Ivory foreshafts are particularly significant.

A foreshaft is a specialized component of a composite spear: a detachable tip section that can be made from a different material than the main shaft and that can be replaced if it breaks or becomes embedded in a prey animal.

The foreshaft locks into the main shaft and carries the stone or bone point at the business end of the hunting weapon.

Making a foreshaft from mammoth ivory — a material that is both dense and somewhat flexible, resistant to splitting, and workable into a smooth, aerodynamically useful shape — represents a sophisticated understanding of material properties and weapon design.