Misplaced Pages

#533466

65-451: The age of the spears, originally assessed as being between 380,000 and 400,000 years old, was estimated from their stratigraphic position, 'sandwiched between deposits of the Elsterian and Saalian glaciations, and situated within a well-studied sedimentary sequence.' However, more recently, thermoluminescence dating of heated flints in a deposit beneath that which contained the spears date

130-591: A shield . They also carried a curved sword, club , or hatchet as a sidearm . An important part in battles is often assigned to javelin-men, "whose weapons seem to inflict death at every blow". Multiple javelins were also sometimes carried by Egyptian war-chariots , in a quiver and/or bow case. Beyond its military purpose, the javelin was likely also a hunting instrument, for food and sport. The peltasts , usually serving as skirmishers , were armed with several javelins, often with throwing straps to increase stand-off power. The peltasts hurled their javelins at

195-507: A short sword . Javelins were often used as an effective hunting weapon, the strap adding enough power to take down large game. Javelins were also used in the Ancient Olympics and other Panhellenic games . They were hurled in a certain direction and whoever hurled it the farthest, as long as it hit tip-first, won that game. In 387 BC, the Gauls invaded Italy, inflicted a crushing defeat on

260-479: A coal mine in the city of Schöningen , Germany. Stratigraphic dating indicates that the weapons are about 400,000 years old. The excavated items were made of spruce (Picea) trunk and were between 1.83 and 2.25 metres (6.0 and 7.4 ft) long. They were manufactured with the maximum thickness and weight situated at the front end of the wooden shaft. The frontal centre of gravity suggests that these weapons were used as javelins. A fossilized horse shoulder blade with

325-550: A former littoral zone . This zone was visited over millennia, between the Elster - and Saale ice ages, by humans and animals alike. The pedestal displays five massive layered sediment packages that were created by varying levels of the lake and silting -up processes. The find horizon was preserved through rapid sedimentation of a lakeshore which itself resulted from the retreat of the Elsterian ice sheet. Due to water-logged conditions,

390-494: A javelin or spear called Gungnir. It was created by a group of dwarves known as the Sons of Ivaldi who also fashioned the ship of Freyr called Skidbladnir and the golden hair of Sif . It had the property of always finding its mark ("the spear never stopped in its thrust"). During the final conflict of Ragnarok between the gods and giants , Odin will use Gungnir to attack the wolf Fenrir before being devoured by him. During

455-470: A projectile wound, dated to 500,000 years ago, was revealed in a gravel quarry in the village of Boxgrove , England. Studies suggested that the wound was probably caused by a javelin. In History of Ancient Egypt : Volume 1 (1882), George Rawlinson depicts the javelin as an offensive weapon used by the Ancient Egyptian military . It was lighter in weight than that used by other nations. He describes

520-617: A range of about 30 metres (98.4 ft), although the effective range is only 15 and 20 metres (49.2 and 65.6 ft). Pila were sometimes referred to as "javelins", but the archaic term for the javelin was " verutum ". From the third century BC, the Roman legion added a skirmisher type of soldier to its tactical formation. The velites were light infantry armed with short swords (the gladius or pugio ), small round shields, and several small javelins. These javelins were called " veruta " (singular verutum ). The velites typically drew near

585-625: A sword, and a shield. They were proficient at skirmishing and rapid maneuver, and played an important role in Arabic mounted warfare throughout the Reconquista until the sixteenth century. These units were widespread among the Italian infantrymen of the fifteenth century. The Welsh , particularly those of North Wales , used the javelin as one of their main weapons. During the Norman and later English invasions ,

650-497: A wooden shaft. The iron shank was either socketed or, more usually, widened to a flat tang . A pilum usually weighed between 0.9 and 2.3 kilograms (2.0 and 5.1 lb), with the versions produced during the empire being somewhat lighter. Pictorial evidence suggests that some versions of the weapon were weighted with a lead ball at the base of the shank in order to increase penetrative power, but no archaeological specimens have been found. Recent experiments have shown pila to have

715-406: A young age in special military schools. Focusing on gymnastics to gain strength, hardiness, and endurance in childhood, they learned to throw the javelin – along with practicing archery and the battle-axe – when they grew older, before entering a specific regiment. Javelins were carried by Egyptian light infantry, as a main weapon, and as an alternative to a bow or spear , generally along with

SECTION 10

#1732851919534

780-415: Is Spear VI, which does not appear to taper at the back. The points of the spears made use of the bases of trees, which is harder wood, while the soft inner pith is offset from the tip. These features suggest an awareness of the properties of wood, and the design in such a way as to maximise the hardness of wood. Like today's tournament javelins, the greatest diameter and therefore likely the centre of gravity

845-513: Is a javelineer . The word javelin comes from Middle English and it derives from Old French javelin , a diminutive of javelot , which meant spear. The word javelot probably originated from one of the Celtic languages . There is archaeological evidence that javelins and throwing sticks were already in use by the last phase of the Lower Paleolithic . Seven spear-like objects were found in

910-779: Is interpreted as a possible skewer. Hundreds of additional wooden fragments from the site are the subject of ongoing research by a multidisciplinary team. Also among the finds are the so-called 'clamp shafts', excavated from locality Schöningen 12b, a site that formed earlier than Schöningen 13 II-4. These tools were made from the extremely hard wooden branch-bases of the European silver fir . They are noticeably worked and may have been used as handles for stone tools . As of 2015, around 1500 stone tools and over 12,000 animal bones were found. The stone tools comprise denticulates, some bifacially worked tools, retouched flakes and scrapers, but there are no handaxes or handaxe thinning flakes. As such

975-413: Is located in the front third of the shaft of at least some of the spears. In addition, most of the spears, with the exception of Spear VI, taper at both the front and the back, which may assist flight aerodynamics. This led many to suggest that they may have been designed as thrown spears, similar to a modern javelin . Experimental research using experienced athletes to throw replicas of Spear II show that

1040-420: Is predominantly used for sporting purposes such as the javelin throw . The javelin is nearly always thrown by hand, unlike the sling , bow , and crossbow , which launch projectiles with the aid of a hand-held mechanism. However, devices do exist to assist the javelin thrower in achieving greater distances, such as spear-throwers or the amentum . A warrior or soldier armed primarily with one or more javelins

1105-424: Is suggested to have been deposited in a steppe environment with mild summers and cold winters, colder than those in the contemporary environment at the site today, with the lakeshore being covered by sedges and surrounded by willow and birch swamp forest , while the surrounding steppe environment had scattered pine and larch trees, and juniper shrubs. The spears and the place of discovery revolutionized

1170-569: Is unlikely plumbatae were viewed by the Romans as the killing blow, but more as a means of stalling the enemy at ranges greater than previously provided by the heavier and shorter ranged pilum. The Gallic cavalry used to hurl several javelin volleys to soften the enemy before a frontal attack. The Gallic cavalry used their javelins in a tactic similar to that of horse archers ' Parthian shot . The Gauls knew how to turn on horseback to throw javelins backwards while appearing to retreat. The Hispanic cavalry

1235-569: The Carthaginian Army and played a key role in assisting both Hannibal and Scipio during the Second Punic War . There is some literary and archeological evidence that the Norse were familiar with and used the javelin for hunting and warfare, but they commonly used a spear designed for both throwing and thrusting. The Old Norse word for javelin was frakka . The Anglo-Saxon term for javelin

1300-752: The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Association) . Numerous cooperation partners domestic and abroad have been involved in the analysis of the excavations and material culture: Lower Saxony State Office for Heritage , University of Tübingen , Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (paleontology), Leuphana University Lüneburg (palynologie), Senckenberg Research Institute and Nature Museum in Frankfurt am Main, Leibniz University Hannover (geology), Institute for Quaternary Lumbers Langnau (wood anatomy), Romano-Germanic Central Museum Mainz and others. In 2009, Lower Saxony allocated public funds from

1365-517: The Elsterian glaciation , in the older and popular scientific literature also called the Elster Ice Age ( Elster-Eiszeit ), is the oldest known ice age that resulted in the large-scale glaciation of North Germany and other parts of Europe. It took place approximately 500,000–400,000 years ago. It succeeded a long period of rather warmer average temperatures, the Cromerian Complex . The Elster

SECTION 20

#1732851919534

1430-806: The Palaeolithic are rare discoveries. Well-preserved finds include the ca. 400,000 year old broken Clacton Spear from Clacton-on-Sea (England), and the wooden spear from Lehringen (Germany), which is around 120,000 years old. Other finds such as those from Bad Cannstatt (Germany/Baden-Wuerttemberg) and Bilzingsleben are debatable as their preservation was poor. Later examples of possible wooden spears made by Homo sapiens include those from Monte Verde (Chile) , and Wyrie Swamp (Australia). 52°08′14″N 10°59′18″E  /  52.13722°N 10.98833°E  / 52.13722; 10.98833 Elsterian The Elster glaciation ( German : Elster-Kaltzeit , Elster-Glazial or Elster-Zeit ) or, less commonly,

1495-512: The Roman Republican army , and sacked Rome. After this defeat, the Romans undertook a comprehensive reform of their army and changed the basic tactical formation from the Greek-style phalanx armed with the hasta spear and the clipeus round shield to a more flexible three-line formation. The hastati stood in the first line, the principes in the second line and the triarii in

1560-522: The war (and subsequent alliance) between the Aesir and Vanir at the dawn of time, Odin hurled a javelin over the enemy host which, according to custom, was thought to bring good fortune or victory to the thrower. Odin also wounded himself with a spear while hanging from Yggdrasil , the World Tree , in his ritual quest for knowledge but in neither case is the weapon referred to specifically as Gungnir. When

1625-492: The 'Spear Horizon', and are suggested to have been used for knapping flint and for breaking open other bones for marrow. Other animals found in the "spear horizon" do not display evidence of butchery, and likely accumulated naturally, these include: red deer , roe deer , European wild ass , aurochs , steppe bison , wild boar , Irish elk , Merck's rhinoceros and the narrow-nosed rhinoceros , straight-tusked elephant grey wolves , red foxes , stoats , least weasels , and

1690-566: The 'research' and 'museum' areas. A 24-hectare outdoor area presents typical plant communities of the interglacial. The space is also an educational venue. The building contractor was the town of Schöningen. Responsible for the conception and contextual planning was the Lower Saxony State Service of Cultural Heritage. The centre was opened at the beginning of 2013. Archaeologists at the University of Tübingen have questioned some of

1755-510: The Ancient Egyptian javelin's features: It consisted of a long thin shaft, sometimes merely pointed, but generally armed with a head, which was either leaf-shaped, or like the head of a spear, or else four-sided, and attached to the shaft by projections at the angles. A strap or tasseled head was situated at the lower end of the javelin: it allowed the javelin thrower to recover his javelin after throwing it. Egyptian military trained from

1820-462: The Schöningen humans butchered suggests that their technologies and hunting strategies were sophisticated, that they had complex social structures, and had developed some form of communication (language ability). The Schöningen humans therefore likely had cognitive skills such as anticipatory planning, thinking, and acting, some of which had only previously been attributed to modern humans . In addition,

1885-527: The Spartan formation, Iphicrates and his men were able to wear the Spartans down, eventually routing them and killing just under half. This marked the first recorded occasion in ancient Greek military history in which a force entirely made up of peltasts had defeated a force of hoplites. The thureophoroi and thorakitai , who gradually replaced the peltasts, carried javelins in addition to a long thrusting spear and

1950-742: The archaeological remains, including most of the spears, are on display at the Forschungsmuseum Schöningen  [ de ] in Schöningen. Most of the spears were made using trunks of slow-growing spruce trees, except for spear IV, which is made from pine . The complete spears vary in length from 1.84 to 2.53 m (6.04 to 8.30 ft), with diameters ranging from 29 to 47 mm (1.14 to 1.85 in). The wooden finds were exposed to sedimentary pressure, and there are varying degrees of deformation. The spears were debarked and have evidence of working traces at both ends, demonstrating that they were shaped to be double pointed. One exception

2015-615: The best. The Numidians were indigenous tribes of northwest Africa . The Numidian cavalry was a light cavalry usually operating as skirmishers. The Numidian horseman was armed with a small shield and several javelins. The Numidians had a reputation as swift horsemen, cunning soldiers and excellent javelin throwers. It is said that Jugurtha , the Numidian king "...took part in the national pursuits of riding, javelin throwing and competed with other young men in running." [Sallust The Jugurthine War: 6]. The Numidian Cavalry served as mercenaries in

Schöningen spears - Misplaced Pages Continue

2080-546: The enemy's heavier troops, the hoplite phalanx , in order to break their lines so that their own army's hoplites could destroy the weakened enemy formation. In the battle of Lechaeum , the Athenian general Iphicrates took advantage of the fact that a Spartan hoplite phalanx operating near Corinth was moving in the open field without the protection of any missile-throwing troops. He decided to ambush it with his force of peltasts. By launching repeated hit-and-run attacks against

2145-453: The enemy, hurled javelins against their formation, and then retreated behind the legion's heavier infantry. The velites were considered highly effective in turning back war elephants , on account of discharging a hail of javelins at some range and not presenting a "block" that could be trampled on or otherwise smashed – unlike the close-order infantry behind them. At the Battle of Zama in 202 BC,

2210-431: The evidence suggests that the Schöningen spears most likely had multiple uses including for self-defence against dangerous predators like the large lion-sized scimitar-toothed cat Homotherium , with whom the humans shared the landscape. In addition to the spears and double-pointed sticks, a charred wooden stick made of spruce and measuring 87.7 by 3.6 cm (34.5 by 1.4 in) was also found at Schöningen 13 II-4, and

2275-414: The extinct horse species Equus mosbachensis which display cut marks indicative of butchery. The site of the ' Spear Horizon ' (Schöningen 13 II, sedimentary sequence 4) is one of 20 Palaeolithic archaeological sites discovered during excavations from 1994 through to the present day. The 60 by 50 m (200 by 160 ft) excavation base that was excluded from coal mining represents a small segment of

2340-446: The flag of Eswatini there is a shield and two javelins, which symbolize the protection from the country's enemies. The Zulu warriors used a long version of the assegai javelin as their primary weapon. The Zulu legendary leader Shaka initiated military reforms in which a short stabbing spear, with a long, swordlike spearhead named iklwa , had become the Zulu warrior's main weapon and

2405-461: The god Baldr began to have prophetic dreams of his own death, his mother Frigg extracted an oath from all things in nature not to harm him. However, she neglected the mistletoe , thinking it was too young to make, let alone respect, such a solemn vow. When Loki learned of this weakness, he had a javelin or dart made from one of its branches and tricked Hod , the blind god, into hurling it at Baldr and causing his death. The god Runesocesius

2470-440: The hunters and the lake, were culled with accurate spear throws. Because there are bones of young animals among the horse bones, he concluded that the hunt took place in autumn. Furthermore, he saw evidence of ritualistic activity, because the spears were left behind. Subsequent research on the horse remains have demonstrated that in fact the prey died in different seasons, showing the site was revisited repeatedly by humans. Many of

2535-449: The increased funds for the economy package II for the construction of a research and development centre. The Forschungsmuseum is close to the place of discovery and is devoted to the inter-disciplinary research of the Schöningen excavations and Pleistocene archaeology, and presents the original finds in an experience-orientated, modern exhibition. The transparent research and laboratory area as well as an interactive visitor's laboratory link

2600-409: The initial interpretations of the site. Isotope analysis and wear patterns on the horse teeth show a wide variety of habitat and diet amongst the animals, indicating that the faunal assemblage accumulated in many small events, rather than one large slaughter. Sediment analysis shows that the red colour previously thought to be a result of hearths and burning are actually iron compounds forming as

2665-471: The javelin-throwing velites proved their worth and were no doubt critical in helping to herd Hannibal's war elephants through the formation to be slaughtered. The velites would slowly have been either disbanded or re-equipped as more-heavily armed legionaries from the time when Gaius Marius and other Roman generals reorganised the army in the late second and early first centuries BC. Their role would most likely have been taken by irregular auxiliary troops as

Schöningen spears - Misplaced Pages Continue

2730-608: The lake levels dropped in recent times. Lake algae, sponges, and small crustaceans found in the sediments led to a suggestion that the spears were never used on dry land and that the deposit had always been submerged. In that scenario, the horses may have been hunted in shallow water rather than at the lake edge. As yet the hunting strategies and depositional circumstances of the spears remain unresolved. A further debate has centred around whether Schöningen humans were capable of powerful and accurate throws, and whether their wooden spears were effective as distance weapons. Wooden spears from

2795-403: The large oval or round shields used at the time. Massed troops would unclip and hurl plumbatae as the enemy neared, hopefully stalling their movement and morale by making them clump together and huddle under their shields. With the enemy deprived of rapid movement and their visibility impaired by their own raised shields, the Roman troops were then better placed to exploit the tactical situation. It

2860-555: The more heavily armoured galloglass . Various kingdoms and dynasties in China have used javelins, such as the iron-headed javelin of the Qing dynasty . Qi Jiguang 's anti-pirate army included javelin throwers with shields. Many African kingdoms have used the javelin as their main weapon since ancient times. Typical African warfare was based on ritualized stand-off encounters involving throwing javelins without advancing for close combat. In

2925-458: The objective of ongoing research excavation by the DFG (German Research Association) since 2010. A southern extension of Schöningen 13 II-4 has been excavated since 2011. The site was originally interpreted by the initial excavator, Hartmut Thieme, as a single mass hunting event. According to his scenario, the thick reeds at the lake shore gave the hunters cover, from where the horses, trapped between

2990-548: The oldest known worked wooden implements. To date, hominin remains have not been discovered from the Schöningen Pleistocene deposits, and therefore the species that crafted and used the wooden weapons and other tools at Schöningen remains uncertain. The most likely candidates are Homo heidelbergensis or early Neanderthals. The spears provide evidence of the importance of wood as a material for Palaeolithic tools. The spears were found associated with numerous bones of

3055-453: The organic materials are exceptionally well preserved and include not only the well-known wooden spears but also other botanical remains including two double-pointed sticks interpreted as possible ' throwing sticks ', alongside fragments of wood, fruits, seeds, and pollen. The tools and animal remains are primarily confined to a 10 m (33 ft) wide belt, consisting of the former lakeshore. The archaeological layers beneath 13 II-4 have been

3120-473: The picture of the cultural and social development of early humans. Previously, Middle Pleistocene hominins, whether Homo heidelbergensis or early Neanderthals , were regarded as simple beings without language who acquired meat by scavenging other carnivore kills or natural deaths. The spears and their correlated finds are evidence of complex technological skills and are the first direct evidence that these humans hunted their prey. The large and swift prey that

3185-401: The plumbata was fitted with an oval-shaped lead weight socketed around the shaft just forward of the center of balance , giving the weapon its name. Even so, plumbatae were much lighter than pila, and would not have had the armour penetration or shield transfixing capabilities of their earlier counterparts. Two or three plumbatae were typically clipped to a small wooden bracket on the inside of

3250-507: The primary Welsh tactic was to rain javelins on the tired, hungry, and heavily armoured English troops and then retreat into the mountains or woods before the English troops could pursue and attack them. This tactic was very successful, since it demoralized and damaged the English armies while the Welsh ranks suffered little. The kern of Ireland used javelins as their main weapon as they accompanied

3315-505: The republic expanded overseas. The verutum was a cheaper missile weapon than the pilum . The verutum was a short-range weapon, with a simply made head of soft iron. Legionaries of the late republic and early empire often carried two pila , with one sometimes being lighter than the other. Standard tactics called for a Roman soldier to throw his pilum (both if there was time) at the enemy just before charging to engage with his gladius . Some pila had small hand-guards, to protect

SECTION 50

#1732851919534

3380-575: The sabretooth cat Homotherium (among the youngest records of the genus in Eurasia), along with the European beaver and the extinct giant beaver Trogontherium , with small mammals including water voles , pygmy shrews , desmans , the European mole , the Narrow-headed , tundra , short-tailed field , common , European pine , European water and bank voles, along with the Norway lemming . This layer

3445-442: The spears are capable of being thrown at distances of at least 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft), and are similar in weight and balance to javelins. However, Spear VI, which does not taper at the back and also has a natural kink, is interpreted as a thrusting spear, and replicas of Spear II have also been experimentally tested as thrusting spears. Ethnographically, wooden spears were used as both thrusting and throwing spears. Together

3510-608: The spears have played a major role in debates about the origins of throwing . Since 2010, the excavations on top of the excavation base continued in the framework of a project by the Lower Saxony State Service for Cultural Heritage in Hannover and the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology of the Institute of Pre- and Protohistory and Mediaeval Archaeology, supported by

3575-513: The spears to between 337,000 and 300,000 years old, placing them at the end of the interglacial Marine Isotope Stage 9. All studies place the spears in the Holstein interglacial , which is correlated either to the marine isotope stages , MIS 11 (424–374 thousand years ago) or to MIS 9 (337–300 thousand years ago.) The Schöningen spears are the oldest complete wooden weapons, and may predate the fragmented Clacton spear point in which case they would be

3640-513: The stone tools are interpreted as late Lower Palaeolithic in nature. The majority of animal bones with signs of butchery belong to an extinct species of horse ( Equus mosbachensis ). Also present are red deer and large bovids. Marks on the bones suggest that the humans had first access to the carcasses, and that carnivores such as wolves and sabre-tooth cats accessed the bones later. Marks from stone tools suggest that humans worked together to butcher their prey. Bone tools have also been discovered in

3705-431: The third line. While the triarii were still armed with hastae , the hastati and the principes were rearmed with short swords and heavy javelins. Each soldier from the hastati and principes lines carried two javelins. This heavy javelin, known as a pilum (plural pila ), was about two metres long overall, consisting of an iron shank, about 7 mm in diameter and 60 cm long, with pyramidal head, secured to

3770-466: The time slot of the Elster/Mindel/Anglian, namely MIS 12 and MIS 10. A lack of suitable isotopes for dating the glacial deposits has made it difficult to resolve the ambiguity. This has led to an increasingly controversial issue between the two main alternatives: Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon . Today, the javelin

3835-462: The wielder if he intended to use it as a melee weapon, but it does not appear that this was common. In the late Roman Empire, the Roman infantry came to use a differently-shaped javelin from the earlier pilum . This javelin was lighter and had a greater range. Called a plumbata , it resembled a thick stocky arrow, fletched with leather vanes to provide stability and rotation in flight (which increased accuracy). To overcome its comparatively small mass,

3900-493: Was france . In Anglo-Saxon warfare , soldiers usually formed a shield wall and used heavy weapons like Danish axes , swords and spears . Javelins, including barbed angons , were used as an offensive weapon from behind the shield wall or by warriors who left the protective formation and attacked the enemy as skirmishers . Designed to be difficult to remove from either flesh or wood, the Angon javelin used by Anglo-Saxon warriors

3965-489: Was a light cavalry armed with falcatas and several light javelins. The Cantabri tribes invented a military tactic to maximize the advantages of the combination between horse and javelin. In this tactic the horsemen rode around in circles, toward and away from the enemy, continually hurling javelins. The tactic was usually employed against heavy infantry. The constant movement of the horsemen gave them an advantage against slow infantry and made them hard to target. The maneuver

SECTION 60

#1732851919534

4030-434: Was an effective means of disabling an opponent or his shield , thus having the potential to disrupt opposing shield-walls. The Almogavars were a class of Aragonese infantrymen armed with a short sword, a shield and two heavy javelins, known as azcona. The equipment resembled that of a Roman legionary and the use of the heavy javelins was much the same. The Jinetes were Arabic light horsemen armed with several javelins,

4095-503: Was designed to harass and taunt the enemy forces, disrupting close formations. This was commonly used against enemy infantry, especially the heavily armed and slow moving legions of the Romans. This tactic came to be known as the Cantabrian circle . In the late Republic various auxiliary cavalry completely replaced the Italian cavalry contingents and the Hispanic auxiliary cavalry was considered

4160-768: Was followed by the Holstein interglacial , which was followed Saale glaciation . The glacial period is named after the White Elster , a right tributary of the Saale . Traditionally, Elster was correlated with the Mindel glaciation of the Alps and the Anglian glaciation of Great Britain and Ireland. Analysis in the 1950s of oxygen isotopes in deep sea core samples introduced a global glacial history, with warm and cold phases identified by marine isotope stages (MIS). This identified two glacial stages in

4225-418: Was used as a mêlée weapon. The assegai was not discarded, but was used for an initial missile assault. With the larger shields, introduced by Shaka to the Zulu army, the short spears used as stabbing swords and the opening phase of javelin attack; the Zulu regiments were quite similar to the Roman legion with its Scutum , Gladius and Pilum tactical combination. In Norse mythology, Odin, the chief god, carried

#533466