Rare Ancient Roman Judean Bronze Arrowhead 4.5cm Siege of Masada Armor COA For Sale

Masterpiece Ancient Roman Legionary Bronze Arrowhead — Siege of Masada Type (4.5 cm)

Authenticity & Guarantee

• Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Judean Provincial Roman / Dead Sea Siege sphere.

Item Specifications

• Object: Cast Bronze Trilobate (Three-Vaned) Socketed Arrowhead

• Culture / Period: Roman Imperial Legionary / First Jewish-Roman War Period

• Date Range: Circa 1st Century AD (c. 66 AD – 73 AD / Siege of Masada)

• Dimensions: 4.5 cm length (Heavy Armor-Piercing Class)

• Material: Solid Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy)

• Form & Architecture: Aerodynamic lanceolate profile with three raised, sharp longitudinal vanes (trilobate) converging at a reinforced, armor-piercing tip; short circular cast socket engineered for tight hafting onto wooden reed shafts

• Condition: Exceptional, complete archaeological state. Sharp vanes, unbroken socket rim, intact piercing point, preserved under a rich sand-gold and desert-tan mineral patina with green cuprite under-layers and authentic Judean desert burial soil encrustation.

Historical Context & Siege of Masada Armor Lore

The First Jewish-Roman War & The Fall of Masada (73 AD)

Trilobate bronze arrowheads of this heavy 4.5 cm classification represent the primary long-range missile weaponry deployed by Roman auxiliary archers (sagittarii)—frequently Syrian and Arab cohorts attached to Legio X Fretensis—during the siege operations across Judea. Most famously utilized during the siege of the desert fortress of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea, these high-velocity points were engineered to breach leather armor, shield bosses, and chainmail (Ref: Yadin, Masada: Herod's Fortress and the Zealots' Last Stand, Random House, 1966; Davies, Service in the Roman Army, Edinburgh University Press, 1989).

Trilobate Aerodynamic Engineering

The three-blade geometry (trilobate) provided superior flight stability over long distances while maximizing aerodynamic entry velocity. The socketed base allowed for rapid mounting onto archer shafts, making these cast bronze heads the standard tactical weapon of Roman imperial archers across the Levantine campaigns.

Typological Analysis & Exact Classification

Exact Typological Classification

• Primary Class: Roman Imperial Socketed Trilobate Arrowhead

• Sub-Class: Heavy Lanceolate Three-Vane Armor-Piercing Type (Judean Siege / Masada Class)

Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers

• Israel Museum, Jerusalem (IAA Collection): Roman bronze trilobate arrowheads recovered from the Roman siege ramps at Masada.

• British Museum (Accession No. 1888,0512.63): Roman auxiliary bronze three-vaned arrowhead from Eastern Mediterranean campaigns.

• Ashmolean Museum (Accession No. AN1967.1142): 1st-century AD Roman socketed trilobate arrowhead from Judea.

TRN-1-5