I would like to know about these

[surgi-sharp]

I think they are African

[BBJW]

Center one I believe is from Somali/Sudan area and the others sub Saharan/African.- bbjw

[Battara]

Yup all from the African continent. Nice workmanship!

[Jim McDougall]

I'd like to narrow things down a bit, since Africa is quite a large and diverse continent. While spears of course remained traditionally in the many tribes of Africa virtually from prehistoric times into modern, there seem to be certain characteristics of the head which differ and can often be identified to certain groups or tribes.

I am by far no authority on these weapons, but thought I'd look things up to see what I could find online without 'hitting the books'.

It would seem these are likely to be Sudanese associated as BJ has well noted, and quite possibly either of the Mahdist period (1882-1898) or 'of the types' used in these campaigns in North Africa against the British.

The one on far left seems of the most common 'leaf' type spear head, among tribal groups known to have used them are Dinka, but as always, this common style was widely diffused.

In the center with a head having downturned flukes is a form similar to South Sudanese groups, and to Zande groups of NE Congo 1880s.

On the right, the leaf type head resembles these types of heads with center piercings known in Congo regions as well.

As BJ has suggested, these may well be considered sub Saharan as their forms extended into tribes from South Sudan westward through regions into the Sahel.

With the Mahdist jihad which began in 1882, the need for large numbers of forces to the troops of the Mahdi called for the conscripting of tribesmen from various neighboring regions into the 'Ansar' or followers. With these from many tribes, the numbers of varying weapons were of many forms.

The numbers of conflicts throughout the Mahdist campaigns before and after the fall of Khartoum (1885) and the subsequent defeat at Omdurman (1898) is many, so the volume of these weapons cannot be attributed to a single battle. Typically the assumption is that all Mahdist arms were from the Battle of Omdurman in 1898, which is of course not correct.

While these three cannot be specifically attributed to the Mahdist period or forces of those times, they are certainly of the forms which were in use.

Images are Gen. Charles Gordon at Khartoum, killed by a thrown spear as the city fell to Mahdist forces in 1885

An image presumably of Mahdist forces during campaigns prior to Omdurman (1898)

A panoply of African tribal spears, many of which may have entered Mahdist scope.

[Jim McDougall]

My apologies. TMI.