page_title: Spear
section_title: Ancient history
hierarchical_section_title: Spear / Military / Ancient history
caption_attribution_description: English: One fragment of the victory stele of the king Eannatum of Lagash over Umma, Sumerian archaic dynasties. Français&#160;: Un des fragments de la stèle de victoire du roi Eannatum de Lagash sur Umma, Dynasties archaïques sumériennes. العربية: مسلة النسور هي مسلة تعود لمدينة لجش السومرية (2600-2350 ق م)، تشرح المسلة مسيرة جيش لكش في إنتصاره على مدينة اوما عدوة لجش اللدودة أثناء فترة حكم ملكها إياناتوم، وتصور الرموز الدينية مشاهد لمعارك مختلفة وطقوس الإنتصار بالإضافة لتصويرها للنسور وذلك سبب تسميتها بمسلة النسور، صنعت المسلة من الحجر الجيري يبلغ ارتفاعها 188 م وعرضها 1.3 م وأكتشفت في أواخر القرن التاسع عشر في جنوب العراق بواسطة عالم الآثار الفرنسي إرنست دي سارزك
context_page_description: A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as bone, flint, obsidian, iron, steel or bronze. The most common design for hunting or combat spears since ancient times has incorporated a metal spearhead shaped like a triangle, lozenge, or leaf. The heads of fishing spears usually feature barbs or serrated edges.
  The word spear comes from the Old English spere, from the Proto-Germanic speri, from a Proto-Indo-European root *sper- "spear, pole".
  Spears can be divided into two broad categories: those designed for thrusting in melee combat and those designed for throwing.
  The spear has been used throughout human history both as a hunting and fishing tool and as a weapon. Along with the axe, knife, and club; it is one of the earliest and most important tools developed by early humans. As a weapon, it may be wielded with either one or two hands.
caption: Sumerian spearmen advancing in close formation with large shields – Stele of the Vultures, c.2450 BCE
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