Spear

A spear is an archaic weapon, used for hunting? and war. It consists of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of another material fastened to the shaft. The most common design is of a metal spearhead, shaped somewhat like a dagger, and made entirely for thrusting.

Spears of different designs were used for close combat and for throwing. One of the most famous throwing spears is the pilum? used by the romans.

The spear is a weapon of the pole weapon category, and may be seen as the ancestor of such weapons as the lance?, the haleberd?, the naginata? and the pike?. Also the bayonet? may, when mounted on a rifle, be considered a spear type weapon.