Implements for Hunting by Sea and Fishing. 



Harpoon Heads. 



In the following descriptions, the harpoon head is imagined as 

 lying on the surface which terminates at its butt end in the barb 

 or barbs; in this position the socket for the loose shaft is always 

 visible, and the line hole and grooves are usually so; it is in addition, 

 the natural resting surface of the harpoon head4 The point is imag- 

 ined turned away from the observer. 



There are altogether nineteen harpoon heads, all from the south 

 coast of Germania Land and adjacent islands; four are from Renskæret, 

 one from the east shore of Stormbugt, seven from Snenæs and seven 

 from Rypefjeldet. Two of them are, however, miniature harpoons 

 from graves. 



About half of them have a slit for a separate blade; the others 

 are made all in one piece. In two specimens (Fig. 5 and 6 a) a bone 

 blade still remains fixed in the head, fastened by a bone nail. In 

 the others, the relatively great breadth of the slit (about 2 mm.) in- 

 dicates that not even here has the blade been of metal; in no case 

 has rust been observed. The sht is always in the horizontal plane. 

 The drill has been used to produce slits and line grooves; in twelve 

 of the specimens the edges of the drilled holes are still distinctly 

 seen. (Cf. Fig. 4). 



The harpoon heads may be divided according to their form 

 into three groups: 



Type I. Broader than they are thick; the maximum breadth 

 occurring at the line hole. The line hole is drilled in the horizontal 

 plane, the line grooves being placed on the upper side. At the butt 

 end are two barbs. None of the six specimens belonging to this 

 type have blade slits. The transverse section varies in shape, being 

 rhomboid, lenticular, or usually with a convex under side and a 



^ American authors orient it in the reverse position with the barbs uppermost; 

 see Murdoch I, p. 218 and Mason I, p. 201. 



