Wars of the Roses: battlefield arrowheads under the microscope
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Abstract
Whilst typological studies provide a useful framework for classifying medieval arrowheads and can give some indication of dates and function, our understanding of these artefacts, produced in hundreds of thousands, relies on too few stratified and provenanced finds. Within the typologies, the value of certain types in defeating armour is far from universally accepted. Archaeometallurgical research provides an alternative insight into the quality and likely effectiveness of these weapons. Examination of arrowheads from one certain (Towton, 1461) and one putative (Holm Hill, 1471) Wars of the Roses battlefield assemblage provided a unique and unexpected insight into the manufacture of these projectiles. It shows a demand for quantity over quality, which led to new construction methods involving brazing, and suggests that the majority of troops were only poorly protected by armour. In addition the study permitted the re-evaluation of the relationship between the Holm Hill site and the battle of Tewkesbury.
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
Ascham R 1545, Toxophilus, the schole of shootinge (London, reprinted Amsterdam 1969).
Bazeley W 1903, ‘The battle of Tewkesbury, 1471’, Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society 26, 179–193.
Blyth J D 1961, ‘The battle of Tewkesbury’, Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucester Archaeological Society 80, 99–120.
Bourke P and Whetham D 2007, ‘A report on the findings of the Defence Academy warbow trials, part 1 summer 2005’, Arms and Armour 4(1), 53–81.
Bruce J 1838, Historie of the arrivall of Edward IV, in England and the finall recouerye of his kingdomes from Henry VI AD MCCCCLXXI. http://www.r3.org/on-line-library-text-essays/the-arrivall-of-edward-iv/
Cubitt R 2006, Determining the function of late medieval ferrous arrowheads, unpublished MSc dissertation, University of Bradford.
Goodchild S 2005, Tewkesbury. Eclipse of the House of Lancaster. 1471 (Barnsley).
Greenwood D 2007, Experimental dipping of carbon steel nails in molten copper-tin alloys, unpublished MSc project, University of Bradford.
Hammond P W 1990, The battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury (Gloucester).
Hannan A 1997, ‘Tewkesbury and the Earls of Gloucester: excavations at Holm Hill, 1974–5’, Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society 55, 79–231.
Jessop O 1996, ‘A new artefact typology for the study of medieval arrowheads’, Medieval Archaeology 40, 192–205.
Jones P N 1983, ‘The attack of plate armour by longbow arrows’, Château Gaillard 11, 167–168.
Morris C A 1997, ‘Iron and copper-alloy objects’, in A Hannan, ‘Tewkesbury and the Earls of Gloucester: Excavations at Holm Hill, 1974–5’, Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society 55, 152–210.
Pounds N J G 1990, The medieval castle in England and Wales: a social and political history (Cambridge).
Pratt P L 1992, ‘The arrow’, in R Hardy (ed), Longbow: a social and military history, 3rd edition (Sparkford), 226–232.
Richardson T 1997, ‘The Bridport muster roll of 1457’, Royal Armouries Yearbook 2, 46–52.
Soar H D H 2006, Secrets of the English Warbow (Yardley).
Stanley S 2006, The medieval longbow: construction and performance, unpublished lecture at 4th Fields of Conflict Conference held in Leeds.
Starley D 2000a, ‘Metallurgical analysis of medieval quarrel heads and arrowheads’, Royal Armouries Yearbook 5, 178–186.
Starley D 2000b, Royal Armouries analysis record AM1590, unpublished.
Starley D 2005, ‘What’s the point? A metallurgical insight into medieval arrowheads’, in R Bork (ed), The uses of metal in the Middle Ages. AVISTA Studies in the History of Medieval Technology, Science and Art (Aldershot), 207–218.
Starley D 2006, ‘Only skin deep: residual surface coatings on arms and armour’, in R Smith (ed), Make all sure: the conservation and restoration of arms and armour (Leeds), 1–5.
Strickland M and Hardy R 2005, The Great Warbow (Stroud).
Tylecote R F 1981, ‘The medieval smith and his methods’, in D Crossley (ed), Medieval industry (London: Council for British Archaeology Research Report 40), 19–25.
Ward Perkins J B 1940, London Museum medieval catalogue (London), 65–73.
