Bronze spearhead, 6th-4th century BC
In the 5th century BC, Greek and Italic hoplite spears typically consisted of a steel spearhead and a bronze sauroter.
However, ribbed bronze spearheads were also still used. The bronze spearhead is certainly less typical than the iron one, but archaeological finds nonetheless confirm its use.
To see images of all the archaeological finds, click here.
We have some examples from Greece in the 5th century BC.
One is a spearhead preserved in the Thermopylae Museum. It’s tempting to attribute it to the famous battle of 480 BC, but then again, the pass had been a battleground for centuries.
We also find examples of bronze spearheads from the same period from Olympia, now in the British Museum.
Furthermore, several bronze spearheads now held at the British Museum were also found in the Temple of Zeus Messapius in ancient Sparta.
These are generally dated to the Archaic period (700-480 BC). As proposed by historian Stefanos Skarmintzos, perhaps the Spartans at least equipped their elite warriors with this type of spearhead.
Furthermore, bronze spearheads are documented in Italy, used until the 4th century BC.
For example, in the Etruscan necropolises of Frontone and Monteluce, it is possible to find bronze spearheads with their respective tips (although the latter has a different shape from the more “classical” ones) dated to the 4th century BC, along with other elements of hoplite weaponry (above all, metal edge elements for the aspis, the hoplite shield).
