A carved toggling harpoon head made from bone or antler, likely made by the Inupiat people of Alaska. The object is elongated with a bifurcated pointed tip. There is a hole drilled at about the halfway point to string rope through and the end of the point is sloping and pointed on one side with a large opening bored out from the end to accommodate the harpoon handle. A section near the base has been chipped away and the object is quite smooth with a dark patina from use.
- Catalog Number:
- 401092
- Object/Specimen Description:
- Specimen Count:
- 1
- Culture/Ethnicity:
- Inupiat
- Locality:
- US-Alaska
- Collecting Locality:
- North America, United States, Alaska
Baule woodcarvers at work, Yagolikro village, Ivory Coast
Photograph by Eliot Elisofon, 1972. Image no. EEPA EECL 6900. Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution
Humans have always manipulated their environment, whether by acquiring food, making and using tools, or other aspects of daily life. They are constantly interacting with their environment on a daily basis. By using the available materials, humans have created shelter, made tools, created containers and vessels, and produced items of personal and cultural significance. Many of these resources are naturally occurring, such as stones, minerals, animal bones, or organic fibers from plants, while others are made from combining materials. The process of acquiring these materials and the manufacturing process can be traditional practices that are passed down from one generation to another. Because materials are unique to the location of different communities and cultures, by studying the types of materials, as well as animal remains found and the processes used to manipulate them, anthropologists and researchers can learn about the daily activities and lifestyles of the cultures they are studying. In what ways do you interact with your environment on a daily basis?