The Dory

[PMBardunias]

Yes, I am thoroughly familiar with Luke's well-researched articles. I also read Best's work many years ago, and if I recall correctly, it is only ever a small minority of Thracians who use long spears as opposed to the majority 'Longche' dual-purpose spears circa 5 ft long.

The evidence is so small I don't think we can know. It is possible that the same troops could be armed with javelins, longche, or long-spear as need be. It would make sense if this long spear evolved as an anti-cavalry weapon in thrace. See below.

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I don't think Boar-Spears are overly relevant...while large bladed and used two handed, they are always relatively short, so as to be handy in scrub where the Boars often 'go to earth'.

They show a spear with a two handed grip and a fighting stance that is that of the sarissaphoroi. So any hoplite that was a hunter was proficient in this style of gripping the spear.

Perhaps all these influenced Philip's thinking, but I still think one can trace a clear evolution through the tapered dory to the ultimate spear - the sarissa.

Perhaps, but I doubt it. Counterweighting does nothing to elongate spears, it can only shorten them. Tapering the shaft can make spears lighter and smaller in diameter while still stronger than spears that were simply thinner, but this effect is not nearly such a big difference as moving from a single overhand grip to a double-handed underhand grip. The change in grip required a change in combat style. Thrusting with a sarissa is nothing like stabbing with a dory- though it is like thrusting a hunting spear. Reguardless of what the tacticians want to call it, Synaspismos as can be done by hoplites cannot be done if the sarissa shaft is held at the right lateral edge of the shield.