ROMAN IRON PILUM SPEAR HEAD

C. 1-300 AD. Roman. A socketed iron pilum spear head with a tapering pyramidal blade. Pila were a key part of Roman military equipment and were used by the empire’s legionaries as throwing weapons preceding a charge which ended in close quarters combat. It is partially thanks to this type of spear that Rome was able to control an empire that reached from north-western Europe to the Near East and encompassed all the lands of the Mediterranean. For more information on Roman weaponry in general see Bishop and Coulston 2005, “Roman Military Equipment from the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome.“ Fair Condition. Size: L:330mm; 224g. Provenance: From the private collection of a Kent gentleman; previously in an old British collection, formed before 2000 on the UK /European art markets.