Innovation and change in northern A ustralian A boriginal spear technologies: the case for reed spears

Unlike the majority of spears used by A ustralian A boriginal people, reed spears were a lightweight form that made optimal use of spearthrower technology. In the K imberleys, reed spears were mounted with small pressure‐flaked stone projectile points. Small projectile points occur in the archaeological record of both the K imberleys and western A rnhem L and. Outside the K imberleys, however, there is no record of how these were mounted and used. This paper reviews the evidence for reed spears and small projectile points across the N orthern T erritory and north‐western W estern A ustralia, concluding that they represent associated technologies the primary role of which lay in feuding and conflicts.