Oceanic wooden spears for comment

colin henshaw · 5th May 2009, 05:37 PM

Many thanks Tim and fearn.

I saw some excerpts from "Dead Birds" on YouTube...fascinating to see such stone-age weapons in actual use by native warriors, virtually without influence from Western culture. It seems warfare in New Guinea at least, was about display, sport/recreation and male posturing and that the number of fatalities were slight. This would go some way to explain why weeks of work could be expended in making a weapon that could be broken or lost to the enemy in one throw. Although Highland New Guinea spears tended to be plainer than my examples.

However, it must be said that Fijian natives in the 19th century and before, who also had intricate wooden spears, would massacre (and eat) large numbers of the enemy, including non-combatants.

Here are images of grasswork detail on another Solomons Island (Santa Cruz ?) spear I have, for interest.

Regards

5th May 2009, 05:37 PM	#4
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,429	Many thanks Tim and fearn. I saw some excerpts from "Dead Birds" on YouTube...fascinating to see such stone-age weapons in actual use by native warriors, virtually without influence from Western culture. It seems warfare in New Guinea at least, was about display, sport/recreation and male posturing and that the number of fatalities were slight. This would go some way to explain why weeks of work could be expended in making a weapon that could be broken or lost to the enemy in one throw. Although Highland New Guinea spears tended to be plainer than my examples. However, it must be said that Fijian natives in the 19th century and before, who also had intricate wooden spears, would massacre (and eat) large numbers of the enemy, including non-combatants. Here are images of grasswork detail on another Solomons Island (Santa Cruz ?) spear I have, for interest. Regards Attached Images