Typological, chronological and cultural verification of Pleistocene and early Holocene bone and antler harpoons and points from the southern Baltic zone

The study catalogues all currently known finds of bone and antler harpoons and points associated with Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Protoneolithic culture in the southern Baltic zone, between the mouths of the Oder and Niemen rivers. It undertakes an analysis of the category in typological, chronological and cultural terms, taking into consideration results of recent paleogeographic investigations and research on the Stone Age in this region. An important element of this study are drawn plates of nearly all of the discussed objects as well as distribution maps. The author gives a critical analysis of the classic harpoon and point typology presented by J.G.D. Clark (1936) in the context of a broader source base, encompassing finds from the entire Baltic zone. A detailed morphological classification of harpoon barbs is one of the most important tools essential to this end.