Here is another spearhead from Ethiopia. This piece has an unusual bident configuration, with paired willow-leaf shaped points diverging from a shared base. Otherwise, it shares many characteristics with the more conventional spear I described in my last post. Both spears are decorated with a checkerboard design of alternating sections of bare metal and oxide. The top and bottom of the socket is decorated with a band of bare metal, as is what I guess would be the ricasso? This point has the same long socket and willow-leaf shaped blade (blades, in this case). The twin blades have strong midribs with concave areas left coated with dark-colored oxide.
This spear has no functional value (I'm sure you could find a utilitarian use for a forked spear, but this particular piece is too light and not well-designed for hunting or martial use.) This spear, too, may be more of a cultural item. There's always a temptation to label an unusual item a "ceremonial" piece (read: "I don't know what this is"). This one might actually have some symbolic value: I doubt I still have the PDF, but I once read a paper by a Swedish author describing various bident spears from Africa, all of which had symbolic value.
Like the other Ethiopian point, this is not particularly well-made, but appears to be at first glance. Overall, the shape is trim and elegant. Although the points are needle-sharp, the edges are blunted, which generally indicates a tourist-art origin. A small bit of sprue is left in the area between the prongs. Would have been used with a6-7' hardwood or possibly bamboo shaft. I hope to pair this with a cane shaft in the near future. There's a small, 1/8" hole (neatly drilled) near the base of the ferrule for a pin. Another interesting feature shared by both spears is a neat "hem" of sorts at the base of the ferrule. Instead of ending in a ragged or chisel-cut edge, the material is turned on itself for about 1/4". Makes for a neat, tidy appearance.
Length (overall): About 15".
Length (blades/points): About 7 1/4".
Length (other dimensions): Socket is about 5 1/4".
Width at widest point (blade/point): About 2" across the prongs at the widest point.
Width (other dimensions): Base of points (ricasso?) about 1".
Materials: A lightweight piece of steel. Object has a dirty, dusty appearance (would benefit from a light cleaning). The steel is not high-quality and was probably recycled from scrap materials. The ferrule or socket is long, with an opening slightly less than 1".
I remember seeing a similar spear on display at the Houston Museum of Natural History's Lucy exhibit several years ago. A conventional and bident spear were on display, which leads me to believe they were acquired together. The patchwork design seems diagnostic for Ethiopian spearheads, although it's probably found on Somali points as well. I've passed up opportunities to obtain Ethiopian arrows, quivers, etc (were not particularly high quality). This is the last of the Ethiopian items I'll be describing.
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