who used atlatl

Full Answer

Who used atlatls in the past?

Most everybody’s ancestors used atlatls at some time in the past. The only continent with no record of atlatl use is Africa. Spear throwers were invented in the Upper Paleolithic period by early modern humans, who originated even earlier in Africa, so it is quite possible that we simply don’t have the evidence yet for early African spear throwers.

What are atlatls used for Today?

Even after the introduction of the bow, atlatls continued to be used for certain applications, such as waterfowl hunting, marine mammal hunting, fishing, and warfare. When Spanish conquistadors advanced into Mesoamerica in the 16th c., they met warriors armed with atlatls, and quickly developed a respect for the weapon.

When was the first atlatl made?

This atlatl was recovered from the cave site of La Mas d’Azil, and was made between 15,300 and 13,300 years ago. Atlatl Spear Thrower, Carved as a Bison, La Madeleine, Dordogne Valley, France, ca 15,000 BP.

Where do atlatls come from?

Post-bow atlatls have been found on the Baja peninsula (Massey 1961) and in Florida (Whittaker 2011). In colonial Brazil during the 17 th c., the Dutch recruited frightening Tarairiu warriors, who used only atlatls for projectiles, as guerrillas against the Portuguese!

Who first used the term "atlatls"?

Where did the Atlatls come from?

What is the difference between a thrust spear and an atlatl spear?

What is an Atlatl?

Why are atlatls called atlatls?

How long is an atlatl?

What is the motion of a thrower?

See more

Who used the atlatl to hunt?

It was superior to the older technology and was the weapon of choice for millennia, supplanted only by the invention of the bow and arrow, which occurred at least 1,000 years ago in North America. We know the word atlatl comes from the Aztecs who used the weapon to penetrate the armor of Spanish invaders.

Who invented atlatl?

The atlatl or spearthrower is a hunting technology which was invented at least 17,000 years ago by Upper Paleolithic humans in Europe.

Did the Aztec use atlatl?

A stick the length of a man's arm, with a grip at one end and a hook to engage the spear at the other, these spear throwers were called atlatl in the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs. The leverage of the long atlatl allowed a thrower to fling a light spear much farther and faster than by hand alone.

Where was the atlatl first used?

The earliest secure data concerning atlatls have come from several caves in France dating to the Upper Paleolithic, about 21,000 to 17,000 years ago. The earliest known example is a 17,500-year-old Solutrean atlatl made of reindeer antler, found at Combe Saunière (Dordogne), France.

Did Neanderthals use spear-throwers?

​Neanderthals were able take down large prey from up to 20 metres away using their cleverly crafted throwing spears, new research suggests.

When did Indians start using the atlatl?

Ancient hunting tools By swinging the spear-thrower overhead and forward, hunters could launch their darts with greater force than if they were to throw them like javelins. Archaeological evidence indicates that hunter-gathers in the Old World used atlatls beginning at least 18,000 years ago.

What weapons did Mayans use?

The Mayans had both long-distance weapons and melee weapons. The long distance ones included bow and arrow, blowgun, slings and throwing spears. When the atlatl or spear thrower was brought to the Mayans from Teotihuacan around 400 A.D., it was quickly adopted and became the Mayans' dominant long distance weapon.

What was the Aztecs main weapon?

A macuahuitl ([maːˈkʷawit͡ɬ]) is a weapon, a wooden club with several embedded obsidian blades. The name is derived from the Nahuatl language and means "hand-wood". Its sides are embedded with prismatic blades traditionally made from obsidian.

What did the Aztecs use to hunt?

These were dogs, turkeys, and ducks. The rest of their meat supply came from hunting deer, rabbits, and iguanas. They also fished and harvested other aquatic animals like shrimp.

When did Native Americans stop using the atlatl?

By about 10,000 BC, people in Europe stopped using the atlatl because they were using the bow and arrow instead. The same thing happened in North America starting around 3000 BC.

Which came first the atlatl or the bow?

Atlatls are ancient weapons that preceded the bow and arrow in most parts of the world and are one of humankind's first mechanical inventions. The word atlatl (pronounced AT-lat-uhl) comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztec, who were still using them when encountered by the Spanish in the 1500s.

How far can a person throw an atlatl?

An atlatl dart can be thrown with the same penetrating power as an arrow shot from a 50-pound-draw longbow. Hunting and target range is typically 10 to 30 yards, but the world-record throw is over 848 feet.

What is an atlatl?

An atlatl is essentially a stick with a handle on one end and a hook or socket that engages a light spear or “dart” on the other. The flipping motion of the atlatl propels a light spear much faster and farther than it could be thrown by hand alone. Most everybody’s ancestors used atlatls at some time in the past.

Where did the word "atlatl" come from?

The word atlatl (pronounced at-latal or atal-atal) comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztec, who were still using them when encountered by the Spanish in the 1500s.

Where did spear throwers originate?

The first known spear throwers come from European Upper Paleolithic sites in France and Spain. Most are from the Magdalenian period (ca 15,000 B.C.), with at least one example possibly from the earlier Solutrean.

Where did the Atlatl come from?

History. The name Atlatl comes from the Aztec language, Nahuatl. In Nahuatl, Atlatl means “spear thrower”. The use of the tool, however, dates far before the Aztec Empire (1345 – 1521 AD).

Where did the Aztecs use the Atlatl?

The Aztecs used the Atlatl in the area of what is now Mexico. In 1521, the Spanish conquest of the Aztec peoples by Hernan Cortes had finished, but not without extensive use of the Atlatl by the Aztecs — as a combat tool — against the Spanish forces. In modern times, the Atlatl has regained popularity.

What should the Atlatl thrower be made of?

The branches should be of sturdy wood, not too young or pliable, but also not too old or decayed. The Atlatl thrower should be made of a slightly curved branch. The spear, of course, should be straighter and narrower than the thrower. It should be able to fit inside a notch in the Atlatl.

How to make an Atlatl thrower?

To make an Atlatl thrower (and the corresponding spear) you will need at least two tree branches of moderate length, feathers, scissors, string, glue, and some sort of carving tool. Follow these steps to make a wooden Atlatl Spear.

What is an Atlatl spear?

The Atlatl Spear, or just the Atlatl, is the name of several pre-modern tools associated with spear throwing. It’s basically a piece of bone, ivory, or wood that is slightly curved. It is usually about five to twenty-four inches long and about one to three inches wide. It has a hooked or indented end.

How long is an atlatl?

The Atlatl is used for spear-throwing, usually three to eight feet in length. By resting the spear in the Atlatl, pulling the throwing arm back, and then releasing the spear, the Atlatl acts as a lever and an extension of the throwing arm.

Where to carve a notch on an Atlatl thrower?

Adjust your carving as necessary. Step 3: Carve the Notch. The notch of the Atlatl thrower should go on the end of the convex side of the curved (and carved) branch. In other words, if you hold up the branch lengthwise and it looks like a shallow hill, carve the notch at the base of the hill — at the end of the stick.

What were the uses of the Atlatls?

Even after the introduction of the bow, atlatls continued to be used for certain applications, such as waterfowl hunting, marine mammal hunting, fishing, and warfare. When Spanish conquistadors advanced into Mesoamerica in the 16th c., they met warriors armed with atlatls, and quickly developed a respect for the weapon.

How does an Atlatl work?

As described in What is an atlatl and how does it work?, the atlatl is a lever that provides more control and a little more velocity on the projectile. Atlatl darts don’t hit harder than javelins, but atlatls do require less strength and probably less training to become proficient. They also slightly increase the effective distance for hunting. But advances in weaponry come with other costs; namely more complex tools require more time and effort to manufacture and maintain. Cultures that place more emphasis on skillful operation (such as getting close to prey) than production may be less inclined to transition to new tools (Cundy 1989). Other factors could cause new technology to be adopted or rejected. If something works, why replace it? The development of the atlatl matters, but first we need to think a little more about the historic contexts of weapon advancement.

What are Atlatl hooks made of?

The first immigrants into the Americas from Siberia around 15,000 years ago likely brought the atlatl with them. Atlatl hooks made of mammoth ivory have been found in Paleoindian cultural deposits in Florida rivers (Hemmings 2004).

What was the purpose of the Aleutian darts?

Aleutian islanders historically used poison tipped darts to hunt whales from kayaks. In the southwestern US, lighter darts were used with removable foreshafts that could be replaced when points broke, or when a blunt tip was needed for small game. These are the atlatls and darts of the Basketmaker culture.

What animals do atlatls hunt?

Atlatls in the Americas. In the Americas atlatls have been used to hunt everything from rabbits to blue whales. Heavy darts have proven effective in experiments on elephant carcasses, demonstrating that Clovis people could have effectively hunted megafauna (Frison 1989).

What is basketmaker in the Southwest?

The term Basketmaker is an early 20th c. archaeological designation for pre-pottery hunter-forager-farmers of the US Southwest. Dry conditions in this region have led to the preservation of a large number of prehistoric atlatls, relative to other areas of North America.

Where is the Atlatl weapon found?

The weapon has been found historically on Australia and Papua New Guinea. A lot has been written on atlatl forms and use in Australia (see Cundy 1989; Davidson 1936). They were used for fighting, hunting terrestrial mammals (mostly marsupials) and fishing. The antiquity of the weapon in Australia has been difficult to judge for ...

How long has the Atlatl been in use?

The atlatlmay be one of the first compound weapons that is, a tool used to enhance human power. While the earliest archeological evidence is 25,000 years old, it is believed that atlatlhas been in use for some 40,000 years.

What is the purpose of a spear atlatlis?

Basically, the atlatlis a stick with a hook on the end used to increase the leverage in throwing a spear. Actually, the spear (called a dart or yaomitl) is much more like an arrow. It has fletching added to stabilize flight and is quite flexible. The dart can come in many different lengths.

How much power does an atlatl dart have?

Because the atlatlis essentially a lever that doubles the length of the thrower's arm, it can easily deliver 200 times as much power and 6 times the range as a dart thrown like a traditional spear. Even with the increased mass of a normal spear, the atlatl-thrown dart clearly outpowers the spear.

Who first used the term "atlatls"?

The term was first noted by the American anthropologist Zelia Nuttall [1857–1933], who wrote about Mesoamerican atlatls in 1891, based on drawn images and three surviving examples. Other terms in use around the globe include spear thrower, woomera (in Australia), and propulseur (in French).

Where did the Atlatls come from?

The earliest secure information concerning atlatls comes from several caves in France dated to the Upper Paleolithic. Early atlatls in France are works of art, such as the fabulous example known as "le faon aux oiseaux" (Fawn with Birds), a 20 in (52 cm) long carved piece of reindeer bone decorated with a carved ibex and birds.

What is the difference between a thrust spear and an atlatl spear?

The stone points used on a thrust or hand-thrown spear are larger and heavier than those used on an atlatl, but that's a relative measure and a sharpened end will work as well. Simply put, archaeologists do not know how old the technology is.

What is an Atlatl?

An atlatl (pronounced atul-atul or aht-LAH-tul) is the name used primarily by American scholars for a spear thrower, a hunting tool that was invented at least as long ago as the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe.

Why are atlatls called atlatls?

They are called atlatls, because that's what the Aztecs were calling them when the Spanish arrived. Unfortunately for the Spanish, the Europeans had forgotten how to use them.

How long is an atlatl?

An atlatl is a slightly curved piece of wood, ivory, or bone, measuring between 5 and 24 inches (13–61 centimeters) long and between 1–3 in (2–7 cm) wide. One end is hooked, and the hook fits into the nock end of a separate spear shaft, itself between 3 to 8 feet (1–2.5 meters) in length. The working end of the shaft may simply be sharpened ...

What is the motion of a thrower?

The motion used by the thrower is similar to that of an overhand baseball pitcher. The thrower holds the atlatl handle in the palm of her hand and pinches the dart shaft with her fingers.

What Is A Spearthrower?

How to...

Earliest Atlatls

Modern Atlatl Use

Study History

• Archaeologists began to recognize atlatls in the late 19th century. The anthropologist and adventurer Frank Cushing [1857–1900] made replicas and may have experimented with the technology; Zelia Nuttall wrote about Mesoamerican atlatls in 1891, and anthropologist Otis T. Mason[1838–1908] looked at Arctic spear throwers and noticed that they were si...

See more on thoughtco.com

Sources