Late Bronze Age Bronze Detachable Barbed Harpoons with Line Hole and a Spur from Hungary

Abstract

Late Bronze Age Bronze Detachable Barbed Harpoons with Line Hole and a Spur from Hungary

A study is being conducted on Eastern Central European detachable barbed harpoon heads with a spur made of bronze. These unique Late Bronze Age (Br D-Ha B1) fishing / hunting instruments were distributed in the territories of present-day Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria along the main rivers like the Danube and the Tisza. Like their antler counterparts that emerged during the Copper Age in Europe, these metal harpoon heads have fine functional analogs in the ethnographic materials of the Nunavut culture in northern Canada and Greenland, particularly of the Classic Thule cultural tradition (AD 900-1600). In Carpathian prehistory, it is very likely that these harpoons were used for big fish (carp, catfish, northern pike, beluga sturgeon, etc.) exploitation, which may have played an essential role in the local Late Bronze Age food production strategies. The study explores the function and use of metal harpoon heads, their hafting possibilities, and the importance of harpooning in the daily lives of Late Bronze Age societies in the Carpathian Basin.