Archaeologica.org

When simple harpoons were used to hunt whales, for example, the whale was normally killed with a special long lance that they used to spear the lungs or heart.

so would you use a trident to hunt a whale ?
what would be the result of that if you did ?

No, harpoons for whales. They are big and you need the penetration to get to the lungs and hart.

Tridents were more symbolic than practical. Any fish over 4 or 5 foot long would need the penetration of a harpoon with it's single blade.

Your mental processes some times baffle me Steve, you jump from A to D missing out B & C. As I appear to know more about fishing and hunting than you I would not be making any such suggestion. Sorry.

we're not talking modern whaling here are we
we're talking about a time when an ancient vessel was not capable of bringing a dead whale ashore and when the technology to kill a whale outright with a fired harpoon was millenia away
so my question still stands
what would happen if you attacked a whale with a harpoon
what would it do ?
what do injured whales generally do ?
ah i've said too much
I'll shut up now

Good move Marduk because the ancient methods you mention are still in use today, open boats, harpoon to hold the Whale, lance to kill it.

what do distressed whales do Roy
they don't stay close to the boat do they
they move somewhere else more sandy ?
where is that

Yeah, like the flying one in the second photo. Thats what I've seen.

So maybe pioneer stuff, figuring it's straight up iron? Maybe for hauling up big ol' catfish.

Extrapolating the curvature, it would be about 3.5" wide when complete, assuming it's the remnants of a gaff.

Instead of round, the circumference is hexagonal, which tells me it's at least not real modern.

Not if they've just had their heart and lungs torn apart by a lance they don't!

http://cayman.globat.com/~bandstexas.co ... %20154.jpg

Hypothesized broken end of piece.

I can see the piece as being snapped off cleanly as well as seeing it as just snapping off at a weld. The angle for matching up to a center bar is right, at first glance. Also, it just may have snapped at that angle, by chance.

I appreciate you guys debating this. This is how truth is derived.

Really, I appreciate it. Many different viewpoints, which is a damn good thing in my book.

I'm investigating away also.

Here's all the angles pulled together again, for ease of reference:



http://cayman.globat.com/~bandstexas.co ... %20148.jpg

Magnetic Iron Piece- 4.5"- Lima-Igl



http://cayman.globat.com/~bandstexas.co ... %20149.jpg

Magnetic Iron Piece- 4.5"- Lima-Igl- Another View



http://cayman.globat.com/~bandstexas.co ... %20150.jpg

Magnetic Iron Piece- 4.5"- Lima-Igl- Another View



http://cayman.globat.com/~bandstexas.co ... %20154.jpg

Magnetic Iron Piece- 4.5"- Lima-Igl- Another View

so tell me Charlie
how far is the site you are excavating from any coastline ?

Charley, this is just an idea. Did your people ever use Oxen as opposed to horses? That MIGHT just be the one half of an Ox shoe.

so tell me Charlie
how far is the site you are excavating from any coastline ?

175 nm, currently. Some geologists speculate during the last glacial meltdown, the sealevel bumped right up against the Balcones Faultline. The site I'm investigating, in the scenario just described, would have been right on the coastline. Speaking of, I've got a strange bone I need to post. I'll be working on that.

Charley, this is just an idea. Did your people ever use Oxen as opposed to horses? That MIGHT just be the one half of an Ox shoe.

I'm sure the early settlers (historic) would have used any strong animal.
The hexagonal circumference wouldn't make sense, I don't think?
I would expect a flattened circumference, though I'm not familiar with ox shoeing, Dig.