Inca Copper Barbed Fishing Spear
This is a copper barbed fishing spear tip. It was found in an archeological dig in Peru in the 1960's by an engineer friend, Mr. Nolan Pike, who worked for Bechtel in Peru at the time. It is in excellent condition, with an oxidized copper patina all over. My Pike gave it to me as a gift when I was a child.
8" long, by approximately 1/2" at its widest part, including the barbs
Inherited
Yes
Hello, this item is an Inca or pre-Inca copper barbed fishing spear tip, likely dating between 800 and 1400 CE. The piece measures approximately 8 inches in length and features a narrow, tapered shaft with multiple backward-facing barbs forged along one edge, consistent with tools used in the Andean coastal and riverine regions for fishing or small-game capture.
Its greenish oxidized patina indicates genuine age and long-term burial, typical of copper artifacts from the Moche, Chimú, or Inca cultural spheres, where metallurgy was highly advanced. Such implements were functional yet often finely crafted, reflecting both practical and ritual significance.
The condition is excellent for its age, with intact barbs and stable patina. Based on comparison with excavated Andean copper implements held in regional museums and auction results for similar items, the fair market value is 350 to 600 USD. If laboratory metallurgical analysis confirms Inca-period composition and casting methods, the insurance value could increase to 700–900 USD, given its preservation and provenance traceable to a 1960s Peruvian excavation.
