Wood use in early medieval weapon production

Abstract

In this paper, the analyses of wood remains from weapons that were found in early medieval graves in Belgium are presented. In addition, a large number of wood identifications from other early medieval weaponry from northwestern Europe (Germany, France, Switzerland, and England) was collected, resulting in a dataset of more than 800 items. The analysis of this dataset shows that the selection of wood taxa for specific weapons was largely similar all over northwestern Europe during this period and this selection can be explained by the physical and technical properties of each of these wood species. For instance, common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) being the preferred wood for arrow and spear shafts and alder (Alnus sp.) for scabbards. However, some regional differences emerged from this extensive dataset, e.g., the use of holly (Ilex aquifolium) for the production of axe handles being restricted to northern Belgium and poplar/willow (Populus sp./Salix sp.) being the preferred wood for shields in the UK, while these were mostly made from alder (Alnus sp.) in continental Europe. The results demonstrate the added value of wood anatomical analysis of mineralized wood particles preserved in the corrosion layer of metal objects, and weapons in particular, from archeological contexts. Clearly, taxonomic identifications have the potential to shed more light on material culture, technological craftsmanship, and the burial ritual in early medieval societies.