838 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1897. 



Mj 



long" and narrow, while the latter is short and broad. Figs. 31-38 

 shows eight of these iron lance heads, all from the cemetery of Chei- 



tau-thagl). 



The variations of these spear- 

 heads show them to have been 

 the product of individual de- 

 sign and iiianufact nil', and that 

 they were not made by a ma- 

 chine or after a single pattern. 

 They are all socketed; the 

 socket is not solid, but open 

 on the side, showing they were 

 hammered and not cast. The 

 sockets were not welded nor 

 brazed. Whether they could 

 weld or braze two pieces of iron 

 together must be left uncertain. 

 It may, however, be considered 

 certain that they knew of and 

 employed a heat sufficient to 

 weld, and used it in the manu- 

 facture of these implements, 

 for without a welding heat they 

 could not make these sharp 

 edges and points. On one of 

 the Egyptian bas-reliefs (at 

 Medinet Abou, Thebes, twenti- 

 eth dynasty) aThyrenien war- 

 rior is shown with two spears 

 as though one might have been 

 for throwing as a javelin and 

 the other for hand to hand 

 combat. 



There was a series of knives 

 of iron from the cemetery of 

 Cheitan-thagh, Armenia. The 

 handles had been of wood, 

 bone, or horn, fastened much 

 the same as the butcher or car- 

 ving knife of modern times. 

 Some had a tang inserted in 

 deer horn, some had pieces of 

 bone, others pieces of wood cut 

 thin and laid on both sides, riveted through. The IJ. S. ISTational Museum 

 possesses a series of the latter obtained direct from M. de Morgan which 

 is represented in the accompanying photographic plate (Plate 1). 

 The engraving on the bronze belts or cinctures of the warriors show 



Figs. 31-38, 

 PREHISTORIC IRON SPEARHEADS. 



Cemetery of Clieitan-thagh, RiissiaD Armenia. 



de Morpan, fi^. 47. 1 natural size. 



