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Crucifixion spike


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I`m somewhat puzzled as to why these spikes would have a double head on them.
The modern use of a duplex nail or scaffold nail needs 2 heads.The first ridge or head does what a normal nail head does and that is to press the mating surfaces of both timbers in close contact to each other and keep them there.The second head is there so that you can easily extract the nail without having to use something like a "catspaw" to dig into the face of the timber and get under the head to extract.Modern manufacturing techniques make it easy to head these nails like this.
It would further complicate the relatively simple process of making a standard spike to forge that double head.Seems like it would require upsetting and then more hammer work.
Keep in mind that the folks who were on the receiving end of these were criminals and enemies of the state.Once the person had expired I don`t think the folks retrieving the spikes were worried about how much damage they did retrieving those spikes.Whatever implement was used for their retrieval was probably just hammered in just like a catspaw and the spike pulled.
I can`t imagine the state would go to the extra trouble to make double headed spikes so they wouldn`t damage the body of a person they just crucified.
Just because 1 spike has evidence of something that might be an extra ridge doesn`t mean every spike was forged that way.If there were more recovered spikes and they all had that same evidence then someone would have a case for stating that all crucifixion spikes were specially forged like that.
The nail was left in place supposedly because it hit a knot and could not be pulled out.Perhaps when they continued to drive the spike after contacting that knot an inclusion or some other fault caused this ridge to form due to internal failure.Who can say for sure?

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Hey Bill, fancy meeting you here. <grin>

About the double headed nails. If they're actually double headed and it's not a time and corrosion or deliberatly "welded" washer I couldn's say WHY use a double headed nail to crucify someone. As I think about it I'm thinking a washer, however it came to still be there maybe 2,000 years after use, is what it is.

Then again in favor of a double head would be ease of removal rather than limiting damage to the body. A double head would make it easy to use a crow foot prybar similar to a modern CROWbar. Maybe something with an end like the claw on a claw hammer and a long handle for leverage. having a head that wasn't imbeded in flesh would make it MUCH easier to get a good grip on with the bar.

At the very least it'd keep the guy removing the nails cleaner which makes me think it might be an innovation by the smith who made them provided he was allowed to salvage used ones. Seriously, you know how blacksmiths are about collecting used metal.

Frosty the Lucky

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Would say both are correct and could be under 1 of 2 reasons for the difference.

1: Could be the straight nail was first used but just not driven in all the way to ease removal. Then as time went by someone trying to always improve added the second head for the over zealous executioner who did not know when to stop.
Or
2: Could be the area, as one group could have been a bit more inventive in equipment then others if these were showing up in different places and not all in Rome.

This would be my 2 suggestions being an armature historian and student in human behaver, what do you think.
BillP

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:).......I do feel a lil fancy..........and considering I joined in '06...........I need to do some serious posting to catch up with your post count. :lol: I appreciate everyone's feedback.

I had my doubts bout the double headed nail........but as some have stated........guess it's possible. BUT the fact that the majority of the ones found DON'T have the double heads....makes me think this ones just a Modified version.....or as one said.....an upgrade at some point. No doubt it would make em easier to remove I guess.......
Have you started that embossing project yet? Hope you've quit picking on the local trees.......and aren't throwing snowballs at'em anymore. :blink:
Later Frostilio..............ta ta for now.

bill


Hey Bill, fancy meeting you here. <grin>

About the double headed nails. If they're actually double headed and it's not a time and corrosion or deliberatly "welded" washer I couldn's say WHY use a double headed nail to crucify someone. As I think about it I'm thinking a washer, however it came to still be there maybe 2,000 years after use, is what it is.

Then again in favor of a double head would be ease of removal rather than limiting damage to the body. A double head would make it easy to use a crow foot prybar similar to a modern CROWbar. Maybe something with an end like the claw on a claw hammer and a long handle for leverage. having a head that wasn't imbeded in flesh would make it MUCH easier to get a good grip on with the bar.

At the very least it'd keep the guy removing the nails cleaner which makes me think it might be an innovation by the smith who made them provided he was allowed to salvage used ones. Seriously, you know how blacksmiths are about collecting used metal.

Frosty the Lucky
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:).......I do feel a lil fancy..........and considering I joined in '06...........I need to do some serious posting to catch up with your post count. :lol: I appreciate everyone's feedback.

I had my doubts bout the double headed nail........but as some have stated........guess it's possible. BUT the fact that the majority of the ones found DON'T have the double heads....makes me think this ones just a Modified version.....or as one said.....an upgrade at some point. No doubt it would make em easier to remove I guess.......
Have you started that embossing project yet? Hope you've quit picking on the local trees.......and aren't throwing snowballs at'em anymore. :blink:
Later Frostilio..............ta ta for now.

bill


Well, I WAS just letting my imagination run there so there's nothing actual about my thinking. Heck, an over active imagination is probably why I have so many posts here.

See you round the web Bill. May your fancy be never ending,

Frostilio
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This post is very interesting. Just before December I was doing a demonstration of blacksmithing for an AWANA group and I had a Crucifixion spike, I had made just to try. When I showed the spike to the children and the leaders the reaction was very intreresting. Some were fasinated, some were horrified. One of the men in the crowd asked if I could make three of them for talks he was doing. I made the three spikes and before I gave them to him I showed them to some other people the reactions were similar to the children. When people see the spikes they start to understand., Thanks for the posts about this topic.

In HIs service,
borntoride

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I haven't been on here in a while. It's been about a month and a half since I hammered hot steel and right now we are working on a wood stove.

The larger spikes that were pictured by the gentleman who made them look very close to what I saw after short research. I think I found two websites with about a half dozen examples of spikes.

I would agree with the general opinions already posted. That the double head was probably the invention of a few smiths in a particular region and that generaly one head was used. For demos and such it might be nice to have an example of each availiable but for sale I would only offer the single head.

I got $15 a piece for mine plus shipping and don't feel like I came out bad. It kept me around or a little over my average of $20.00 an hour.

Dave

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  • 10 months later...

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