Alden Halberd. Material : Iron head with restored wooden staff.
Made in England or New England, 1600-1650.
Found in the cellar of the c1653 John Alden House, Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Halberds were staff weapons, used for cutting and stabbing. By the 1600s, they were used for ceremony. This thin-bladed decoratively-pierced halberd would not have been very useful as a weapon. Documents show that in Plymouth halberds were used largely as a sign of rank. John Alden served as Assistant Governor of Plymouth Colony.
Updated 14 July, 1998
