|
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal and securing it with barbs or toggling claws, 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. ==History== In the 1990s Zaire (nowadays the Democratic Republic of the Congo), harpoon points, known as the Semliki harpoons or the Katanda harpoons, were found in the Katanda region. As the earliest known harpoons, these weapons were made and used 90,000 years ago, most likely to spear catfishes. Later, in Europe, spearfishing with poles (harpoons) became widespread in palaeolithic times, especially during the Solutrean and Magdalenian periods. Cosquer Cave in Southern France contains cave art over 16,000 years old, including drawings of seals which appear to have been harpooned.〔Guthrie, Dale Guthrie (2005) (''The Nature of Paleolithic Art.'' ) Page 298. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-31126-0〕 There are references to harpoons in ancient literature; though, in most cases, the descriptions do not go into detail. An early example from the Bible in Job 41:7: "Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?" The Greek historian Polybius (c. 203 BC – 120 BC), in his ''Histories'', describes hunting for swordfish by using a harpoon with a barbed and detachable head.〔Polybius, ("Fishing for Swordfish" ), ''Histories'' Book 34.3 (Evelyn S. Shuckburgh, translator). London, New York: Macmillan, 1889. Reprint Bloomington, 1962.〕 Copper harpoons were known to the seafaring Harappans〔Ray 2003, page 93〕 well into antiquity.〔Allchin 1975, page 106〕 Early hunters in India include the Mincopie people, aboriginal inhabitants of India's Andaman and Nicobar islands, who have used harpoons with long cords for fishing since early times.〔Edgerton 2003, page 74〕 ===Whaling=== The two flue harpoon was the primary weapon used in whaling around the world, but it cut through the blubber when under stress. This flaw was corrected with the creation of the single flue harpoon; by removing one of the flues, the head of the harpoon was narrowed, making it easier for it to penetrate deep enough to hold fast. In the Arctic, the indigenous people used the more advanced toggling harpoon design. In the early 19th century the one flue harpoon was introduced, which reduced failed harpoons due to the head cutting its way out of the body of the whale. In the mid-19th century, the toggling harpoon was adapted by Lewis Temple, using iron. The Temple toggle was widely used, and quickly came to dominate whaling. In his famous novel, ''Moby-Dick'', author Herman Melville explained the reason for the harpoon's effectiveness: He also describes another device that was at times a necessary addition to harpoons: 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Harpoon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|