Mammoth spear thrower

The Mammoth spear thrower in the British Museum.

The Mammoth spear thrower is a spear thrower in the form of a Mammoth, discovered at the rock shelter of Montastruc, Tarn-et-Garonne, France. It is from the late Magdalenian period and around 12,500 years old. It now forms part of the Christy Collection in the British Museum.^[1]

Features

The spear thrower was carved from a reindeer antler and depicts a Mammoth with a hole for an eye which probably held a bone or stone insert originally. The hook has been repaired after the antler from which it was carved broke. The tusks of the Mammoth appear on each side but have mostly been lost due to damage. It is about 12cm in length.^[1]

Spear throwers were first used in western Europe about 18,000 years ago and enabled hunters to launch spears with more force and speed than if they threw just by hand. It was common for them to be decorated with animal carvings.^[1]

See also

• Prehistoric art

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Spear thrower carved as a mammoth. British Museum 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2011.

Further reading

• Sieveking, Ann. A catalogue of Palaeolithic art in the British Museum. London: British Museum Publications, 1987. ISBN 071411376X

External links

• Graphic of a spear thrower in use.

This article relating to archaeology in Europe is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: European archaeology stubs Prehistoric objects in the British Museum Art of the Upper Paleolithic Hunting Ancient weapons Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР? North American donkey Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe Look at other dictionaries: spear-thrower — /spear throh euhr/, n. Anthropol. 1. a flexible device for launching a spear, usually a short cord wound around the spear so that when thrown the weapon will rotate in the air. 2. Also called atlatl. a rigid device for increasing the speed and… …   Universalium Montastruc, Tarn-et-Garonne — Montastruc …   Wikipedia native American — native American, adj. a person born in the United States. [1835 45, Amer.] * * * ▪ indigenous peoples of Canada and United States Introduction also called  American Indian,  Amerindian,  Amerind,  Indian,  Aboriginal American,  or  First Nation… …   Universalium Native American — Indian (def. 1). Usage. See Indian, Eskimo. * * * ▪ indigenous peoples of Canada and United States Introduction also called  American Indian,  Amerindian,  Amerind,  Indian,  Aboriginal A …   Universalium hand tool — any tool or implement designed for manual operation. * * * Introduction  any of the implements used by craftsmen in manual operations, such as chopping, chiseling, sawing, filing, or forging. Complementary tools, often needed as auxiliaries to… …   Universalium Stone Age — the period in the history of humankind, preceding the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, and marked by the use of stone implements and weapons: subdivided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods. [1860 65] * * * First known period of… …   Universalium Paleolithic — The Paleolithic This box: view · talk · edit ↑ before Homo (Plioc …   Wikipedia arctic — arctically, adv. /ahrk tik/ or, esp. for 7, /ahr tik/, adj. 1. (often cap.) of, pertaining to, or located at or near the North Pole: the arctic region. 2. coming from the North Pole or the arctic region: an arctic wind. 3. characteristic of the… …   Universalium Discovery of human antiquity — Contents 1 Contemporary formulations 2 Historical debates 2.1 Theological debates …   Wikipedia Clovis point — A Clovis projectile point created using bifacial percussion flaking (that is, each face is flaked on both edges alternatively with a percussor) Image courtesy of the Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources. Clovis points are the characteristically… …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”