The Exceptional Story of the Kovel Spearhead, Who Made it and Where is it Today?

In 1858, a farmer plowing a field near Kovel in the old administrative unit Volhynia (what is now Ukraine), discovered an iron spearhead with an intriguing inscription and lavish ornamentation. Soon after its publication, the inscription caught academic attention – and the desire to decipher the story of this amazing artifact has only increased with passing years. The Kovel spearhead, which is now lost, is considered to be a unique relic of the time of the powerful Goths.

Describing the Kovel Spearhead

Historians believe that the Kovel spearhead dates to the early 3rd century AD. The spearhead measures 15.5 cm (6.1 inches) with a maximal length of 3 cm (1.2 inches). Both sides of the leaf were inlaid with silver symbols. The runes on the Kovel spearhead read “thither –rider” – pretty much wishing luck to someone or something that is about to travel, placing emphasis on the action to the object, as the runic inscription describes the spear’s trajectory. The spearhead is identified as Gothic because of the nominative – s, while if it were of Norse origin it should have had the nominative – z. The t and d are closer to the Latin alphabet than to the classical Elder Futhark, as it were .

The symbols on the Kovel spearhead. (Mark David)