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1886.1.722.1

Spearthrower, made from a piece of wood of plano-convex section, grooved and with an ivory peg at the distal end to engage the spear butt. [LM 16/10/2007]

1886.1.722.1

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Collection type
Object
Description
Spearthrower, made from a piece of wood of plano-convex section, grooved and with an ivory peg at the distal end to engage the spear butt. [LM 16/10/2007]
Long description
The ivory peg is inserted in a slot in the distal end of the implement, held in place with a wooden pin and a sinew binding. The proximal end of the spearthrower is carved to fit the right hand, with an angle for the thumb, a hole for the forefinger and a rest for the other fingers. The whole object has been stained with a reddish pigment. [LM 16/10/2007]
Geographical reference
United States of America
Northern America > North America > United States of America
Alaska Bering Strait Kotzebue Sound
Cultural groups
Inuit (Greenland)
Inuit
Date / Period
Date made: On or before 1826
Date collected
?On or before 1826
Acquisition information
Transferred: 11/03/1886
Materials and processes
Material Wood Plant, Material Spruce Wood Plant, Material Animal Ivory Tooth, Material Animal Sinew, Material Pigment, Process Carved, Process Grooved, Process Stained, Process Bound
Dimensions
Length: max 405 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1886.1.722.1 Other numbers: 722 352 353
Research and responses

Please note that there was no further information about Beechey on the Donor Index cards at the Ashmolean Museum, Department of Antiquities. [L.Ph 23/3/2004]

Observations provided by research visitors from Wales and Kotzebue Sound, Alaska. 23.1.2008. This object was identified as a 'throwing board', used for throwing arrows when there was insufficient space for a bow and arrow, such as on a kayak. It is made from wood, probably spruce and ivory. The arrow would be placed in the groove with the butt against the ivory peg. Throwing boards were used in hunting, particularly birds and fish. Throwing boards were not used as much in Wales as in other areas of Alaska. They were replaced by rifles, except where a lack of noise was important. This information was provided by research visitors from Wales and Kotzebue Sound, Alaska. 23.1.2008 [SM 24/01/2008]

Search terms: Weapon, Hunting, Spear-thrower, Hunting accessory