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1884.20.19

Harpoon with a stained wood shaft and bone foreshaft. With a wedge-shaped barbed ivory head, tied with an animal hide line coiled around the shaft. [RH [OPS move] 5/9/2018]

1884.20.19

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Collection type
Object
Description
Harpoon with a stained wood shaft and bone foreshaft. With a wedge-shaped barbed ivory head, tied with an animal hide line coiled around the shaft. [RH [OPS move] 5/9/2018]
Long description
Harpoon with a stained wood shaft and bone foreshaft. The foreshaft has a wedge-shaped barbed (2 barbs on one side, 3 barbs on the other) ivory head, tied on with an animal hide line coiled around the shaft. [RH [OPS move] 5/9/2018]
Geographical reference
United States of America
Northern America > North America > United States of America
Western USA Alaska Icy Cape Point Barrow
Cultural groups
Inuit (Greenland)
Inuit
Date / Period
Date made: Possibly before 1852
Date collected
1852 - 1854
Acquisition information
Donated: 1884
Materials and processes
Material Wood Plant, Material Animal Ivory Tooth, Material Animal Bone, Material Animal Hide Skin, Process Carved, Process Bound, Process Tied
Dimensions
Length: max 1319 mm, Width: max 29 mm, Depth: max 32 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1884.20.19 PR Cat other PR nos: 877
Research and responses

In Primitive Warfare II (read Friday June 5th 1868) Pitt-Rivers describes 2 hafted projectile points collected 'from the Esquimaux, between Icy Cape and Point Barrow' which he purchased from someone who had 'bought them himself from that locality'. He illustrated these 2 objects on Plate XVIII (numbers 163 and 164), to show 'the mode of fixing [arrow-heads and spear-heads] in their shafts' (p. 419). It is possible that this object is part of the material obtained from Alaska in this purchase. [Dan Hicks 20/09/2012]

Associated publications
Lane Fox. A.H. 1868. Primitive Warfare II. Journal of the Royal United Services Institution 12 (1868): 399-439. [Dan Hicks 20/09/2012]

Search terms: Weapon, Archery Weapon, Hunting, Fishing, Harpoon, Fishing Accessory, Hunting accessory, Harpoon Arrow

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