Ancient Greek iron Arrowhead - 83 mm (No reserve price)

Ancient Greek Iron Arrowhead

Culture / Period: Ancient Greek
Date / Period: 10th–6th century B.C.
Material: Iron
Dimensions: 83 mm
Condition: Good condition

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 745
The current owner purchased this object from a reputable Dutch numismatic auction house in Schiedam, the Netherlands. Due to privacy regulations, the name of the previous owner could not be disclosed. No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This large iron arrowhead features a long tang for insertion into a wooden shaft and a broad leaf-shaped blade with a pair of basal barbs. This robust construction provided a secure attachment while enhancing the weapon's penetrating ability and making removal from the target more difficult.

Arrowheads of this type were employed throughout the Greek world for both warfare and hunting. During the Early Iron Age and Archaic period, iron increasingly replaced bronze for the manufacture of weapons due to its strength and durability. Archers formed an important element of Greek armies, while similar projectiles were also used in the pursuit of game.

The arrowhead was forged by skilled blacksmiths using established ironworking techniques. Its carefully shaped blade and tang reflect the growing sophistication of metalworking during this period, when the widespread adoption of iron transformed weapon production across the eastern Mediterranean. Similar examples have been recovered from settlements, sanctuaries, battlefields, and burial contexts, demonstrating their widespread use and the exchange of military technology between neighbouring cultures.

Dating to the 10th–6th century B.C., this arrowhead belongs to the formative centuries of ancient Greek civilisation, when advances in ironworking played a significant role in both warfare and daily life. Its unusually large size makes it an impressive example of early military equipment. It forms a tangible connection to the ancient world, where weapons of this kind served both practical and strategic purposes in hunting and armed conflict.