Sir John Evans's Collections of Artefacts
Palaeolithic Antler Harpoon
Country of Origin: France
Description: Worked antler artefact forming the bottom fragment of a bi-serial barbed harpoon, probably a fishing tool.
Dimensions:
Object Period: Late Upper Palaeolithic (c. 13,000-12,000 years ago)
Provenance: La Madelaine, Dordogne, France
Museum Accession No.: AN1928.271
Aquisition History: Object from the Christy-Lartet excavations in 1863. Acquired by Evans and presented to the Ashmolean by Sir Arthur Evans in 1927.
Other Information: There is no consensus as to the purpose of the engraved lines. They may be decorative or they could have had a practical purpose. La Madeleine is important in being the type-site of the Magdalenian culture.
