Object: Spear (Bronze Age)
Period:  to  (-1500 to -750)
Material: Copper alloy 
Found: , Swansea, Swansea (Wales)
Discovery method: Metal detector
Length: 113.8 mm
Weight: 67.3 g
Description: Bronze Age bronze socketed spearhead, of pegged type and of Greenwell and Brewis' (1909, 458-460)  Type V. Class V spear heads are ascribed to the Wilburton and Ewart Park phases of the Late Bronze Age, corresponding with Needham's (1996)  Periods 6 and 7, dated to 1150 - 750BC.

The spearhead is complete (with a length of 113.8mm and a weight of 67.3g). The socket is near circular (with an external diameter at the mouth of 23.5-24.1mm, an internal diameter of 18mm and a thickness of 2.6mm). The sides of the socket are straight and convergent. The shaft was attached through two circular rivet holes (3.3 and 3.6mm diameter, positioned 11-12mm from the mouth). The blade is flame shaped, where the blade is convex to its widest point (with a width of 29.2mm) and is then slightly concave to the tip. Blade facets are evident on both sides and faces (1.6mm from the edge) and no sharpening striations are discernible. The blades are slightly thicker against the socket (with a thickness of 3mm) and thin towards the edge (with a thickness of 1mm before the blade facet). The socket continues as a prominent and wide midrib to the tip.

The spearhead has applied decoration around the socket, beneath the start of the blade. The decoration comprises four bands of liner striations flanked on each side by repeating chevrons or small punched triangles and undecorated strips (2-3mm wide) separate the decorative bands. Beneath the blade is a border of small punched triangles above 6-7 linear striations (with a width of 1.8mm). At the base of the striations is a double-incised zigzag or line of adjoining chevrons. After a plain strip, the three motifs are repeated but the linear striations are interrupted by the two rivet holes. Punched triangles border the rivet holes on the top and bottom and beneath each rivet hole are triple incised opposing chevrons, within the 'undecorated' strip. A further band of linear striations is flanked on its lower side by punched triangles, with no further motif above. The basal band of striations is flanked on its upper side only with repeating chevrons. The decoration has been finely incised and carefully applied. 

The golden bronze surface survives over much of the lower part of the spearhead. A dark grey to brown corrosion is adhering to the surface elsewhere. The socket has mostly been cleaned out but remnant traces, of possibly wood survive.


Socketed and riveted (Class V) spearheads have been recorded from Wales,  such as the example from the Llantwit Major hoard in the Vale of  Glamorgan (Savory, 1980, p 121, no. 281.14) . Decorated spearheads have  also been recorded, for example at Guilsfield in Powys one of the  spearheads has punched dot decoration around the socket and base of the  blade (Savory, 1980, p 118, no. 268.18). The Swansea Bay spearhead can  be closely paralleled with an example found in the River Thames at  Staines and now in the Museum of London collections , published by  Needham et al (1987) . The Staines spearhead is also of socketed,  riveted type with a flame blade and also has applied decoration  encircling the socket mouth, comprising five bands of striations with no  chevrons or punched decoration. The Staines spearhead was radiocarbon  dated from wood surviving in the shaft and produced a date of 1100BC -  840BC (with a 95% probability). As early as 1909 (Greenwell &  Brewis, p 470) noted the use of vertical and horizontal lines, zigzags  and triangle motifs on arrowheads of looped and riveted types. It is  possible to suggest that the liner incised decoration on both examples  may be referencing binding on earlier, looped spearheads.
Subsequent action: Returned to finder