The ATLATL

 The atlatl, or spear thrower, is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart-throwing and includes a bearing surface that allows the user to temporarily store energy during the throw. It consists of a shaft with a cup or a spur, either integrated into the weapon or made separately and attached where the butt of the projectile, properly called a dart, rests. The atlatl is held near the end farthest from the cup, and the dart is thrown using the upper arm and wrist. A 5 ounce dart can be thrown at 100 mph and can have as much impact as an arrow fired from a 60 pound compound bow. The dart is much like an arrow; it has fletching to stabilize flight and is quite flexible.

Both the atlatl and the dart act as springs that store energy. As the arm moves forward, both flex and, if properly tuned, spring back at the point of release, imparting maximum power. Weights (called bannerstones) can be added to the atlatl to adjust the flex timing, and properly shaped weights can even help silence the sound of the rushing atlatl.

Because the atlatl functions as a lever that effectively doubles the length of the thrower's arm, it can generate 200 times more power and achieve six times the range of a traditionally thrown dart. Even considering the greater mass of a normal spear, the atlatl-thrown dart clearly outperforms it in power.

Atlatl designs may include enhancements such as thong loops for finger grip, flexible shafts, and thinner, highly flexible darts for increased power and range. Darts resemble large arrows or thin spears, typically ranging from 4 to 9 feet in length and 3/8 to 5/8 inches in diameter. Another key improvement to the atlatl’s design was the addition of a small weight (between 60 and 80 grams) strapped to its mid-section. Some atlatlists argue that stone weights add mass to the shaft, increasing resistance to acceleration and resulting in a more forceful and accurate launch. Others maintain that atlatl weights primarily provide stability, which enhances accuracy.

Building on the previous work of William S. Webb, William R. Perkins argued that atlatl weights, commonly called "bannerstones" artifacts featuring a centered hole in a symmetrically shaped, carved, or ground stone serve an additional purpose. Shaped wide and flat with a drilled hole resembling a large wing nut, these weights are believed to create a silencing effect when swung, lowering the telltale "zip" of an atlatl to a more subtle "woof" sound, making it less likely to alert prey or other humans.

Wooden darts have been known since at least the Middle Paleolithic (e.g., Schöningen, Torralba, Clacton on Sea, and Kalambo Falls). While an atlatl is capable of casting a dart well over 100 meters, it is most accurately used at distances of 20 meters or less. An atlatl dart is powerful enough to kill even the largest animals at any distance the thrower can accurately reach, as longer shots typically apply more power than shorter ones. However, accuracy tends to decrease with distance.

The atlatl is believed to have been in use since the Upper Paleolithic (c. 30,000 BC). Most stratified European finds date to the Magdalenian period (late Upper Paleolithic), during which elaborate atlatls often shaped like animals were common. The earliest known example is a 27,000-year-old atlatl made of reindeer antler, found in France.

Early Native Americans also used the atlatl. It is thought to have been introduced during migration across the Bering Land Bridge, a vast section of exposed seabed that connected Asia and North America during the last Ice Age.

Every atlatl has three main parts: the handle (grip), the shaft, and the peg or socket. Beyond these, designs vary. Lengths range from 5.5 inches (Santa Barbara, Baja California) to over 48 inches (Australia), with widths between 1/4 inch and 8 inches. Materials include wood, bone, ivory, and antler. Some atlatls feature pegs to hold the darts ("male" design), while others have sockets ("female" design). Additional features include grooves, dart rests, finger holes, leather thongs, shell grips, antler handles, antler pegs, bone pegs, tooth pegs, carved grips, decorative carvings, paint, and bannerstones, which were used exclusively in North America.

Throwing a spear by hand involves the entire body: stepping forward, shifting weight, bringing the arm forward, and flicking the wrist to release the spear in one fluid motion. Throwing with an atlatl follows the same mechanics. However, the atlatl's effectiveness is due to physics. When throwing a spear by hand, the wrist moves about 7 inches in 1/10 of a second, adding 6 feet per second (about 4 mph) to the spear’s velocity. The final speed is approximately 50 mph.

With a 24 inch atlatl, however, the peg end (and the attached dart) moves about 70 inches in the same 1/10 of a second, adding 60 feet per second (40 mph) to the dart’s velocity. The final speed reaches about 90 mph. Greater speed results in longer throws, harder impacts, better penetration, and less time for prey to react—making the atlatl highly effective.

Historically, the atlatl has been used to hunt megafauna. Atlatl points have been discovered embedded in the bones of woolly mammoths and giant bison. Some researchers believe the atlatl contributed to the extinction of these massive animals.

How could a single person kill a mammoth? They couldn’t. Ancient hunting was often a group effort. Small herds of animals were driven against natural barriers such as cliffs, rock walls, or rivers. Once trapped, hunters would throw darts and stab at the animals. When the herd finally broke away, the wounded individuals left behind were finished off.