Prior to the 20th century the Ainu caught large fish and sea
animals by means of toggle-headed harpoons known as kite.
The 120 examples referred to in this paper represent the majority
of kite known to be extant. The author has classified these into
types according to their distribution, shape and function.
Type A-found only along the coast of Iburi. Its rear barbs
are large and wing-shaped, with flat ends. Used mainly for
catching swordfish.
Type B-found in most Ainu regions, this type can further be
classed into five subtypes (B1–B5). Its rear barbs are pointed.
Used for catching sunfish, dolphin, and probably all kinds of sea
animals (seals, fur seal, sea lions, whales, etc.).
Type C-found on the Japan Sea side of Oshima peninsula
and along the straits of Tsugaru. Similar in shape to Type B,
it is rhombic in cross-section with a longitudinal ridge line.
Targets of use unknown.
Type D-found only on the coast of the Gulf of Uchiura.
The back cavity is shallow and the top of the rear barb is Vshaped.
The tip is bent slightly so that aconite poison can be
placed in the neck groove. Used for catching whales.
Type E-found along the Gulf of Uchiura. It has a hole
perforated at right angles to the face of the harpoon.
In addition to these 120 from modern times, numerous other
Ainu harpoons have been retrieved from archaeological sites.
These can be given the following chronological arrangement:
Types A and B2 may, be considered to be the most recent
since they have not been found in prehistoric ruins. I assume
that they came into existence around the beginning of the 19th
century. Type C can be traced to the end of the 18th century,
and Type D presumably derives from the same period.
Harpoons of Type B (except B2) were found inside the body
of a whale caught offshore from Keichi in 1725. So it can be
argued that they date at the latest to the early 18th century.
Furthermore, harpoons of a type similar to Type B occur in
archaeological sites in Hokkaido, where they date to around the
17th century. I have tentatively classed these Hokkaido
specimens as Type F.
Type F appears to have been developed as a cross between
two types of harpoons. One was the so-called Ketsunyu-rit&mori,
a harpoon known as early as 7000 years ago in Hokkaido. The
other was a type of harpoon that came in from the north around
the time of the 12th century. With Type F we have the first
form of the Ainu kite.
アイヌのキテ（回転式離頭銛）の諸系列 : 形態分類と編年
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