[Sherman Logan]

And “they must have been awfully strong, far stronger than I am. Those spears are longer than I am.”

What?

As spears go, this is shortish. Much shorter and you've got a dart, not a spear.

[Red Badger]

They were midget neanderthals?.................

[ClearCase_guy]

The Roman Legions made good use of the pilum, a throwing spear, that was five and a half feet long. That was just about the height of the average legionary.

If these spears from the coal mine are seven feet long, then I would not consider them to be "shortish".
Of course, the Macedonian phalanx used the sarissa, a thrusting spear, that was 16 feet long, but that's a whole 'nother thing.