Harpoon

Harpoon heads from between 15000 and 12000 BP

Inuit hunter with harpoon in kayak, Hudson Bay, circa 1908-1914

A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It does this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal. A harpoon can also be used as a weapon.

Typically, a harpoon for fishing has backwards-pointing barbs which stop the fish getting free.

Harpoon Media

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  Unaaq ᐅᓈᖅ, a harpoon used by Inuit, 172 cm (68 in; 5.64 ft) long, MHNT

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  Epipaleolithic Azilian Le Mas-d'Azil, Ariège, France

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  "Manner in which Natives of the East Coast strike turtle." Near Cooktown, Australia. From Phillip Parker King's Survey. 1818.

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  Harpoons used in the whale fishery, 1887, including new design from Provincetown whalemen

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  Harpoon mounted on a whaling boat in Alaska, c. 1915

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  Whaling harpoon