[Etienne Hamel]

Hi everyone, i wanted to know if there was a way of classify a spear because there is typology for swords and for axe but is there any for spears?

thanks for any help

[Jean Thibodeau]

Not sure if there is a " Typology " but a question could be does one do one by period, culture or basic design ?

The same basic designs seem to repeat or be independently re-invented by various cultures and one could do a typology of Viking spears or Ancient Greek spears or African spears etc ... or a general " Typology " based on blade shape(s), size and length and type of aft.

Japanese spears " Yari " do seem to have their own typology and names.

European spears do have subdivisions like partisans, boar spears, lugged spears, pikes and cavalry lances.

With European spears just looking at the heads one could look at the shape of the rear of the spear that can be rounded or closer to a triangular profile or asymmetrical diamond shape if one looks at the entire blade profile with the diamond shape being longer on the point/edges side than at the back facing the socket side.

Also, blade thicknesses, the presence or absence of prominent mid-ribs, edge profile being a strait triangle or more curved edges with some belly to the edges etc ....

So maybe one could make a list of the most basic profile shapes but the variations are almost infinite in their possibilities.

[K J Seago]

there is,but i just can't remember-its been so long!

[D. Austin]

Try searching for Swanton's or Petersens's typologies. I think I spelled them correctly. They both did spear typologies I believe. They were both of course limited both geographically and chronologically.

Hope this helps.

[Elling Polden]

My translation of the Pettersen spear typology found at the bottom;
http://forum.blankvaapen.org/showthread.php?t...=pettersen

However, this only deals with spearheads found in Norway before 1919, and dated between 750 and 1050.

[Etienne Hamel]

is there any picture of a pettersen type F spear? i would like to see some.