Unusual asymetrical Igarot spear head

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by fearn

Gotta point out, Miguel and VVV, that both of you have pictures that resemble these spearheads. In Miguel's post, it's on the extreme right, top picture, and in VVV's post, it's #7 and #8.

Yep, upon closer look it's there all right in the pic I posted. Thanks, Fearn!

Actually in Michael's pic, even #10 is asymmetrical.

Originally Posted by David

Miguel, i could be wrong, but i don't suspect that this spear was designed for combat. More likely fishing or some other sort of hunting.
Whaling harpoons were often asymmetrical and they flew just fine when thrown.

Thanks David for the pic of the harpoons Haven't seen any of those before, so it's quite interesting for me to see the various types.

Looks then that the asymmetrical spearhead can indeed be a hunting spear. To validate the point, perhaps Nonoy can give us more info as to the type of game Igorots used to hunt?

I also googled "asymmetric spearhead" and a quote from the book Arrowpoints, Spearheads, and Knives of Prehistoric Times (2007) appears below.

So in summary, the authors are surmising that the primitive asymmetrical spearhead or arrowhead they are looking at must have functioned more as knives. Their rationale is found on the 2nd sentence in the last paragraph, per image below.

So back to the asymmetrical Igorot spearheads, is it possible then that the Igorots must have also used the asymmetric spearheads not for throwing, but more say as a halberd? I mean if the spearhead is heavier on one side, wouldn't that give the spear more stability during thrusts in close combat (i.e., in the sense that the spear's shaft will tend not to roll inside one's hands)?

That's pure speculation on my part though. But the next time I go to Baguio City which is deep in the heart of Igorot country, I'll look for oldtimers and ask what's the point ... Battara, here we go again!