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Arrowhead Proto-Money, Greek, Black Sea Region. Includes: Leaf-shaped, trefoil and triangular cast ‘arrowheads’ of varying length. The Milesian colonies of Olbia, Borysthenes, Istros, Odessos, and Apollonia, founded on the western Black sea coast in the 7th century BC, were once the central points of exchange and trade between the Greeks and local Scythian and Thracian populations. This exchange prompted the introduction of pre-monetary items: the ubiquitous ‘dolphins’ and the scarcer ‘arrowheads’ and ‘wheel-coins’, all cast in copper. These pieces remained in circulation in the west Pontic area for about two centuries, until being finally replaced by struck coinage. Recent publications of finds from South Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania limited the circulation area of these proto-monies to the narrow coastal strip along the western/north-western shores of the Black sea. Some scholars suggested the ‘arrowheads’ were produced there since Apollo, with his bow and arrows, was the main deity who supervised the colonies of Miletus. As a god of archery, Apollo was well known with epithets as Aphetoros (“god of the bow”) and Argurotoxos (“with the silver bow”): image by CNG, 5 January 2009
just a piece of stone
crafted
arrowhead
out of the
creek bottoms
no money in
finding them
but a disabled
patient
with cervical
and lumbar disc disease
loved the search
it reminded him
I think
of when he was young
and straight
and could almost
fly
chronic pain
rebirth
in the harder
leaner
simpler
past
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