An atlatl (from Nahuatl ahtlatl [ˈah.tɬatɬ]; in English pronounced [ˈɑːtˌlɑːtɫ̩]^[1] or [ɑːtˈlɑːtɫ̩]^[2]) or spear-thrower is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in spear-throwing, and includes a bearing surface which allows the user to temporarily store energy during the throw. It consists of a shaft with a cup, in which the butt of the spear rests. It is held near the end farthest from the cup, and the spear is thrown by the action of the upper arm and wrist. A well-made atlatl can readily achieve ranges of greater than 100 meters. Picture of an atlatl 300 × 60 px Cropped from picture at National Park Service website http://www. ... Nahuatl ( [1] is a term applied to a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan [2] branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, indigenous to central Mexico. ... A modern hammer is directly descended from ancient hand tools A tool or device is a piece of equipment that most commonly provides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a physical task. ... The principle of the lever tells us that the above is in static equilibrium, with all forces balancing, if F1D1 = F2D2. ... Hunting spear and knife, from Mesa Verde National Park. ... It has been suggested that Bushing be merged into this article or section. ...

Some later improvements on the original design included thong loops to fit the fingers as well as the use of flexible atlatls and thinner, highly flexible darts for added power and range. These darts more closely resembled four to six foot arrows than spears.

Another important improvement to the atlatl's design was the introduction of a small weight (between 60 and 80 grams) strapped to its midsection. This weight added mass to the shaft of the device, causing resistance to acceleration when swung, which resulted in a more forceful and accurate launch of the dart. Some atlatl weights, commonly called "Banner Stones," were shaped wide and flat, a rather ingenious improvement to the design that created a silencing effect when swung, lowering the frequency of the telltale "zip" of an atlatl in use to a more subtle "woof" sound that did not travel as far and was less likely to alert prey or other humans.

History

Wooden darts were known at least since the Middle Palaeolithic (Schöningen, Torralba, Clacton-on-Sea and Kalambo Falls). They could be used up to distances of about 15 m with enough power to hurt or kill an animal. The atlatl is believed to have been in use since the Upper Palaeolithic (late Solutrean, ca. 18,000-16,000 BC). Most stratified European finds come from the Magdalenian (late upper Palaeolithic). In this period, elaborate pieces, often in the form of animals, are common. With a spearthrower, effective distances of up to 70 meters could be reached. Darts are missile weapons, designed to fly such that a sharp, often weighted point will strike first. ... The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic – lit. ... Schöningen is a city of 13,500 inhabitants (2003) in Helmstedt, Lower Saxony, Germany. ... An archaeological site in northern Spain where large mammal remains and stone tools from 400,000 years ago suggest early hominid hunting or scavenging (Park 2005). ... Town - Clacton-on-Sea Location - Essex, England Founded - 1871 Population (1991) - 45,065 Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring Peninsula, in Essex, England. ... Kalambo Falls Kalambo Falls is a 772ft (235m) single drop waterfall on the border of Zambia and Tanzania at the southeast end of Lake Tanganyika. ... The Solutrean industry was an advanced flint tool making style of the Upper Palaeolithic. ... The Magdalenian, also spelt Magdalénien, refers to one of the later culture of the Upper Palaeolithic in western Europe. ...

In Europe, the atlatl and dart was replaced by the bow and arrow in the Epi-Palaeolithic. Along with improved ease-of-use, the bow offered the advantage that the bulk of elastic energy is stored in the throwing device, rather than the projectile; arrow shafts can therefore be much smaller, and have looser tolerances for spring constant and weight distribution than atlatl darts. This allowed for more forgiving flint knapping: dart heads designed for a particular spear thrower tend to differ in mass by only a few percent. A bow is a weapon that shoots arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow. ... Japanese arrow (ya) and head // Weapon An arrow is a pointed projectile that is shot with a bow. ... The Epipalaeolithic (or Epi-Palaeolithic, Epipaleolithic, or Epi-Paleolithic) was a period in the development of human technology that immediately precedes the neolithic period, as an alternative to mesolithic. ... Tolerance in Final Fantasy is an allowance, given as a permissible range, in the nominal dimension or value specification of a manufactured object. ... It has been suggested that Coil spring be merged into this article or section. ... Flint tools were made by stone age peoples worldwide. ...

The atlatl has been used by early Native Americans as well. It seems to have been introduced during the immigration across the Bering Land Bridge, a wide section of exposed seabed that connected Asia and North America during the last Ice Age. The word atlatl is derived from a Nahuatl (the Aztec language) word for "water thrower," as it was most commonly used for fishing. The Aztecs reinvented the atlatl after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores in their lands and they were used extensively during the resulting war. History shows that the Spanish feared the Aztec atlatl above all other weapons. Many unfortunate Spaniards were surprised to find the power of the weapon could easily penetrate Spanish metal armor, with the dart often passing completely through the unlucky target. Inuit and the tribes of the Northwest Coast utilized atlatls in historical times as well. Complete wooden spearthrowers have been found on dry sites in the western USA, and in waterlogged environments in Florida and Washington. Brazilian Indian chiefs The scope of this indigenous peoples of the Americas article encompasses the definitions of indigenous peoples and the Americas as established in their respective articles. ... Nautical chart of Bering Strait, site of former land bridge between Asia and North America The Bering land bridge, also known as Beringia, was a land bridge roughly 1600 km (1000 miles) north to south at its greatest extent, which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia at various times... Nahuatl ( [1] is a term applied to a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan [2] branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, indigenous to central Mexico. ... The Aztecs were a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. ... Conquistador (Spanish: []) (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas and Asia Pacific under Spanish colonial rule between the 15th and 17th centuries, starting with the 1492 settlement established in the modern-day Bahamas... For other uses, see Inuit (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18th  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,824 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ...

The people of New Guinea and Australian Aborigines used spearthrowers as well. Australian Aboriginal spearthrowers are known as woomeras. Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ... The woomera in this picture is the wooden object at left A woomera is an Australian Aboriginal spear-throwing device. ...

Modern times

In modern times, some people have resurrected the spearthrower for sports, throwing either for distance and/or for accuracy. Throws of almost 260 m (850 ft.) [2] have been recorded. There are numerous tournaments, with spears and spearthrowers built with both ancient and with modern materials. Similar devices are available to throw tennis balls for dogs to chase, and in the sport of jai alai. Orders of magnitude (length) 1 E-13 m 1 E-12 m 1 E-11 m 1 E-10 m 1 E-9 m 1 E-8 m 1 E-7 m 1 E-6 m 1 E-5 m 1 E-4 m 1 E-3 m 1 E... The metre, or meter (US), is a measure of length. ... A Wilson tennis ball. ... Now defunct Milford Jai-Alai Fronton in Milford, Connecticut. ...

Atlatl are sometimes used in modern times for hunting. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has given preliminary approval [3] for the legalization of the atlatl for hunting certain animals. Final approval would come in April 2006. The animals that would be allowed to atlatl hunters has yet to be determined, but attention is focused on deer. There are some who object, stating that the atlatl is rarely capable of a clean kill, resulting in undue suffering for the sport animal. Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... Subfamilies Capreolinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae A deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ...

The woomera is still used today by some Australian Aborigines for hunting in remote parts of Australia. The woomera in this picture is the wooden object at left A woomera is an Australian Aboriginal spear-throwing device. ...

References

• D. Garrod, Palaeolithic spear throwers. Proc. Prehist. Soc. 21, 1955, 21-35.
• W. Perkins, "Atlatl Weights, Function and Classification", Bulletin of Primitive Technology, No. 5, 1993.
• U. Stodiek, Zur Technik der jungpaläolithischen Speerschleuder (Tübingen 1993).
• W. Hunter, "Reconstructing a Generic Basketaker Atlatl", Bulletin of Primitive Technology, No. 4, 1992.

1. ^ atlatl. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1), Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atlatl (accessed: October 12, 2006).
2. ^ atlatl. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. [1] (accessed: October 12, 2006)

See also

• Aztec army

The forces of the Categories: ...

External links

• .Wav file featuring the pronunciation of 'atlatl'
• World Atlatl Association Web Site
• A good picture depicting use of the atlatl.
• The history of the spearthrower in the New World.
• Atlatl & Dart Mechanics.
• Atlatls to be used by PA hunters
• Michigan Atlatl Association website.
• Atlatl reference page.