This Roman Velite Javelin / Dart head is forged from high carbon steel. The interior diameter of the socket base is approximately 1 (2.54 cm). In Republican Rome the Velites were composed of the youngest and poorest members in the army, and though they could not afford the equipment needed to stand in the battle line of the Roman infantry, they could be of use as an specialist skirmishing screen for the main force. The Velites were primarily armed with an array of javelins or darts, a small shield and a short sword. While they could be used to harass an opposing formation, they came into their own when dealing with foes which were best dealt with by being light on the feet, loose in formation, and armed with missile weapons. An ideal force for dealing with chariots, elephants and other skirmishers. This pyramidal javelin head is in a form typical of the Velites; its pyramidal, bodkin-like head is ideal for puncturing shields and armor. It could be fitted to shorter dart-like javelins or longer, standard-length javelins.
