Greenland, Western Coast, Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Thule / Inuit culture, ca. 18th to 19th century CE. A head to a harpoon or spear shaft, comprised of a bone from a legbone from a muskox or caribou, the end tipped by an iron blade. The Saqqaq people first inhabited Sisimiut Greenland, the area where this piece was purportedly found, around 2500 BCE. The Saqqaq culture were followed by the Dorset, and then the Thule, whom the present-day Inuit people are descended from. The Dorset and Thule people had access to iron from a massive meteorite, using pieces for tools by cold-forging techniques (hammering with stones). The Dutch and Danish established colonies and whaling posts around Sisimiut in the mid-1700s. The brass rivets in this harpoon head indicate this was probably made after contact with the Europeans. Size: 12.125" L x 1.25" W (30.8 cm x 3.2 cm)

Provenance: private Glorieta, New Mexico, USA collection

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#160920

Stable fissures to both sides of bone. Heavy patina to iron tip. Surface abrasions and wear. but intact and very good. Old find site label on handle.