Toggle harpoon from Japanese prehistory. This item dates from the final part of the Jomon period (circa 1000 to 300 BC). The Jomon people were primarily hunter-gatherers, which included hunting and fishing at sea. This toggle harpoon head, which works by detaching from the shaft of the harpoon once it is stuck in an animal while remaining attached to the shaft by a rope, was used to hunt larger animals at sea (such as whales). Whales are known to have been part of the diet of some Jomon communities, along with other marine mammals like seals.