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An antler harpoon from the Wilga river
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Państwowe Muzeum Archeologiczne, ul. Długa 52, 00-241 Warszawa
Publication date: 2006-12-31
Wiadomości Archeologiczne 2006;LVIII(58):371-372
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ABSTRACT
In 2000, a double-edged antler harpoon was handed over to the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw. It was found in the Wilga river near the village of Trzcianka, comm. Wilga, distr. Garwolin. The double-row barbed harpoon from Wilga has 12 barbs arranged in pairs opposite one another and semi-spherical shovel-like base. The surface shows clear signs of engraving and polishing. Its total length is 19.5 cm, and it is 3.5 cm in width (Fig. 1, 2). It is most probably made of the antlers of a reindeer. The accidental character of the finding makes it difficult to determine its chronology. It seems that it should be associated with one of the communities of the Late Palaeolithic. Similar item are known from Hamburg and Ahrensburg Cultures. It cannot be excluded, however, that the harpoon is younger and comes from the Mesolithic.
REFERENCES (4)
1.
Clark, G., The Stone Age Hunters, London, 1967.
2.
Gaerte, W., Urgeschichte Ostpreussens, Königsberg, 1929.
3.
Gramsch, B., Das Mesolithikum im Flachland zwischen Elbe und Oder, Veröffentlichungen des Museums fur Ur- und Frühgeschichte Potsdam 7, Berlin, 1973, s. 31–36.
4.
Kozłowski, S. K., Z problematyki polskiego mezolitu, Cz. 4: O mezolicie Polski północno-wschodniej i terenów sąsiednich, Archeologia Polski XII, 1967, s. 219–242.