Crossbow Bolt
Culture
European
Datelate 1400s
MediumSteel and wood
Dimensions39 × 0.8 cm (15 3/8 × 5/16 in.), 1 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.53.2
DescriptionRelatively light head with thin neck. Traces of wooden flights.Label TextBody armor was ultimately made obsolete by gunpowder, but already in the Middle Ages it faced a serious threat from crossbows. Like firearms, crossbows were simple “point-and-shoot” weapons that could be used by soldiers with very little training. These crossbow bolts have stout heads to help them pierce armor.ProvenanceGift of John Waldman (Amherst, MA) on March 29, 2006. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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