Topic: Korean Iron Arrow Points
These are a couple iron arrow points I found on Ganghwa Island a few years ago while doing field research. The one on the left is a bodkin-type and the one on the right is edged.
- ragnar
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Re: Korean Iron Arrow Points
A bit corroded, but interesting.
The tang on the broadhead type (right) suggests it was used with bamboo shaft, right ?
At least for the bodkin type tip I assume a military use.
Do you know the approximate weight of the original (uncorroded) tip ?
European medieval arrow heads for war used to have about 250 ... 400 gn, if I remember correctly.
I followed a discussion in a local forum, with guys building english warbows and arrows for "fun".
The bows had "only" 70 to 100#, and the arrows 1200 to 1500 gn.
For lack of historical armaments, they use decommisioned traffic signs for testing ...
- bluelake
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Re: Korean Iron Arrow Points
ragnar wrote:
A bit corroded, but interesting.
The tang on the broadhead type (right) suggests it was used with bamboo shaft, right ?
At least for the bodkin type tip I assume a military use.Do you know the approximate weight of the original (uncorroded) tip ?
European medieval arrow heads for war used to have about 250 ... 400 gn, if I remember correctly.I followed a discussion in a local forum, with guys building english warbows and arrows for "fun".
The bows had "only" 70 to 100#, and the arrows 1200 to 1500 gn.
For lack of historical armaments, they use decommisioned traffic signs for testing ...
Yeah, it would certainly have been a bamboo shaft. Both were probably military.
No idea about the original weights; the points both lost a lot from oxidation.
- ragnar
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Re: Korean Iron Arrow Points
No idea about the original weights; the points both lost a lot from oxidation.
I thought so. But I supposed this points are similar to better preserved one's, perhaps in a museum.
- bluelake
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Re: Korean Iron Arrow Points
ragnar wrote:
No idea about the original weights; the points both lost a lot from oxidation.
I thought so. But I supposed this points are similar to better preserved one's, perhaps in a museum.
From what I've seen, yes.
- ragnar
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Re: Korean Iron Arrow Points
Any idea about the age of this points ?
Iron artifacts are usually not dateable, but perhaps by surrounding natural or cultural artifacts.
Had the Korean arrow head sizes and weights been standardized in former times ?
- bluelake
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Re: Korean Iron Arrow Points
ragnar wrote:
Any idea about the age of this points ?
Iron artifacts are usually not dateable, but perhaps by surrounding natural or cultural artifacts.Had the Korean arrow head sizes and weights been standardized in former times ?
I could only guess that they are probably more than 150 years old (the time when military archery was still being practiced to any extent; it was done away with in 1894). There were some points that were standardized, but I've never tried comparing these (yet).
- ragnar
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Re: Korean Iron Arrow Points
If the points actually served a military purpose, they could be foreign as well, i.e. from a conflict.
BTW, some of my (superficial) knowledge of the history of Korean archery is found here:
http://www.manchuarchery.org/korean-vie … hu-archery
But I guess you knew already.
- bluelake
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Re: Korean Iron Arrow Points
ragnar wrote:
If the points actually served a military purpose, they could be foreign as well, i.e. from a conflict.
BTW, some of my (superficial) knowledge of the history of Korean archery is found here:
http://www.manchuarchery.org/korean-vie … hu-archeryBut I guess you knew already.
I tend to doubt it. These were found on an island that was a Korean refuge, historically. The only enemies that made it there were 19th century Western and Japanese (with modern firearms).