Old Rhino horn Spear head!

[spiral]

Last month this recently discovered piece was displayed in Russia.

The Wooly rhino spear tip is almost 90cm in length and seemingly still sharp enough to kill, was found on the island of Bolshoy Lyakhovsky, off the northern coast of Siberia.

Previously, woolly rhinoceros horn has been seen as a component in the construction of ancient spears in Siberia, for example in the coupling of a stone tip to the shaft.

Full article from The Siberian times...
Linky.... (http://siberiantimes.com/science/others/features/13300-year-old-spear-made-of-woolly-rhinoceros-horn-found-on-arctic-island/)

Spiral


http://siberiantimes.com/upload/information_system_38/1/6/5/item_1655/information_items_1655.jpg



http://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/SCIENCE/Rhinoceros-spare-Yakutia/inside_rhino_spear_full_lenght.jpg



http://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/SCIENCE/Rhinoceros-spare-Yakutia/inside_putin_looks_at_the_spear.jpg

[Sajen]

Thank you for posting, very interesting! :)

Putin look very bored! :D

[spiral]

Thank You, I thought so to....But indeed Putin on the other hand,
looks as if to say :shrug:

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[colin henshaw]

Very interesting, thanks for posting. Never heard of rhino horn having been used as a spear tip before, either in ancient or modern times, but it makes sense. Antelope horn has been used for this purpose in Southern Sudan, well into the 20th century, also giraffe bone.

[ariel]

Putin look very bored! :D

Not bored: depressed.
This oosik is bigger than his....

[David]

Not bored: depressed.
This oosik is bigger than his....
This is an oosik? I thought it was made from the rhino's horn? :confused:

[spiral]

Thanks Collin , I didn't know that, any photos of such types?


I think Ariel meant horn not ossik! :D

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[kronckew]

i think he meant exactly what he said :D

[spiral]

Im sure! There one & the same after all! ;) :D

[David]

Im sure! There one & the same after all! ;) :D
Haha! That would be interesting… ;) :D

[LJ]

The Pitt Rivers Museum websitte on Southern Sudan has photos of some of the nilotic spears with horn tips.

One extra thought. How do we know it is a spear head? Some Australian waddies are similar in size and shape, even having pointed ends. Then there are digging sticks, walking sticks, 'batons de commandment' ... Is there an indication that it was fitted onto a shaft ?

[VANDOO]

THE WOOLLY RHINO HORN WAS WIDER AND FLATTER THAN TODAY'S RHINO HORNS AND IT IS LIKELY THE ANIMAL USED IT TO DIG AWAY SNOW SO IT COULD GET TO THE GRASS. GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE HORNS IT IS LIKELY MORE THAN ONE SLIVER SUCH AS WE SEE COULD HAVE BEEN MADE FROM ONE HORN. SO PERHAPS THEY WILL FIND MORE AND BE ABLE TO MAKE A BETTER GUESS AT ITS USE HUNTING OR CEREMONIAL. THE INFORMATION LEAVES OUT MUCH, SUCH AS WAS IT FOUND IN A GRAVE OR IN A PIT WITH OTHER OBJECTS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHLY VALUED BY THE TRIBES. A COOL ITEM AND IT IS GOOD THAT MR. PUTIN SHOWS AN INTEREST IN SUCH THINGS GIVEN HIS CURRENT JOB MANY WOULD NOT OSSIK OR NOT :D

[spiral]

The Pitt Rivers Museum websitte on Southern Sudan has photos of some of the nilotic spears with horn tips.

One extra thought. How do we know it is a spear head? Some Australian waddies are similar in size and shape, even having pointed ends. Then there are digging sticks, walking sticks, 'batons de commandment' ... Is there an indication that it was fitted onto a shaft ?


Ahh Thank you! Any links to those items?

I don't "know" my source was just a Siberian newspaper... :shrug:

Hopefully Mr. Semyon Grigoryev, The Director of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum at the Northeastern Federal University is used to the subject matter & it has been examined with an electron microscope etc. for wear analysis .etc? To date I've found wear analysis great for the thousands of Mesolithic tools Ive found.


I sincerely hope no one even in Siberia thought rhino horn was best used for digging sticks!:D after all there plenty of birch,juniper, spruce & larch around.. & I guess in those days antlers & bones of any size...

But if you really interested google just Semyon Grigoryev, he seems like an informed chap to me. ;) But I would welcome more info myself... perhaps you could send him an email perhaps? It would be interesting for more news, perhaps he will share the studies?

That would be good...

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[spiral]

THE WOOLLY RHINO HORN WAS WIDER AND FLATTER THAN TODAY'S RHINO HORNS AND IT IS LIKELY THE ANIMAL USED IT TO DIG AWAY SNOW SO IT COULD GET TO THE GRASS. GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE HORNS IT IS LIKELY MORE THAN ONE SLIVER SUCH AS WE SEE COULD HAVE BEEN MADE FROM ONE HORN. SO PERHAPS THEY WILL FIND MORE AND BE ABLE TO MAKE A BETTER GUESS AT ITS USE HUNTING OR CEREMONIAL. THE INFORMATION LEAVES OUT MUCH, SUCH AS WAS IT FOUND IN A GRAVE OR IN A PIT WITH OTHER OBJECTS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHLY VALUED BY THE TRIBES. A COOL ITEM AND IT IS GOOD THAT MR. PUTIN SHOWS AN INTEREST IN SUCH THINGS GIVEN HIS CURRENT JOB MANY WOULD NOT OSSIK OR NOT :D


Indeed Vandoo, I think its a dig their taking seriously & hopefully more finds & evidence will be shown in future.

spiral