FYI: Differences between Javelins, Spears & Harpoons

It looks like spear is the most general term. More specifically, though, the spear would be used to stab someone up close, the javelin would be thrown from far away, and the harpoon would be thrown at a whale or other sea creature and used to pull the animal back in (Good job, Chris.) It looks like Moises was right, too. In the 1800s, inventors developed exploding harpoons that were often shot from guns. For more info, read the sections below. If you want even more info, click on the links.

Spears vs. Javelins

Spears were one of the most common personal weapons from the stone Age until the advent of firearms. They may be seen as the ancestor of such weapons as the lance, the halberd, the naginata, the bill, and the pike. One of the earliest weapons fashioned by human beings and their ancestors, the spear is still used for hunting and fishing, and its influences still may be seen in contemporary military arsenals as the rifle-mounted bayonet.Spears may be used as both ballistic and melee weapons. Spears used primarily for thrusting may be used with either one or two hands and tend to have heavier and sturdier designs than those intended exclusively for throwing. Those designed for throwing, often referred to as javelins, tend to be lighter and have a more streamlined head, and they may be thrown either by hand or with the assistance of a spear thrower such as the atalatl or woomera. From the atlatl dart, the arrow for use with bows eventually developed. http://spear.co.tv/

Explosive Harpoons

In 1870, a Norwegian man named Svend Foyn successfully patented and pioneered the exploding harpoon and gun based on Erik Eriksen's idea and design. Together with the steam-powered whale catcher, this development ushered in the modern age of commercial whaling. Euro-American whalers were now equipped to hunt faster and more powerful species, such as the rorquals. Because rorquals sank when they died, later versions of the exploding harpoon injected air into the carcass to keep it afloat.A certain type of explosive harpoon fired from a shoulder gun, first used by American whalemen in the mid-19th century, was called a "bomb lance."
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal. A harpoon can also be used as a weapon. http://harpoon.co.tv/