Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

NE Bone Harpoon

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • NE Bone Harpoon

    I wish that I could say that I found this harpoon head, but I didn't. My daughter's friend found it about two years ago, tumbling around in the surf on one of the Cape's islands. It is about 7.5" long and in very good condition. Not sure if it's made of bone or antler, but to have survived is amazing. It must have just eroded out of a shell midden.

    Click image for larger version

Name:	bone harpoon c.jpg - 1.jpg
Views:	375
Size:	169.0 KB
ID:	353869 Click image for larger version

Name:	bone harpoon b.jpg - 1.jpg
Views:	381
Size:	121.4 KB
ID:	353870 Click image for larger version

Name:	bone harpoon a.jpg - 1.jpg
Views:	250
Size:	123.8 KB
ID:	353871
    Last edited by clambellies; 03-01-2019, 10:13 AM.

  • #2
    Yeah, I've seen that, in a photo, at the time of discovery. It is an amazing thing to find. Thanks for posting, Alan...

    Hope you don't mind me adding this photo for some human scale, Alan.

    Click image for larger version

Name:	5ACA4657-3BCA-4913-8107-CE76F1322FCF-3501-000002736354CE55.png
Views:	194
Size:	871.2 KB
ID:	353873



    Last edited by CMD; 03-01-2019, 10:20 AM.
    Rhode Island

    Comment


    • clambellies
      clambellies commented
      Editing a comment
      Not at all. I should have thought of that.

  • #3
    Whoa! I am currently packing my bags! I'll be up in ten minutes!

    That is awesome! I didn't know they could be found like that.
    "The education of a man is never completed until he dies." Robert E. Lee

    Comment


    • clambellies
      clambellies commented
      Editing a comment
      They are really rare. The find of a lifetime!

  • #4
    What animal did that come from? That sounds like a cool project for me to replicate it.
    "The education of a man is never completed until he dies." Robert E. Lee

    Comment


    • clambellies
      clambellies commented
      Editing a comment
      I don't know enough about bone, it could be marine mammal, or even deer antler.

    • Kentucky point
      Kentucky point commented
      Editing a comment
      Just using a hacksaw to saw a deer antler in half is slow. Could you imagine doing it with stone!? I would put that in the top finds of all that I have seen so far.

  • #5
    The artifact is remarkable, to say the least. Harpoons are found in Alaska and other regions, from time to time. Most are made of ivory, that might help explain it not being deteriorated or prehaps not. TY for the display ......JJ
    Lubbock County Tx

    Comment


    • #6
      Hey Alan, Thanks for posting pictures of the bone harpoon. That's an awesome artifact. If possible I would like to see a picture of the other side.
      Michigan Yooper
      If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything

      Comment


      • #7
        That's cool
        SW Connecticut

        Comment


        • #8
          An amazing artifact. Thanks for sharing
          South Dakota

          Comment


          • #9
            Way cool!
            Searching the fields of NW Indiana and SW Michigan

            Comment


            • #10
              Here is some stuff I have accumulated over the years, none of these are personal finds but part of a collection I purchased from an 80 year old friend of mine. They were recovered from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. I think they are all awesome, but none of them are the size of the piece you have. The frames they are in are 12" X 8" to give you size reference. Click image for larger version

Name:	alaska artifacts.jpg
Views:	188
Size:	105.0 KB
ID:	353965 Click image for larger version

Name:	alaska toggles and spears.jpg
Views:	183
Size:	130.5 KB
ID:	353966

              Comment


              • clambellies
                clambellies commented
                Editing a comment
                Amazing collection!

            • #11
              I would rather have that mammoth piece you have. That piece is awesome!!! I believe the majority of the artifacts in my frame are ivory with the exception of the smaller toggle in the 2nd pic. It looks to be bone as it shows more wear than the other pieces. Any input on these would be appreciated as well. _ Bill

              Comment


              • #12
                Originally posted by Ron Kelley View Post
                Hey Alan, Thanks for posting pictures of the bone harpoon. That's an awesome artifact. If possible I would like to see a picture of the other side.
                If I get a chance to see it again I'll photograph both sides.

                Comment


                • #13
                  Very nice implements in this thread thank you for starting the thread Alan and Thanks to all for adding all those cool bone and antler artifacts. It boggles the mind really. I wonder how many points and knives were made of Bone or wood but never survived the acidic soil. I maen the enregy it would take to rub a bone to a point probably compares to flaking flint. Primitive hunters had plentiful resources in bone wood and antler . It would just take some time and sand stone to make any number of cool items.
                  TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

                  Comment


                  • clambellies
                    clambellies commented
                    Editing a comment
                    We sometimes forget that stone points were probably just a small percentage of the implements that the N/A's had. Wood, bone, ivory, antler, shell, feathers, hides......if only they survived.

                • #14
                  That is pretty cool. Wonder how big of a fish it could handle/take.....

                  Comment


                  • #15
                    Originally posted by sarahsue View Post
                    That is pretty cool. Wonder how big of a fish it could handle/take.....
                    Big fish but I'm sure marine mammals were on the menu also.

                    Comment


                    • sarahsue
                      sarahsue commented
                      Editing a comment
                      That ivory is some tough material. Finding them from the NW to the NE tells quite a story of the NA occupation, and technology traveling from coast to coast.. Thanks for posting this find.
                  Working...
                  X