Kontarion Spear

By Crusader1307

A Spear weapon from the 10th to 13th Centuries, The Kontarion was popular with Byzantine mounted Units (such as Cataphracts). Other types of Light Cavalry used them as well. Spear tips (made of iron at first) were between 12 and 18 inches long. They were mounted on a 12 to 15 foot wooden pole (some were even longer). These were excellent stabbing and thrusting weapons that were were particularly effective when used in mass deployment. Many Spear tips have survived (but no actual wooden shafts).