Winged object, ~ 200 - 500 AD · Alaska, Old Bering Sea II Culture · ID: 3043076
Description
bone, stained beige-brown patina, concentrical circle ornament in the centre, wings engraved with typical curvilinear patterns, stylized human face on the backside, slightly dam., base.
The so-called winged object is one of the most elaborate artistic productions of the long lived Old Bering Sea and Okvik traditions of the Bering Strait region. It was attached to the base of a harpoon, and served as a counterweight and stabilizer. The counterweight was designed to provide a stable base for the hook of a throwing board, a device that extended the throwing arc of the arm and increased the harpoons range and velocity. The harpoon is a marvel of hunting technology, and the engraving of its component parts was likely intended to enhance its efficiacy through spiritual means. Harpoons of this kind were clearly elite objects in the Old Bering Sea cultures. Those who owned them possessed special status and powers. They have been recovered, for the most part, from high-status graves in large and long-frequented burial grounds. Many of them were passed from one generation to the next, before interment.
Comparing literature
Wardwell, Allen, Ancient Eskimo Ivories of the Bering Strait, New York 1986, p. 77, ill. 84