Harpoon

A spearlike missile with a detachable head, often consisting of a pointed shaft with backward-pointing barbs. It was often loosely hafted so that it would separate from its shaft after the point had struck its target. The appearance of this weapon is associated in particular with the Magdalenian culture, was particularly popular during the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, and was used for hunting or fishing. An attached line was used to retrieve the catch. Some anthropologists refer to all barbed bone or antler points as harpoons.

Barbed spears and harpoons appear at the close of the Palaeolithic and represent an important invention. Generally they were made of reindeer antler, cut into strips and carved with barbs. The harpoons were presumably fixed on the ends of wooden spears in such a way that they came loose after being shot into the animals but remained attached to the shafts by a line. Similar harpoons have remained in use until recent times amongst the Eskimo and other hunting peoples.