Atlatl Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

In The Atlatl 20(1):1-3, Jan 2007.
VanPool (2006) and others have suggested that atlatls survived alongside bows in the late prehistoric Southwest, but the evidence is largely unacceptable. Projectile point size is not good enough, and in spite of 100+ years of excavations in sites with preserved organic tools, there are no late dated atlatls. The few of the 70+ specimens that have been dated are all consistently in the Basketmaker and Archaic periods. For a more thorough and scholarly discussion, see 2012 "Ambiguous Endurance..." Kiva 78(1): 79-98.

It is generally assumed that Paleoindians introduced atlatls to N. America, but hard evidence is rare. Several atlatl hooks made on Pleistocene bone from Florida Rivers are the best evidence of Clovis atlatls to date.

- by John Whittaker
- •
- Paleoindians, Clovis, Atlatl

Projectile points decrease in size over time in North America, with a
significant decline in size about 1000 BP. Most archaeologists today posit that this sudden change links to the invention or adoption of bow and arrow technology; however, without a large dated sample of preserved wooden bows, arrows, darts, and atlatls it is difficult to know
if this is correct. Via a controlled archery experiment, projectile point performance and function is tested to determine if there is a point at which large projectile points render a bow less functional. Through use of a precisely mounted traditional bow, modern arrows, high speed cameras, and ballistics gel, these performance characteristics were tested. The results of the experiment support the hypothesis that there is a size threshold. However, points of relatively large sizes, comparable in weight to that of Paleoindian lanceolate points, prove to be functional and mostly accurate when fired from a bow. The implications of these results are far reaching, as they may change our perception of projectile point functions based on size, and could suggest an earlier appearance of the bow in the Americas.

- by David Ian Howe
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- Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Obsidian

It has been suggested that the atlatl, the weapon associated with Basketmaker and Archaic cultures in the Southwest until the advent of the bow and arrow, survived alongside the bow into late Pueblo times. This is not simply a matter of technological chronology, since it raises issues of recognizing complex artifacts in the fragmentary archaeological record, and affects interpretations of subsistence, warfare, symbolism, ethnicity and cultural contact. Reasons to doubt the late survival of atlatls include the ambiguity of the supposed evidence, uncertainty about atlatl functions and efficiency, and the lack of late examples among the few dated specimens and in late contexts generally.

Physical modeling of flexing atlatl as a cantilever spring suggests could add ca 10% to velocity of dart, but strobe photos show atlatl is still flexed after dart leaves: there is not time for atlatl to rebound like spring, so atlatl flex does not add to dart velocity. Tests of 3 atlatls identical except for flexibility confirms: no difference in velocities of throws.

- by John Whittaker
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- Experimental Archaeology, Atlatl

Atlatl dart velocity measured with a radar gun to compare effects of different equipment with same individual throwing. Normal atlatl dart velocities are in the range of 30-60 mph. Velocities reported by Hutchings and Bruchert of up to... more

Atlatl dart velocity measured with a radar gun to compare effects of different equipment with same individual throwing.
Normal atlatl dart velocities are in the range of 30-60 mph. Velocities reported by Hutchings and Bruchert of up to 143 mph (64 mps) with much heavier equipment are surely in error.

- by John Whittaker
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- Experimental Archaeology, Projectile technology, Atlatl
- by Henry D . Wallace
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- Iconography, Rock Art, Arizona, Petroglyphs

Update of my huge annotated atlatl/spearthrower bibliography

More atlatl sources than you could possibly want, notes and opinions on most.
Updated periodically.

- by Donald Slater
- •
- Experimental Archaeology, Mesoamerican Archaeology, Maya Archaeology, Atlatl

Archaeologists have long assumed that fluted points were used by North American Paleoindians as
spearthrower dart armatures despite a lack of empirical evidence of the spearthrower from the Paleoindian
Period. Employing non-subjective, quantitative data derived from velocity-dependent microfracture
features observed on damaged fluted and un-fluted Paleoindian lithic points, this research
presents empirical evidence for the existence of the Paleoindian spearthrower. In addition, the research
serves as proof-of-concept for a novel quantitative method of lithic analysis that has far-reaching potential
to contribute significantly to our understanding of the human past.

Projectile weapons affected the human evolutionary trajectory and propelled social and subsistence changes throughout our history. Archaeologists interested in such relationships must overcome two obstacles: How to recognize ancient weapons from fragmentary remains, and the difficulty of understanding their capabilities through experiments.
The history of change in weapon systems shows a shift from relatively slow, heavy projectiles propelled by human strength to lighter, faster, mechanically propelled projectiles, which resulted in various effects on social institutions, subsistence, and evolutionary developments. Thrusting spears, hand-thrown javelins, and atlatls are all cited by various researchers as the weaponry used by Paleo hunters to bring down Pleistocene megafauna. A change from thrusting spears and javelins to effective atlatl-propelled projectiles would have made hunting large game substantially safer and increased the number of people in a group who could have participated. The subsequent replacement of atlatls by bows is another issue of wide debate. However, the dynamics of change in these complex systems are frequently debated and before we can compare prehistoric weapons in any meaningful way, we need accurate measurements of performance characteristics.
Velocity is one important measure of projectile effect, directly influencing momentum and kinetic energy and thus the damage a projectile can do to its target, but accurate measurements of atlatl dart velocity are rarely reported. Atlatl dart velocity must be measured with naturalistic experiments involving human throwers, and while the problem of assessing discrepancies between the skill and strength of past and modern throwers cannot be fully circumvented, it is addressed here by measuring numerous well-practiced individuals using a variety of atlatl equipment, and comparing the results. We present several different series of experiments with radar gun, film, and chronograph to measure dart velocities. The atlatls used in hunting and warfare probably did not accelerate darts much beyond 35m/s (78 mph). This information is briefly applied to two issues: 1.We discuss Hutchings’ use of fracture velocity measurements on stone points to distinguish Paleoindian projectile systems, which seems promising but needs better experimental support. 2. Using velocity and mass we can calculate kinetic energy and momentum of various projectiles as measures of weapon effect, and consider, for an example, Southwestern atlatls and bows.

- by John Whittaker and +2
- •
- Experimental Archaeology, North American archaeology, Southwestern Archaeology, Paleoindians
- by Devin B Pettigrew
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- Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Atlatl

Changes in technology can have transformative effects upon ancient economies. Commonly, the advan- tages of technology are highlighted in the past, with diagnostic markers of tool types, serving as the important signatures in regional culture histories. While technological changes generally do improve effi- ciency or provide other benefits, new technologies also bring new additional costs, presenting what Neil Postman calls a ‘‘Faustian bargain.’’ In this essay, we consider such costs in the transition from atlatl and dart technologies to the bow and arrow for the precontact Coast Salish economy, focusing on consequent organizational changes in hunting strategies. We maintain that technologies also can be indicators of broader socioeconomic changes in labor organization. We analyze shifting patterns of hunting emphasis through faunal assemblages in relation to changes in tool technologies. We postulate that the transition to the bow and arrow brought benefits in increased efficiency for individual hunters, but at a cost for col- lective hunting teams based on atlatl and dart technologies that were headed by elites. In so doing, with the bow and arrow, individual hunters exerted greater economic autonomy and this is marked in the fau- nal archaeological record of the Coast Salish area.

- by Bill Angelbeck and +1
- •
- Social Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Bow and Arrow Technology

Spearthrower devices held a role around the world as a primary weapon and tool before slowly falling out of favor in certain areas for other projectile weapons. While it is widely accepted that spearthrowers were used by the people of the ancient central Andes, comparatively little research has gone into the role that they had as weapons of war, hunting tools, and objects of ceremonial reverence. In addition, the Andes developed a unique style of spearthrower and have produced many examples of spearthrowers with exceptional craftsmanship, leading me to believe that these tools were given special reverence.
This thesis compiles evidence of who in the Andes was using spearthrowers, and in what contexts, by comparing iconography to existing artifacts. It was determined that they saw the heaviest use among the coastal societies through the Early Intermediate Period and were primarily seen as a symbol in the following years.

- by Zachary R Critchley
- •
- Iconography, Andean Archaeology, Spearthrower, Atlatl

Summary of experiment with atlatl darts and bison carcass. Effective weaponry, some archaeological reflections.

- by Kenneth Sassaman and +1
- •
- Material Culture Studies, Ground Stone Technology, Material Culture, Southeastern Archaic (Archaeology in North America)

In the first of my three studies on the shift from atlatl to bow technology, I construct bow and atlatl learning curves from modern, pseudoexperimental data. The results of this quantitative analysis suggest that atlatls are easier to learn how to use than bows and can be wielded effectively by wider segments of human populations. This finding implies that this shift in projectile weaponry may have exacerbated emergent divisions of labor in prehistoric societies, and also suggests the possibility that differences in prehistoric population structures may have influenced the (poorly dated) timing of this transition in various locations across the globe. In my second study, I hone in on a region in northwestern Canada as a spatiotemporal test case, since this area currently contains the largest published database of atlatl and bow radiocarbon dates in the world. I establish a new statistical procedure using Monte Carlo, Bayesian, and radiocarbon calibration methods implemented in Program R to calculate the minimum number of dates required on atlatl and bow technology to adequately characterize this transition. I also develop a second procedure for determining whether bow and atlatl technologies overlapped for a significant amount of time in prehistory, and for calculating how long they overlapped. In my third study, I test whether spatiotemporal patterning occurs in atlatl and bow radiocarbon dates across the northwest Canadian Subarctic. The data most likely exhibit east-to west spatial patterning in the appearance of bow technology, a tentative result that does not support the hypothesis that bows entered the study area by simple cultural diffusion from Siberia. In light of these findings, I present several working hypotheses to explain why the transition from simpler atlatl to more complex bow technology occurred in the northwestern North American Subarctic, and suggest that this topic provides an exemplary case study for testing what causes fluctuations in the complexity of material culture in general.

- by Brigid Grund
- •
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Statistics, Technological change

Identification and analysis of a series of corner-notched and basal-notched projectile point petroglyph images located in the Coso Range of eastern California now provide more definitive evidence that these particular glyphs date to the period when Elko and Humboldt style dart points were in use. Two direct XRF dates support this determination. The XRF dates indicate ages of 2750 plus or minus 690 cal years BP for both these images. This provides a general age range for these corner notched and basal notched dart point depictions from about cal 1500 BC to AD 1. The latter age range is synchronous with the end of a period of dart and atlatl use and the now more widely accepted dates for the initiation of Rose Spring Series arrow points. The latter are now better understood as initiating about 2000 years before precent or cal AD 1.

- by Alan Garfinkel
- •
- Religion, Comparative Religion, History, Archaeology

It is difficult to compare two different technologies that serve similar purposes, especially when the skills of experimenters must also be considered. I conducted experiments to show that bows should be more consistent and accurate than atlatls, and that proficiency with a bow is more easily attained. However, competition between weapon systems and the choice of one over the other in any real world situation is far more complex than such general measures.

The authors organized a projectile experiment including the use of bow and spear-thrower in conditions replicating Palaeolithic hunting. Experimental copies of antler points from the Late Upper Palaeolithic showed proximal fractures characteristic of spear-thrower use. Similar fractures are found on archaeological specimens from the Upper Magdalenian occupation of the Isturitz site, thus bringing arguments in favour of the persistence of this weapon at least until ca. 16―14 cal ka BP in Western Europe.

- by Jean-Marc Pétillon
- •
- Experimental Archaeology, Bone and Antler, Upper Paleolithic, Magdalenian

In parts one and two of my three-part series on the atlatl weapon system I introduced or reintroduced readers to the basics of the atlatl or spear- thrower weapon system. I focused on the physics of the throw and the spear in flight. In part three, I am analyzing a surviving piece of an atlatl weapon system, an atlatl spur that was surface recovered on private land in Kings County, California by Connie Hudson prior to 1970.

This thesis focuses on a particularly sophisticated example of Pre-Columbian ceramic sculpture from the Museum of Fine Arts Houston: a dancing figure with a complex zoomorphic headdress. The figure's culture of origin, Comala-phase Colima, is poorly understood due to its severely compromised archaeological record. Based on a comprehensive iconographic analysis, the MFAH figure is tentatively identified as the wind deity Ehecatl, a god from the broadly shared Mesoamerican deity system that was previously unconfirmed in Pre-Classic Colima. While West Mexican sculpture was once considered merely illustrative of everyday activities, this thesis concludes that the MFAH Colima Dancer and similar figures evince highly evolved communal religious practices. This interpretation also supports the existence of generally unacknowledged trade between ancient West Mexico and the rest of Mesoamerica, both in tangible assets and in ideological/religious concepts. This new perspective will hopefully catalyze further reappraisal of underappreciated West Mexican ceramic materials.

Beveled retouch on stone projectile points has often been considered as a device to spin and stabilize a projectile. A recent paper showed that a beveled point will spin a small shaft under tightly controlled laboratory conditions. However, this experiment has little relevance for real projectiles such as atlatl darts, which flex dramatically and spin unevenly in flight, quite independent of point form. The spinning is related to the flexibility of the dart, which is necessary for spearthrower function. A beveled point cannot spin a dart in the air, but is likely to cause some rotation when encountering a solid target like flesh. Beveled points are probably not related to spinning either darts or arrows in flight and present a good example of why we need to have both theoretical understanding and experimental observations of details of projectile behavior before
interpreting artifacts. Spinning in a carcass could make beveled points more lethal, but the suggestion that beveling mostly results from sharpening and other modification of stone points remains the best explanation.
El retoque biselado en las puntas de piedra arrojadizas con frecuencia ha sido considerado como estrategia para hacer girar y estabilizar un proyectil. Un estudio recién mostró que una punta biselada hará girar una asta pequeña bajo condiciones extremadamente controladas en el laboratorio. Sin embargo, este experimento tiene poca relevancia en cuanto los proyectiles auténticas como los dardos del atlatl (estolica), que se flexionan dramáticamente y giran erráticamente en vuelo, no importa la forma de la punta. La rotación se relaciona con la flexibilidad del dardo, la cual es necesaria para la buena función del atlatl. Una punta biselada no puede hacer girar un dardo en el aire, pero probablemente va a causar algo de rotación cuando
encuentra un blanco sólido como la carne. Las puntas biseladas probablemente no se relacionan con la rotación de dardos ni flechas en vuelo, y presentan un buen ejemplo de la necesidad de tener ambos el conocimiento teórico y observaciones experimentales de los detalles del funcionamiento de los proyectiles antes de interpretar los artefactos. La rotación en una carcasa podría hacer más letales las puntas biseladas, pero la sugerencia que el biselado resulta principalmente del afilamiento y
otras modificaciones de las puntas de piedra permanece la mejor explicación.

- by Devin B Pettigrew and +3
- •
- Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Atlatl

"Atlatl Elbow" results from throwing stresses - anatomy explained. Recognition of arthritic elbows in early populations led L. Angell to coin the term, and was significant in the development of modern osteological studies of activity... more

- by Vittorio Brizzi
- •
- Spear Thrower Technology, Mechanics of the Javelin Throw, Atlatl, Throwing Stick
- by Vance Tiede
- •
- North American archaeology, Lithics, Stone axes (Archaeology), Projectile Points

A spearthrower, or atlatl, works as a lever to propel a light spear or dart, but there are still alternative theories about the mechanical principles. Howard proposed that atlatls work by extending the time force can be applied to a spear. Others suggest that the flex of the atlatl or the dart, or both, stores energy to propel the dart as from a spring. Both of these theories can be demonstrated to be wrong by a variety of evidence, including slow motion images. Those who believe that spearthrowers work by spring power often see them as ancestral to bows. Because they work by different principles, this is highly unlikely. Understanding how a spearthrower works is important in examining its capabilities and place in the evolution of technology, and both practical experimentation and theoretical understanding are necessary.

"The atlatl weight or bannerstone has been assigned many different interpretations over the last one hundred years of study. Multiple experimental studies have attempted to determine the effect of increasing the weight of an atlatl on the mechanics of atlatl performance. Other studies and publications have focused on the stylistic and symbolic characteristics of these artifacts. Efforts to determine the function of these items have not produced conclusive results. There is still no consensus on why these items were originally manufactured, what they meant to the people who made them or what aspects of life they affected. In this study, I begin to resolve this uncertainty through a systematic experimental test of the hypothesis that adding weight to an atlatl creates a mechanical impact on weapon use. I tested this hypothesis by developing, and using an atlatl launch machine to control for all sources of variation in atlatl performance. This allows for the testing of the weapon effects instead of the human ones (e.g., skill, temporary physiological conditions, and the projection of expected results.) A statistical analysis of the data shows that compared to an unweighted atlatl, a weighted atlatl typically produces shots that travel shorter distances, but have higher levels of precision. These results lend themselves to the assertion that the atlatl weight or bannerstone did not just have symbolic function, but that it was likely used as a way to enhance the efficiency of the atlatl."

- by David Cain
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- Experimental Archaeology, Darts, Bannerstones, Atlatl

Grund (2017) suggests that atlatls are easier to learn and use than bows, and thus allow more members of a population to use them. Atlatls are seen as " exacerbating " social differentiation, while bows are "equalizing." No one familiar with both weapons would agree that atlatls are easier to use than bows, and neither her data from modern competition scores nor ethnographic information supports the suggestion . In fact, other data shows the opposite, and her social conclusions must be rejected.

- by John Whittaker and +1
- •
- North American archaeology, Prehistoric weapons, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology
- by Zachary R Critchley
- •
- Iconography, Art, Andean Archaeology, Spearthrower

Feathered projectiles fly like deadly birds. Birds, as well as snakes and lightning , are rather obvious metaphors applied throughout the world to arrows and to the atlatl darts that preceded the arrow. Although we cannot presume to know ancient thoughts, we can see the expression of some general concepts and concerns. I speculate on the common use of bird symbolism with atlatls and how it was used to connect atlatls to other important concerns of ancient cultures in the imagery of war and atlatl use in ancient, the American Southwest, and in the Midwest and Eastern United States.

The adoption of bow-and-arrow technology by Recent Indian peoples on the island of Newfoundland has been accepted on the basis of untested observations of the archaeological record. This study investigates the period circa 1000 BP, when the replacement of the Beaches complex by the Little Passage complex is purported to be marked by the introduction of bow-and-arrow technology. Metric analysis of 840 projectile points confirms this technological transformation, but disputes the notion that projectile point function can be linked to current complex signatures—notably, the presence of side-notching or corner-notching on projectile points. This analysis suggests that bows-and-arrows did not immediately replace spear throwers-and-darts, but rather, were complementary to the Recent Indian tool kit. Finally, we suggest that the adoption of bow-and-arrow technology may be linked to the departure or demise of (Middle) Dorset Palaeoeskimo populations on the island.

- by Donald H Holly and +3
- •
- Northeastern North America (Archaeology), Bow and Arrow Technology, Newfoundland Archaeology, Atlatl
- by Beverly Seckinger
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- Atlatl
- by Rebecca Schwendler
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- Anthropology of Children and Childhood, Magdalenian, Spearthrower, Atlatl

The atlatl is one of the oldest and perhaps most universerally used weapons in the New World. Evidence for its use in California is found in nearly every region of the state in the form of engaging spurs. Attachable spurs tend to be the least perishable component of this ancient wepon system. Despite their ubqiquity in the archaeological record, little has been published on these artifacts since Riddell and McGeein's 1969 article in American Antiquity. In this paper, we report on a pair of recently excavated bone atlatl engaging spurs recoverd from a site in central California. Using these stylistically very different spurs, we critically examine the application of the existing taxonomic system and present a refinement of White's 1989 classifcation of California atlatl spurs.

- by Richard Fitzgerald
- •
- Prehistoric weapons, California Archaeology, Atlatl
- by Andy J . Ciofalo
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- Archaeology, Maya Archaeology, Atlatl

Figure One-Photo of a painting called Pre-Columbian Indian with Atlatl by well-known western artist James Bama. In part one of my series on the atlatl, I discussed the components of a basic atlatl weapon system. I then went through the advantage of lengthening the spear thrower's arm with an atlatl handle. With everything else being equal, lengthening the throwing arm by using a spear thrower or an atlatl increases the velocity and distance of an airborne spear or dart. For a given mass, higher velocity translates to better penetration into a prey animal which then translates into more tissue and organ damage. Of course, there is always too much of a good thing, and increasing the length of an atlatl handle past a certain limit significantly decreases the spear's accuracy.

- by Chris Loendorf
- •
- Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Geology, Geochemistry

Trend in weapon technology: through time more technologically complex, greater accuracy, range and power, requiring less strength and skill, so significantly easier to use, including at young ages. Ethnographic reports and our learning data show that even very young children can achieve proficiency with a spear-thrower and dart and this is true of bow and arrow as well. Cross-cultural data show that weaponry play, generally associated only with males, often starts at a very young age. Children play with miniature versions of the easier-to-use bows and arrows even as toddlers. Spear use appears to start somewhat later, although the age appears to depend somewhat on the form of the spear, with the three-pronged spears used in Oceania for fishing being used earlier. There is less ethnographic data on spear throwers than for bows or spears. Although technology allows younger and weaker individuals to participate in war and hunt, ethnographically, social constraints and need to learn other behaviors and skills beyond just the weapon reduces this potential.

- by John Whittaker
- •
- Archaeology, Anthropology, Ethnoarchaeology, Cross-Cultural Studies

The transition from the atlatl to the bow-and-arrow happened numerous times in prehistory and often in tandem with rising social complexity. Recent work relying on longitudinal scores from recreational archery and atlatl competitions suggests that changes in social complexity arose due to between-technology differences in learning rates: bows take more time to master, and thus their benefits are not as easily obtained as those of atlatls. We show that the learning curves underpinning this conclusion do not account for inter-competitor variability in learning rates and that critical sources of uncertainty were omitted from the analysis. We use multilevel models to carry out an analysis of the score data that circumvents these problems. The multilevel models indicate that at best, the modern recreational data are consistent with similarly modest score gains for both technologies. These modest gains are probably unrelated to learning.