This is a copper spear point, 60 cm long. It even has rivets and a perfect socket for the shaft. It was found in the Great Lakes region (USA). Do you know how old it is – between 3,000 and 6,000 years old. This is the official dating.
Charles E. Cleland (Michigan State University), Edwin N. Wilmsen (Smithsonian Institution), THREE INCREDIBLE Coppersmith Weapons from Haughton County, MICHIGAN – Wisconsin Archaeologist, Vol. 50, No. 1, 1969.
“Copper Point (USNM 204154). The most notable of the copper artifacts in this collection is this huge socketed point, 595 mm long and 75 mm wide. This nearly 60 cm long specimen weighs 1.5 kg. The blade is bilaterally beveled, the deep socket is U-shaped and perforated at the shank with two square rivet holes.
The use of a regular socket shape and two square rivet holes indicates advanced metalworking technology. The development of copper tools with sockets and rivets represents a significant advance in metallurgy and tool making.
Guns and tools with sockets and rivet holes were a significant technological advancement providing advantages in terms of durability, versatility, maintainability, and efficiency. This achievement would have a profound impact on the society that developed it and potentially lead to improvements in various fields such as construction, agriculture, and the military.
Similar copper tools (though not as long and heavy) were found everywhere in the Great Lakes; however, most variations of this advanced manufacturing technology were later abandoned by humans (forgotten?) this happened between 4,000 and 3,000 years ago (c. 2000-1,000 B.C.).
