javelin

thumb|upright=1.25|Man with a shield throwing a javelin thumb|upright|Javelin thrower. Bronze, Laconian style, third quarter of the 6th century BC

A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon. Today, the javelin is predominantly used for sporting purposes such as the javelin throw. The javelin is nearly always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with the aid of a hand-held mechanism. However, devices do exist to assist the javelin thrower in achieving greater distances, such as spear-throwers or the amentum.