Amutat

IdentifierSJ-II-Q-7

MaterialWood/Plant material;Animal materials;Feather;Sinew

Dimensions Length: 32.25 in.

AgeUnknown

TraditionsAlutiiq

ProvenanceComposite harpoon arrow consisting of a bone foreshaft joined to a wooden shaft terminating in a raised carved nock. The wooden shaft is painted (?) a dark red-brown and tapers toward the three feather fletching. The joinery of the shaft and foreshaft is covered with paper (?) and held in place with fine 2-ply sinew thread as is the shaft is covered with paper (?) and held in place with fine 2-ply sinew thread as is the fletching. This join and the area under the fletching is painted red. The sinew line is done in a flat 3-strand braid. The harpoon head is missing. There is a wrapping of split spruce root approximately one third of the way down the shaft which is further randomly wrapped with 2-ply sinew thread. There appears to be a glue applied (whether aboriginal or not is unknown). The use of this wrapping is unknown. The nock bulges from the end of the shaft and is damaged. The sinew wrapping on the fletching nearest the nock has been partially over wrapped with thread. ery similar arrows are listing as Koniag sea otter hunting harpoon arrows. For this reason the arrow was catalogued under Kodiak.