Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown , historically as a ranged weapon , but today predominantly for sport . The javelin is almost always thrown by hand , unlike the bow and arrow and slingshot , which shoot projectiles from a mechanism . However , hurling devices do exist to assist the javelin thrower in achieving greater distance . The word javeline 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 . Prehistory . There is archaeological evidence that javelins and throwing stick s were already in use during the last phase of the lower Paleolithic . Seven spear - like objects were found in a coal mine in the city of Schöningen , Germany . Stratigraphic dating indicates that the weapons are about 3 , 000 years old . The excavated items were made of spruce ( Picea ) trunk and were between 1 . 83 and 2 . 25 metres 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 pole weapon s were used as javelins . A fossilized horse shoulder blade with a projectile wound , dated to 3 , 000 years ago , was revealed in a gravel quarry in the village of Boxgrove , England . Studies revealed that the wound was probably caused by a javelin . Classical age . Ancient Greece . The Peltast s , usually serving as skirmishers , were armed with several javelins , often with throwing straps to increase standoff power . The Peltasts hurled their javelins at 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 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 on 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 a short sword . The Greeks did not only use javelins on the field of war . The spear - like missiles 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 . Rome . Republic and early empire . In 387 BC , the Gauls invaded Italy , inflicted a crushing defeat on 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 at the third line . While the Triarii were still armed with the hasta , 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 a wooden shaft . The iron shank was either socketed or , more usually , widened to a flat tang . A pilum usually weighed between two and four kilograms , 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 a range of about 30 metres , although the effective range is only about 15 to 20 metres . 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 a short sword ( the gladius or pugio ) , a small round shield and several small javelins . These javelins were called veruta ( singular " verutum " ) . The Velites typically drew near the enemy , hurled javelins against its 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 " which could be trampled on or otherwise smashed - unlike the close - order infantry behind them . At the Battle of Zama in 202 BC , 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 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 the wielder if he intended to use it as a melee weapon , but it does not appear that this was common . Late Empire . 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 , 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 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 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 . Gaul . 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 archer s ' Parthian shot . The Gauls knew how to turn on horseback to throw javelins backwards while appearing to retreat . Iberia . The Hispanic cavalry was a light cavalry armed with a Falcata 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 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 the best . Carthage . 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 throw ing and competed with other young men in running . " [ Sallust The Jugurthine War : 6 ] . The Numidian Cavalry served as mercenaries in the Carthaginian Army and played a key role in assisting Hannibal during the Second Punic War . Middle ages . Norse . 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 " . Anglo - Saxons . The Anglo - Saxon term for javelin was " france " . In Anglo - Saxon warfare soldiers usually formed a shield wall and used heavy weapons like Danish axe s , sword s and spears . Javelins , including barbed angon s , were used as an offensive weapon from behind the shield wall or by warriors who left the protective formation and attacked the enemy as skirmisher s . Designed to be difficult to remove from either flesh or wood , the Angon javelin used by Anglo - Saxon warriors was an effective means of disabling opponents or their principle tool of defence ; the shield , thus having the potential to disrupt opponent shield - walls Spain . The Almogavars were a class of Aragonese infantrymen armed with a short sword , a shield and two heavy javelins , known as assegai . The equipment resembled that of a Roman legionary and the use of the heavy javelins was much the same . The Jinetes were Spanish light horsemen armed with a javelin , sword and a shield . This troop type developed in the Middle Ages in response to the massed light cavalry of the Moors . Often fielded in significant numbers by the Spanish , and at times the most numerous of the Spanish mounted troops , they were proficient at skirmishing and rapid maneuver , and played an important role in Spanish mounted warfare throughout the Reconquista until the sixteenth century . Wales . The Welsh ( particularly the North Welsh ) used the javelin as one of their main weapons . During the Norman and later English invasions , 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 were barely damaged at all . Muslim world . Almohads . In the 11th and 12th century AD , the Almohads would sometimes fight ( particularly , but not exclusively , the Spanish ) with the first rank armed with pikes and the second line armed with javelins . Modern age . Africa . Many African tribes used the javelin as their main weapon . Typical African warfare was based on ritualized stand - off encounters involving throwing javelins without advancing for close combat . In the flag of Swaziland there is a shield and two javelins , which symbolize the protection from the country ' s enemies . Zulu . 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 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 . Mythology . Javelin - throwing warriors in mythology . Norse mythology . In Norse mythology , Odin , the chief god , carried 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 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 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 . Lusitanian Mythology . The god Runesocesius is identified as a " god of the javelin " . Further reading . < div class = " references - small " >