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Oct 17, 2011
Oct 17, 2011
Spear Thrower
Spear Thrower
200 BC-AD 200
Bone, hematite, cotton thread, sinew
Overall: 5.8 x 2 cm (2 5/16 x 13/16 in.)
The Norweb Collection 1940.507
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Did you know?
Spear throwers, also called atlatls, use leverage to propel a spear faster and farther through the air.
Description
Spear throwers improve a spear's range and thrust. The spear was placed against the stone pivot and hurled using the thumb rest, carved as a figure with a skeletal chest, back-bent head, and a severed human head at its rear. This figure, frequent in art, is not well understood, but its appearance here suggests a connection to death. The shaft's carving makes clever use of the bone's marrow cavity.
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