Fish Spear
Physical Object
1986.008.3031
Santa Margarita (1622)
circa 1620
This five-pronged (three broken), iron fish spear from the wreck of the 1622 galleon Santa Margarita is 33.5 centimeters long. The iron was too corroded for display, and a resin cast was made. This spear was once mounted on a wooden shaft and would have been used by sailors and others to catch fish swimming alongside. Considering that fresh meat was scarce on a ship with no refrigeration, fish would have been a welcome addition to the shipboard fare. This is device is similar to the trident that the ancient god Neptune/Poseidon carried, but with five prongs the Margarita spear is a “pentadent.”