Halberd, Spanish, supposed artifact of DeSoto expedition through Arkansas; iron head, wooden handle banded in iron; head has spear-like point on end (with broken tip), small ax blade on one side, curved hook on opposite side; accompanied by image of John Fordyce drawing of original, sent to HOSP by Dr. Anne Early, Arkansas State Archeologist, in October 2011 (original drawing in archives at University of Arkansas - Fayetteville). Curator's Notes from 8/7/2014 and 10/15/2014: Halberd has been examined by Dr. Jeffrey Michem of AAS and determined likely to be an actual weapon from the DeSoto expedition and Spanish in origin.
National Park Service Picture – Courtesy of Hot Springs National Park Archives
1 January 2007
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://npgallery.nps.gov/">NPGallery</a>