Tag Archives: Viking weapon

Iron spearhead with silver and copper decoration Viking, late 9th-10th century AD   London, England found in the River Thames in 1848. The blade is slender and tapering, with a long socket. The socket is completely covered with rings of twisted silver, and copper wires are inlaid into the iron surface in a herring-bone pattern. This decoration is typical of the craftsmanship of the Viking smiths in Norway. One substantial rivet attached the spear head to a long wooden shaft, making an effective weapon for both hunting and fighting.   © Trustees of the British Museum