Chinese antique arrowheads

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Mon May 16, 2005 3:47 am

And finally, two dangerously bladed whistling heads, both with their tang removed.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Mon May 16, 2005 3:50 am

I'm sorry if the picture is not clear enough, but it appears on the real artifacts that the tang was soldered or welded to the sound chamber.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat May 28, 2005 8:24 am

4 bronze arrow head. I guess they are older than my usual findings (or maybe they're fakes...

)

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon May 30, 2005 1:44 am

No, I don't think they're fakes. The seem to be late Shang/Early Zhou, say 1100-1000BCE. If the central spine shows a clear hexagon when you look at it from the front, it should be Shang. If it is round, then it may be a bit later.

S.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Mon May 30, 2005 3:48 am

Thanks for the reply Stephen. I'll check their spine cross-section tonight.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Mon May 30, 2005 12:05 pm

It appears that the second from the right might be hexagonal in shape (I mean its spine seen from the front)

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 2:21 pm

Today, a few whistling arrows :

First, 2 iron ones :

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 2:29 pm

Then some more original ones :

The one on the left is made of bone, the whistle AND the head on top. I guess it would soon stop whistling after repetitive impacts...

On the right is a simple whistle, but made of terra cotta. It's a first for me.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 2:33 pm

last, I have the feeling that this arrow, supposedly found in Inner Mongolia, is rather Greek in design rather than Chinese...

See the leaf shape ? The socket ? The little needle at the back ?

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 2:38 pm

It is in fact this little and nasty needle designed to make the arrow removal difficult that made me think of a greek or greek style arrow head.

What do you think ?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 1:50 pm

Romain,
When Scythian arrow heads were cast the mold made two three-bladed arrow heads and one two-bladed arrow head. A little barb on the socket was not uncommon. The arrow heads were sprued from the pointed end. After casting the sprue was cut away and the tip was shaped. I have seen pictures of Chinese arrow heads cast in a "tree" with the sprues running to the tangs. Casting tanged heads might have been easier than ones with sockets.

The only logical explanation of the barb is to prevent removal of the arrow from a wound as you suggest. This the first I have seen with the barb directly on one of the blades. There are many tables of arrow head shapes published in Russian archaeological journals. Maybe you could find a similar head there.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 11:06 pm

Bede,

You're right, greek arrowheads have their barb on the socket and not on the blade, as shows the photo below of a 5th century BC sample...

So what is my arrowhead ? Maybe a Scythian cast, copy or prototype.... (who copied who ?)

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 2:34 pm

Once again, I saw a batch of amazingly long bronze arrows...

Their price being quite high, I did not buy any.

Have you some knowledge about these ?

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 2:40 pm

See, this is the shorter one...

And check how long was the part protuding from the arrow shaft !

Stephen Selby · Post by **Stephen Selby** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 2:01 am

I think that these long-necked arrowheads may have been Warring States crossbow bolts. The shaft might not have extended much below the end of the tang - just enough to create a nock. Unfletched and shot with a force of over 100#, they would have been quite effective for piercing leather armour.

Bamboo was used for arrow shafts in Central China in the WS period. I speculate that a bamboo shaft behind a solid bronze head would have either shattered or bent under a high force; so it may have been necessary to make a virtually solid bronze bolt with a wood or bone nock lying directly against the bronze tang.