Primitve man used them. The romans used them. Gardeners today use them, albeit, in a different form. Spears were probably the second weapon ever invented (after the rock) since all you needed to do was sharpen one end. You can poke with them or throw them through the air. In the SCA, our spears usually come in the form of a metal knife-like tip and a long wooden handle. Our targets are usually cardboard backed by haybales.
More correctly, if the spear is balanced for throwing, it could be called a javelin. Below are a few pictures of some spearsand points.
