Topic
Spear
About: Spear is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 118 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1207 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
1 / 2
Papers
TL;DR: The use of the sarissa by Macedonian infantry and cavalry brought about important changes in military tactics, such as the adoption of the long lance and the use of a small target in comparison with the traditional Greek hoplite spear and shield as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Adoption of the sarissa, or long lance, by Macedonian infantry and cavalry brought about important changes in military tactics. To understand these developments, it is necessary to be clear about the limitations of size and weight of the sarissa, since these factors determined how the weapon could be wielded in battle. When it is established how the sarissa had to be handled, then one can conceive more accurately both the advantages and weaknesses of military formations armed in this manner. Moreover, to gain a proper perspective on the limited role played by sarissa-armed foot, one must examine the evidence for the continued use of the hoplite panoply by the Macedonians. First, I shall consider the precise specifications of the Macedonian sarissa and its concomitant small target in comparison with those of the traditional Greek hoplite spear and shield. Second, I will show that both literary and archaeological sources indicate that the Macedonian hypaspists normally employed the spear, hoplite shield, and related equipment. Third, I will discuss the sarissa as an infantry weapon and show in what respects the Macedonian phalanx differed from the older Greek hoplite formation. Finally, I will consider how the Macedonians carried and wielded the cavalry lance and argue that this weapon was employed against not only hostile cavalry but even infantry. In a second article, entitled "Use of the Sarissa by Philip and Alexander of Macedon," I will argue that Philip employed the cavalry lance for the first time at Chaeronea in 338 B.C. and that the infantry lance may not have been used in battle before the reign of Alexander the Great. I will also show that the Mounted Lancers, the Companion Cavalry, and the Foot Companions of the phalanx, even under Alexander, were not invariably armed with the sarissa but frequently used the spear and javelin. SPECIFICATIONS OF THE MACEDONIAN SARISSA AND ITS
82 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of a weighted atlatl versus an unweighted one was compared with the bow and arrow, and the results indicated that a weighted one cannot launch a dart (or spear) significantly further than an unpaired one.
Abstract: The atlatl (or spearthrower) has been used on one continent or another for at least 13,000 years, making it one of the most pervasive weapons in human history. Yet, anthropologists disagree onhow to wield an atlatl, and about the purpose of stone weights often attached to prehistoric examples of this weapon in North America. This paper briefly reviews the contributions and oversights of previous experiments and models on the function of atlatls and atlatl weights. I conducted three new experiments with replicas of prehistoric weapons to describe how an atlatl operates and to assess the performance of a weighted atlatl versus an unweighted atlatl. The results indicate that a weighted atlatl cannot launch a dart (or spear) significantly further than an unweighted atlatl. However, physical models do suggest that a weighted atlatl will hurl a dart more accurately than an unweighted atlatl. Additionally, a comparison of the performance of the atlatl and dart with the bow and arrow provides insight to ...
69 citations
1 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the atlatl or spearthrower with a historical slant, as it is important to show how experimentation responds to the archaeological problems of its time.
Abstract: , edited by Jeff Ferguson, in prep. One of my favorite bits of archaeological jargon is the description of stone projectile points as part of “complex projectile delivery systems” (Christenson 1986). While I am amused at the formality of the words and the image of a little man in blue ringing your doorbell with an arrowhead, the point behind the verbiage is important. Most archaeological analyses of hunting technology work with orts and morts, fragmentary remains of relatively complicated composite tools. The most common survivors are imperishable stone components. Meanwhile, hunting has held a consistent fascination for many anthropologists, as a dramatic and “manly” occupation with considerable symbolic baggage in our own culture. One complication in the archaeological study of hunting is that modern hunting technology is often far removed from that of the past. Most modern hunters find “primitive” technology quite alien, and in order to understand the functioning and capabilities of past hunting gear, experiments with pre-industrial weaponry have been fairly common (Knecht 1997). In this paper I focus on the atlatl or spearthrower, with a historical slant, as it is important to show how experimentation responds to the archaeological problems of its time. The atlatl is essentially a stick with a hook or socket to engage the spear on one end
42 citations
TL;DR: The Clacton Spear has been interpreted as a projectile weapon, a stave, a digging stick, a snow probe, a lance, a game stake and a prod to ward off rival scavengers.
Abstract: In 1911, an eminent amateur prehistorian pulled the broken end of a pointed wooden shaft from Palaeolithic-age sediments at a seaside town in Essex This artefact, still the earliest worked wood to be discovered in the world, became known as the Clacton spear Over the past one hundred years it has variously been interpreted as a projectile weapon, a stave, a digging stick, a snow probe, a lance, a game stake and a prod to ward off rival scavengers These perspectives have followed academic fashions and as the popular views of early hominins have altered Since discovery, the Clacton spear has also been replicated twice, has undergone physical transformations due to preservation treatments, and has featured in two public exhibitions Within this article the changing context of the spear, its parallels, and all previous conservation treatments and their impacts are assessed
38 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 47 |
| 2024 | 54 |
| 2023 | 79 |
| 2022 | 103 |
| 2021 | 23 |
| 2020 | 22 |