Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Two interesting wooden spears...from where??

colin henshaw · 5th November 2012, 01:35 PM

Thanks for the further images. However, I cannot really identify this piece - Australian Aboriginal spears I have seen are of a close-grained wood, not like this example which looks like teak ? with that pronounced stringy grain.

I'm puzzled by the scorching to the barbed head, which look as if done by a metal implement. Its true that Australian Aborigines used flat wooden tool/weapon surfaces for making fire, but I doubt if this is the case here. Also there seem to be vice and file ? marks to the wood, which is odd. The point does appear a bit blunt to make an effective weapon.

So, unfortunately I cannot say what this is with any certainty - maybe other forumites have some ideas...

Regards.

5th November 2012, 01:35 PM	#10
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Thanks for the further images. However, I cannot really identify this piece - Australian Aboriginal spears I have seen are of a close-grained wood, not like this example which looks like teak ? with that pronounced stringy grain. I'm puzzled by the scorching to the barbed head, which look as if done by a metal implement. Its true that Australian Aborigines used flat wooden tool/weapon surfaces for making fire, but I doubt if this is the case here. Also there seem to be vice and file ? marks to the wood, which is odd. The point does appear a bit blunt to make an effective weapon. So, unfortunately I cannot say what this is with any certainty - maybe other forumites have some ideas... Regards.