Hi. My first post. I recently bought a rather cheap and nasty repro medieval crossbow for battle re-enactments. The bow came without any bolts so I have recently made a number of blunts and sharps for use and display. During a bit of research I came across the following article which a friend kindly had her mum translate for me. I thought it might be of interest. The article, in German, is on this thread containing many nice crossbow related pictures http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7516
Between 1978-82 a museum for the city’s history was set up in the only surviving city gate of an original 10, the 1523-26 built Osthofentor. The museum is housed on three levels. The first level, the Guard Room, displays 13 panels with large formatted texts, photos, reproductions and graphics. They provide an overview of the over 1,000 year history of the city of Soest. At the centre of the room stand two models of the city in the scale 1:1000. They show Soest at about 1000 and 1550: At the beginning of its medieval development and at its end.
A stone spiral staircase leads up to the armoury with its 19 text and picture displays. They inform about and show the defence history. At the centre of the armoury stand a large display cabinet and two chests containing the almost 37,000 quarrels and iron arrowheads. These originate from the 14th to 16th century and have survived the centuries in the Soester Council’s armoury in the tower of St. Patrokli opposite the town hall. The display cabinet also shows a town soldier in complete gear: Cross bow, helmet, mail, sword and war hammer.
The collection numbers around 8,600 complete bolts with original Zain (?) (Oak shafts), partially with fletching of two wooden bars (?) made of willow at the back, and bolt-metal tip, and around 11,000 less well preserved ones. With an addition of 5,000 without iron heads and ca. 12,000 bolt-metals it makes it the largest collection in the world.
The city archive oversaw the setting up the Osthofentor Museum as well as the restoration and housing of the quarrels. However, out of the total stock they selected together with the Estonian historian, archaeologist and specialist Ain Mäesalu 800 pieces for scientific investigations.
This stock brought together variations and single examples, and serves as foundation for the development of a catalogue for quarrels. All variations shall be described, marked and, as far as possible, be shown in photos. The descriptions shall highlight the differences of the bolts, and offer dating. The quarrels, in particular the bolt metals, were over the centuries adapted in length, cross section and compound/configuration (?), each time in accordance with technological circumstances of the military.
Does anyone know if any analysis of the collection was ever published?
Between 1978-82 a museum for the city’s history was set up in the only surviving city gate of an original 10, the 1523-26 built Osthofentor. The museum is housed on three levels. The first level, the Guard Room, displays 13 panels with large formatted texts, photos, reproductions and graphics. They provide an overview of the over 1,000 year history of the city of Soest. At the centre of the room stand two models of the city in the scale 1:1000. They show Soest at about 1000 and 1550: At the beginning of its medieval development and at its end.
A stone spiral staircase leads up to the armoury with its 19 text and picture displays. They inform about and show the defence history. At the centre of the armoury stand a large display cabinet and two chests containing the almost 37,000 quarrels and iron arrowheads. These originate from the 14th to 16th century and have survived the centuries in the Soester Council’s armoury in the tower of St. Patrokli opposite the town hall. The display cabinet also shows a town soldier in complete gear: Cross bow, helmet, mail, sword and war hammer.
The collection numbers around 8,600 complete bolts with original Zain (?) (Oak shafts), partially with fletching of two wooden bars (?) made of willow at the back, and bolt-metal tip, and around 11,000 less well preserved ones. With an addition of 5,000 without iron heads and ca. 12,000 bolt-metals it makes it the largest collection in the world.
The city archive oversaw the setting up the Osthofentor Museum as well as the restoration and housing of the quarrels. However, out of the total stock they selected together with the Estonian historian, archaeologist and specialist Ain Mäesalu 800 pieces for scientific investigations.
This stock brought together variations and single examples, and serves as foundation for the development of a catalogue for quarrels. All variations shall be described, marked and, as far as possible, be shown in photos. The descriptions shall highlight the differences of the bolts, and offer dating. The quarrels, in particular the bolt metals, were over the centuries adapted in length, cross section and compound/configuration (?), each time in accordance with technological circumstances of the military.
Does anyone know if any analysis of the collection was ever published?