SUDANESE (MAHDIST) HAND LANCE C.1885-98

49 ½” length with medially ridged barbed point on long bolster and opened seam socket, secured with a pin. Lineally scored hardwood haft, the butt splintered. Varying from the Dervish weapons of the Mahdi’s inner circle, and possibly Dinka. The Mahdist armies included warriors from widely diverse cultural groups, united in their resistance to Egyptian (colonial English) rule and by their Islamic faith. A British soldier war trophy, possibly broken short to facilitate shipping back to England.