. Most have counter weights.

2nd January 2009, 11:42 PM	#1
Waterbuck Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 11	Spear ID help please I need some help with the ID of these spears. The first two (one barbed one plane) are socket head and bound with very fine wire # 3 & 4 are also socket head but no binding I think these first four maybe from the Soudan? # 5 The longest at 63 inches blade has one concave edge on each side bound with raw hide binding Xhosa? May be Zulu? # 6 Blade cross section is convex round point # 7 Concave edges, all four # 8 One concave edge on each side, barbed, approx 3 inches of hide with fur above the counter weight # 9 Concave edges all four sides, similar to # 7 but barbed, copper ferule looks like it was added recently, square shank The last four I think are Xhosa I would think all are throwing spears for hunting with the barbed ones for fishing. Most have counter weights.