Luristan bronze spearhead, Circa 1200-800 BC

The piece features a leaf-shaped blade with rounded shoulders that taper gradually towards the tip. Running along the entire central axis of the blade is a pronounced mid-rib, designed to provide structural rigidity and penetrating power to the weapon. The lower part forms a long tang with a rectangular or square cross-section. The end of the tang terminates in a characteristic hook or curved tip. This morphology, technically known as a ‘rat-tail tang’, was an ingenious mounting solution: the tang was inserted into the wooden shaft and the curved tip was bent over the outside or secured to prevent the spear from coming loose or the wood from splitting on impact. At the base of the blade, just before the tang, there is a small ridge or guard that sometimes mimics the design of the rope ties originally used to secure the weapon to the pole.