Arrow from Santa Cruz, Melanesia

Maria L · 30th November 2011, 01:02 AM

Hello,

I am a postgraduate Objects Conservation student currently working on this arrow from Santa Cruz. I am trying to gather more information on it (it isn't easy!), which will help me decide on any treatment options. If anyone here has come accross similar items and could share their knowledge regarding history, materials, manufacture, etc. it would be very much appreciated.

The arrow is 120.8cm long, and has a diameter of 1cm at its widest point. The shaft consists of two different types of wood: a hardwood (palm wood?) foreshaft, and bamboo/reed. The join between the two woods is bound with what I think is hardened gummed vegetable fibre. The arrowhead has two small barbs of what looks like bone, and originally would have had a bone tip, which has been snapped off. I'm guessing the arrowhead has been made by attaching the bone barbs and tip to the sharpened end of the foreshaft and wrapping it with the same gummed vegetable fibre. The foreshaft and arrowhead have been painted with a thick reddish-brown pigment. The reed shaft has a small nock.

So far, my research suggests that long, barbed arrows like this have been used for warfare, rather than hunting. However, a lot of the literature states that war arrows were often decorated, and mine is quite plain. If it is a war arrow, is it likely to have been poisoned? The pigment at the "business end" of the foreshaft appears gradually worn off (rather than just scratched, as is the case with the rest of the foreshaft), so perhaps poison has eaten into it. Curiously, there are also little tufts of branched moss or fungus-like material lodged behind the barbs. Is this something that would've been used to clean the arrowhead? I have also found tiny, spherical, transluscent insect egg casings behind the barbs and in the joints of the reed, which appear to be from the province of origin.

If you can think of any relevant literature I can have a look at, please let me know. I'm also trying to track down an article by David Skinner called Arrows of Melanesia: A Neglected Art Form, which was published in Tribal Art (Summer 2000), but is no longer availiable online or in any UK university libraries... I would be very grateful to anyone who has a copy and wouldn't mind sharing it.

Many thanks in advance,
Maria

30th November 2011, 01:02 AM	#1
Maria L Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 6	Arrow from Santa Cruz, Melanesia Hello, I am a postgraduate Objects Conservation student currently working on this arrow from Santa Cruz. I am trying to gather more information on it (it isn't easy!), which will help me decide on any treatment options. If anyone here has come accross similar items and could share their knowledge regarding history, materials, manufacture, etc. it would be very much appreciated. The arrow is 120.8cm long, and has a diameter of 1cm at its widest point. The shaft consists of two different types of wood: a hardwood (palm wood?) foreshaft, and bamboo/reed. The join between the two woods is bound with what I think is hardened gummed vegetable fibre. The arrowhead has two small barbs of what looks like bone, and originally would have had a bone tip, which has been snapped off. I'm guessing the arrowhead has been made by attaching the bone barbs and tip to the sharpened end of the foreshaft and wrapping it with the same gummed vegetable fibre. The foreshaft and arrowhead have been painted with a thick reddish-brown pigment. The reed shaft has a small nock. So far, my research suggests that long, barbed arrows like this have been used for warfare, rather than hunting. However, a lot of the literature states that war arrows were often decorated, and mine is quite plain. If it is a war arrow, is it likely to have been poisoned? The pigment at the "business end" of the foreshaft appears gradually worn off (rather than just scratched, as is the case with the rest of the foreshaft), so perhaps poison has eaten into it. Curiously, there are also little tufts of branched moss or fungus-like material lodged behind the barbs. Is this something that would've been used to clean the arrowhead? I have also found tiny, spherical, transluscent insect egg casings behind the barbs and in the joints of the reed, which appear to be from the province of origin. If you can think of any relevant literature I can have a look at, please let me know. I'm also trying to track down an article by David Skinner called Arrows of Melanesia: A Neglected Art Form, which was published in Tribal Art (Summer 2000), but is no longer availiable online or in any UK university libraries... I would be very grateful to anyone who has a copy and wouldn't mind sharing it. Many thanks in advance, Maria Attached Images