Arrowheads Said To Be Roman 3RD To 4th Century Ad

Neat group, Jim!

Well, none of these are types I am well versed in. I do strongly suspect, however, that the bronzes (and particularly 1, 2, and 6) are Chinese. Whether authentic or not, I cannot say.

3 and 4 appear to be iron. I have seen similar. Often type 4 is listed as Roman, 2nd to fifth century. Not sure about #3 - kind of reminds me of a Malloy 131, which is listed as Mongol, 1200-1400. But I really don't know. I do think these two iron specimens are likely legit.

@Bob L You hit the nail on the head there Bob. I did a Google picture search for Chinese bronze arrowheads, and there were a few arrowheads that matched the ones in the image I posted. Actually, the image I posted in this thread came up in the picture search as well. The Chinese did cast these types of arrowheads.

@echizento Thank you for the link. There is an impressive amount of information on ancient arrowheads there. I've placed the link in my attributions help file for future use.

Thank you both for the help, and the next time I see a "Roman" arrowhead for sale, I'll do a proper search first before thinking of buying it. This has galvanised me into the next stage of a Chinese project. Watch this space.

Jim

@Kushanshah Indeed. At the time I bought these there were many arrowheads being sold as Roman, and I wonder how many (if any) were actually Roman? They were cheap to buy, and it was nice to think I had a little piece of history in my hand though. Thanks to this community, I am now getting a jumble of a collection into some kind of order.

"Roman Arrowheads From Pakistan" - You couldn't make this stuff up!

Jim

I don't think it is paranoia @Spence, as the Chinese are very clever at faking just about anything. I lived in Yantai in Shandong province for a few years and saw the scandal of the fake chicken eggs, which were cheaper to make than real chicken eggs were. At the other end of the scale I was offered a full set of brand new Calloway golf clubs, complete with bag, labels, in fact everything you would see on a brand new set, for £70.00!

An American friend wanted some key rings made, and told his contact that he couldn't sell them if they had made in China labels on them. The order arrived complete with made in USA marks and stickers!

A chap I knew, who had an antiques shop, showed me some coins and weaponry. Some of it was real, and some of it was fake. Due to his expertise he could spot the fakes straight away, but I could not tell the difference. There most likely are a large number of fake arrowheads doing the rounds as well. Here is a view of some of his stock, including old weaponry.

My main regret was not visiting the Yantai museum, which I am told is one of the best.

Jim

Neat artifact, Jim. And the box looks like a good fit. That'll be a handsome display.

@Bob L Thanks Bob. I found the box in a charity shop, looking a bit worse for wear. After a good sanding, a few coats of varnish, and a new lining, the box and the bolt looked like they were made for each other.

@Palouche Hi Paul, the bolt is 27.5 cm in total length. (10 ¾ inches)

Getting everything ready for the expo will be a very exciting project. There are some really lovely fibulae to be had at the moment, but they don't come cheap. Collecting is indeed addictive, and I hope your pocket does not get hit as hard as mine has just recently!

Thanks for the links Bob, there are some seriously tasty artefacts there.

Paul's thread has some beautiful fibulae, and in remarkable condition too. Your fibulae from the Chernyakhov culture are also amazingly well preserved. I agree with Paul, that the natural earthy colours are very appealing.

I love your thread on Parthian arrowheads, and the most interesting write-up. You must have a massive collection of coins and artefacts, how do you keep track of it all?

Your Artefacts/Antiquities thread is a great idea. Even though I'll never own anything like the items some members have posted, it is wonderful to see them.

I must go and dig out some of my own oddities now.

Jim