Database

Javelin head fragment, iron. With a twisted neck section and probably with knife-shaped blade. Such javelin heads were especially characteristic for Saaremaa and coastal Estonia, but they are also found in surrounding areas. Although it has been suggested that such javelin heads came into use already at the end of the 11th century (Peets & Valt 2011), they nevertheless seem to be associated rather with the second half of the 12th century and the 13th century (Mandel 2017, 73). Among other contexts, they occur in 13th-century inhumation burials, for example at Pada in northern Estonia.

Peets, J. & Valt, J. 2011. Ühest rauaaja lõpu relvast Saarmaal, mandri-Eestis ja naaberpiirkondades. – Saaremaa Muuseum, kaheaastaraamat 2009–2010 (3–29). Saaremaa Muuseum, Kuressaare.
Mandel, M. 2017. Maidla muinaskalmistu saladused. Eesti Ajaloomuuseum, Tallinn.

Tanged javelin head, iron. The neck is twisted. Such javelin heads have been found in Saaremaa both in stone graves with cremation burials (e.g. the Rahu grave; Mägi 2002, Pl. 76:1, 83:4) and at hillforts (Pöide). Very similar javelin heads in Latvia have been classified by Brūzis as type B1 and dated mainly to the 14th century (Brūzis 2016, 120, 280), although based on the find contexts a dating to the 13th century cannot be excluded. Judging by the find context, blade shape, and twisted neck, the Saaremaa javelin heads most likely belong to the very end of the 12th century or to the 13th century.

Mägi, M. 2002. At the Crossroads of Space and Time. Graves, Changing Society and Ideology on Saaremaa (Ösel), 9th–13th centuries AD. Tallinn: Ajaloo Instituut, Tallinn/Center of Baltic Studies, Gotland.
Brūzis, R. 2016. Tuvcīņas ieroči Latvijā 14.–16. gadsimtā. – Rīga: Latvijas vēstures institūta apgāds.

Fragment of two-edged sword blade, iron. Only the tip of the blade has been placed in the grave. According to other finds in the cemetery it can be dated to the 10th to the 13th century.

Spearhead, iron. While this spearhead somewhat resembles both Petersen´s Type G and Type M spearhead (Petersen 1919, 30, Fig. 17; 33–34, Fig. 23–24) it lacks some of the parameters of both types as differences can be noted in the longer socket than usual for both Petersen´s types as well as the lack of a distinct transition part between the socket and the blade characteristic to Type G. It could be that this spearhead represents a later development from Viking Age spearheads. A similar spearhead has been found in Maidla (Mandel 2017,), that was described as a spearhead not quite representing Perersen´s Type M (Mandel 2017, 72, Pl. V: AM 580:1786). Marika Mägi has described a similar-looking spearhead found from Käku burial XIII as a local variant of Type G spearhead (Mägi 2002, 84, Pl. 14: 6).

Mandel, M. 2017. Maidla muinaskalmistu saladused. Eesti Ajaloomuuseum, Tallinn.
Mägi, M. 2002. At the Crossroads of Space and Time. Graves, Changing Society and Ideology on Saaremaa (Ösel), 9th–13th Centuries AD. (CCC Papers, 6.) Tallinn.
Petersen, J. 1919. De Norske Vikingesverd: en typologisk-kronologisk studie over vikingetidens vaaben. Kristiana, Norge: I Kommission Hos Jacob Dybwad.

Hilt guard, iron. Long straight guards in Latvia are dated, according to the shape of the pommel, from the second half of the 12th century to the end of the 13th century, sometimes to even later period (Tomsons 2018, 109-115).

Tomsons, A. 2018. Zobeni Latvijas teritorijā no 7. līdz 16. gadsimtam. Latvijas nacionālā vēstures muzeja raksti nr. 27. Rīga.