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Original
| Found: Sleenerzand, Drenthe
Age: Middle bronzeage Inside a burrial mound, a palstave, spiral bracelet, a group of arrowheads and two coils of gold wire were found. This is a very rich find for this period especially because of the large amount of bronze arrowheads and gold coils. It's my goal to reproduce this complete group of finds eventually. |
Mould
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Material: clay & sand
The mould is made from clay tempered with sand and baked. |
Casting result
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These arrowheads I've attempted to cast several times. Because they're so small, it makes it particularly difficult. The original arrowheads are less then 1 mm thick, which is impossible to cast. So I've decided to cast them thicker, and then thinning them by hammering. |
Finished arrowheads
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The arrowheads are hammered thin to harden the metal. This caused some cracks, so I couldn't go as far as I intended. These cracks mostly occured at irregularities in the metal. The arrowhead on the right was missing one of the hooks, so by grinding I made a new one. The arrowheads are further ground on sandstone, and polished using a smooth stone. |
Casting result 2
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With three moulds, each for three arrowheads, the production goes quickly. With the last castings, I've got 6 full arrowheads, and 2 not complete but still usable. That brings me quite a lot closer to the 14 as found in the grave at Sleenerzand. |
Completed set of arrowheads
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Eventually I've managed to cast a total of 15 arrowheads. All have been hammered, sharpened and polished, which took an average of 2 to 3 hours per arrowhead. But that's just the beginning. Now I have to make the complete arrows, quiver and bow. But that's work for later! |