Projectile point · Iron Age
Scythian trilobate arrowhead
700–200 BCE, Scythian
The Scythian trilobate arrowhead is the small cast bronze socketed arrowhead with three blades used by steppe archers and their neighbours from about 700 to 200 BCE, found from the Black Sea to Persia and Greece. Cast in bulk in stone moulds, they armed the composite bow. Hoards and quivers with hundreds are known.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 700–200 BCE |
| Period | Iron Age |
| Cultures | Scythian |
| Regions | Central Asia & Steppe, Near East & Mesopotamia |
Diagnostic traits
Small cast bronze arrowhead with three blades and a socket, sometimes with a barb or spur; cast in bulk for composite bows.
Identification
Three blades and a socket, sometimes with a barb or spur, distinguish it from two-bladed and tanged arrowheads; Scythian types are smaller than Persian ones and have sharper blades. Some carry tamga-like marks. Length is 2 to 4 cm.
Reproductions and fakes
Cast in modern moulds by the thousand with green paint patina; genuine examples have a hard layered patina and casting flash filed off. Bulk lots mix ancient and modern.
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Scythian trilobate arrowhead" (Artifact type). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/types/scythian-trilobate-arrowhead. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-scythian-trilobate-arrowhead,
title = {Scythian trilobate arrowhead},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/types/scythian-trilobate-arrowhead}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.