a flanged spear from Crete

[Skarts_ss]

Hi all,
recently i found this spear in Heraklion(Crete). I think that it is of Italian origin, probably Venetian and dates to 14th-15th century. Could it be earlier or from an other origin? Maybe Arab or Byzantine 10th century???
All opinions welcome
Thank you

[VANDOO]

YOU KNOW MUCH MORE THAN I AS I WOULD NOT HAVE ANY IDEA AS TO WHERE TO PLACE IT OTHER THAN IN CRETE AS THAT IS WHERE IT WAS FOUND. PERHAPS SOME MEMBERS WITH KNOWLEGE IN THE FIELD CAN HELP OUT BUT UNFORTUNATELY I CAN BE OF NO HELP.
THE THRILL OF FINDING SUCH A NICE ITEM AND THE DETECTIVE WORK TO IDENTIFY IT AND UNRAVEL ITS HISTORY I DO UNDERSTAND. GOOD LUCK

[E Farrell]

Originally Posted by Skarts_ss

Hi all,
recently i found this spear in Heraklion(Crete). I think that it is of Italian origin, probably Venetian and dates to 14th-15th century. Could it be earlier or from an other origin? Maybe Arab or Byzantine 10th century???
All opinions welcome
Thank you

You may wish to consult with the 13th Ephorate regarding this. It is my understanding that all portable antiquities predating 1493CE are the legal property of the Greek state, and you would require a permit from the ministry of culture to possess such an object. Portable antiquities which pre-date 1830CE and are recovered from excavation or diving are likewise the legal property of the Greek state.


Although it is only tangential to the purpose of this forum, I would discourage people in general from digging up objects. In Greece the Classical and earlier periods are held in high regard, but later periods are less esteemed. Few archaeologists deliberately study the later Byzantine and Venetian periods, so little is recorded and people care less about the looting which occurs. But each object which is removed without record destroys a little more of the historic record of the Greek people. There will come a time when the people of Greece do care about the history and objects of these periods, and the more is removed now the less will be recoverable when that time comes.

[Skarts_ss]

Hi thank you for the advise regarding the law... i know it very well. This item was not found by me and it is not from an excavation site or wreck. It was given to me by a villager who had it many years and thought that it was a farming tool.
You can see that it is bent and it was used for other purposes...Crete is well known for recycling objects during the long time in wars and revolts. The law concerning antiquities in Greece is till 1453 and post Byzantine till 1830. Unfortunately after all these uprisings and conquerors, Crete has not much to give as far as midle ages weaponry is concerned. Thats why i post it here. Because i want someone to give me a direction. Probably i will present it to the 13th Ephorate and ask for a permit to own it. I think that this is the best option. I love history of that period and and i collect old weapons mainly from the Ottoman rule and as far as i know they are not restricted(I have my Great great great grand father weapons who fought the Turks in 1866 and after.These weapons are of mid 18th century. Could it be illegall to posses them????). However i think that spears like this, often make apearence in auctions

[E Farrell]

Originally Posted by Skarts_ss

I love history of that period and and i collect old weapons mainly from the Ottoman rule and as far as i know they are not restricted(I have my Great great great grand father weapons who fought the Turks in 1866 and after.These weapons are of mid 18th century. Could it be illegall to posses them????). However i think that spears like this, often make apearence in auctions

My knowledge of Greek law is from a previous job as an archaeologist/ceramicist on Crete. The legal aspect is not something that I ever had to deal with directly, so I am only really aware of the basics.

Having said that, I think it would be very unlikely to be illegal to own weapons passed down in the family from Ottoman period. I don't know of any restrictions on late Ottoman, and I know there is a thriving collectors market for it. It is only the suggestion for this particular spear being earlier than 1453CE which would make me a little bit wary.