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Artifact

Lance

/artifacts/views/lance.jpg

Martha's Vineyard Museum

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About this artifact

The lance was used to deliver the killing blow to the whale once it had been harpooned. This blow would cause the whale's lungs to fill with blood and the blood to spout from the blowhole. The whalemen would declare that the whale's "chimney was afire," signaling a successful strike. This tool is shown without the long wooden handle that would be attached to the blade's shaft.

Date:
c. 1870
Dimensions:
65" long

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