I'd go meet Socrates and Aristotle, and document exactly how hoplites held their freaking spears and...
AW NO, I'M A HISTORY NERD. HALP.
... I don't wanna be a history professor.
Have you thought about anthropology, specially cultural anthropology?
Thus continuing the circle of "why bother"
Depends on what the spear was used for. Like, hoplites held the spear by the waist/hip for more control but to sacrifice power, and over-shoulder for less control but for more striking power.
I'm aware that this is the guess made by legitimate historians- but it's still a guess, seeing as how the only place we can glean information about it from is urns. And the ancient Greek sense of art was not great. So while it made a great appeasement answer for the two hordes of history professors about to murder each other with doru held in various positions, I'd rather just look at an actual battalion and know.
...Wherein we lack actual battalions.
But in all those guesses-the notion of practicality still holds. Let's simulate a real, live battle and check which is more effic-
Ah great, technology hasn't gotten that far yet, has it?
Though this one thing I'm happy about, part-time history student! <3
I still wonder if that depends on the type of formation used.
Also on the pottery? I blame time. They did just as good as they did with curved edges that best depicted the scenes...not saying they lacked a structured formality until several widespread techniques happened later on.
Happy: Friend gave me a gift. That's it. Just a gift.