In the early Shang, the Mao appeared to have a relatively short shaft as well as a relatively narrow shaft as opposed to Mao in the later Shang and Western Zhou period. Some Mao from this era are heavily decorated as is evidenced by a Warring States period Mao from the Ba Shu area. [41] Crossley-Holland, Kevin (1982). The Norse Myths. London: Penguin. pp.51, 197. ISBN 978-0-14-006056-0.

The Romans and their early enemies would force prisoners to walk underneath a 'yoke of spears', which humiliated them. The yoke would consist of three spears, two upright with a third tied between them at a height which made the prisoners stoop. [60] It has been suggested that the arrangement has a magical origin, a way to trap evil spirits. [61] The word subjugate has its origins in this practice [ citation needed] (from Latin sub = under, jugum = yoke [62]). In the late period of the Roman Empire, the spear became more often used because of its anti-cavalry capacities as the barbarian invasions were often conducted by people with a developed culture of cavalry in warfare. The 4th century saw major changes. One was the greater use of peltasts, light infantry armed with spear and javelins. [14] The other was the development of the sarissa, a two-handed pike 550cm (18ft) in length, by the Macedonians under Phillip of Macedon and Alexander the Great. [15] The pike phalanx, supported by peltasts and cavalry, became the dominant mode of warfare among the Greeks from the late 4th century onward [16] until Greek military systems were supplanted by the Roman legions.Hunt, Peter. The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Warfare: Volume 1, Greece, The Hellenistic World and the Rise of Rome. Cambridge University Press, 2007, p. 108 In classical Greek mythology Zeus' bolts of lightning may be interpreted as a symbolic spear. Some would carry that interpretation to the spear that frequently is associated with Athena, interpreting her spear as a symbolic connection to some of Zeus' power beyond the Aegis once he rose to replacing other deities in the pantheon. Athena was depicted with a spear prior to that change in myths, however. Chiron's wedding-gift to Peleus when he married the nymph Thetis in classical Greek mythology, was an ashen spear as the nature of ashwood with its straight grain made it an ideal choice of wood for a spear. Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a guan dao wielded by General Guan Yu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Clothey, Fred W. (1978). The Many Faces of Murukan̲: The History and Meaning of a South Indian God. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9789027976321.

Swanton, M.J. (1973). The Spearheads of the Anglo-Saxon Settlement. London: Royal Archaeological Institute.Nicholson, Helen (2004). Medieval Warfare. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. pp.102–3. ISBN 978-0-333-76331-5. Spears began to lose fashion among the infantry during the 14th century, being replaced by pole weapons that combined the thrusting properties of the spear with the cutting properties of the axe, such as the halberd. Where spears were retained they grew in length, eventually evolving into pikes, which would be a dominant infantry weapon in the 16th and 17th centuries. [30] Cavalry [ edit ] Pruetz, Jill D.; Bertolani, Paco (2007). "Savanna Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, Hunt with Tools". Current Biology. 17 (5): 412–417. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2006.12.042. PMID 17320393. S2CID 16551874.

The Celts would symbolically destroy a dead warrior's spear either to prevent its use by another or as a sacrificial offering. The development of both the long, two-handed pike and gunpowder firearms in Renaissance Europe saw an ever-increasing focus on integrated infantry tactics. [35] Those infantry not armed with these weapons carried variations on the polearm, including the halberd and the bill. At the start of the Renaissance, cavalry remained predominantly lance-armed; gendarmes with the heavy knightly lance and lighter cavalry with a variety of lighter lances. By the 1540s, however, pistol-armed cavalry called reiters were beginning to make their mark. Cavalry armed with pistols and other lighter firearms, along with a sword, had virtually replaced lance armed cavalry in Western Europe by the beginning of the 17th century. [36] Other spears of religious significance are the Holy Lance [65] and the Lúin of Celtchar, [66] believed by some to have vast mystical powers.The Arab presence in Sindh and the Mameluks of Delhi introduced the Middle Eastern javelin into India. Monte Morin, "Stone-tipped spear may have much earlier origin", Los Angeles Times, November 16, 2012