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Ancient Roman Bronze Trilobite / Three-Bladed Arrowhead (36mm — c. 1st Century BC – 3rd Century AD)
Authenticity & Guarantee
Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions
Object: Cast Bronze Trilobite / Three-Bladed Socketed Projectile Point
Culture / Period: Ancient Roman Imperial Era / Levantine Auxiliary Garrison
Date Range: Circa 1st Century BC – 3rd Century AD (c. 100 BC – 300 AD)
Length: 36 mm (3.6 cm)
Material: Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy)
Form & Architecture: Aerodynamic three-sided (trilobite) ribbed profile engineered with three sharp cutting vanes converging at a reinforced armor-piercing point, ending in a cylindrical socket base for shaft mounting; heavy military construction designed for long-range warfare
Condition: Exceptional, complete ancient condition as an excavated military artifact. Sharp vane contours, solid intact tip and socket, preserved under an authentic thick pale creamy-tan desert burial encrustation with rich green malachite patina beneath. Free of modern restoration or tooling.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT & TYPOLOGICAL LORE
Roman Levantine Garrisons & Auxiliary Archery
Across the eastern frontier (Limes Arabicus and Judaean garrisons) during the Roman Republic and Imperial era, auxiliary archery cohorts (sagittarii) played a critical role in military campaigns. Specialized archers recruited from Levantine, Syrian, and Cretan units relied on heavy bronze three-bladed arrowheads capable of delivering high-velocity penetrative fire during siege operations and open battlefield engagements.
Trilobite Vane Mechanics & Aerodynamics
The three-vaned (trilobite) design offered superior aerodynamic stability in flight compared to flat two-edged blades. Structurally reinforced along three central ridges, the sharp point was engineered to pierce padded linen, leather cuirasses, and chainmail armor while creating a wider wound channel that prevented easy extraction by enemy field surgeons on the battlefield.
Typological Analysis & Exact Classification
Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers
British Museum (Accession No. 1888,0512.65): Roman Imperial bronze three-vaned socketed arrowhead from Levantine garrisons.
Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA Collection, Masada & Judaean Siege Layers): Roman trilobite bronze arrowheads recovered from 1st-century military encampments.
Louvre Museum (Inv. No. AO 22350): Eastern Roman provincial bronze socketed projectile point with three aerodynamic vanes.
TRN1-7
