Atlatl (Other Keyword)
1-25 (242 Records)
J. Whittaker: Use wear ID’s unretouched flakes used as pts at Woodland sites & Archaic Mid W. Compare with experimental breakage of formal pts. Argues earlier use of bow and arrow than usually believed.
The Adoption of the Bow and Arrow in Eastern North America: A View from Central Arkansas (1999)
J. Whittaker: Regional survey of small point (= arrow) replacement of large points indicates likely earlier than previously thought - perhaps as early as 3000 BC in central plains with unifacial arrow points. Then some areas gradual transition with decrease in size of dart points, and transitional forms. In AR, abrupt introduction of arrow shown by bimodality of metric traits and different form of large and small points, and by different manufacture techniques, but long period of overlap,...
Aleut Throwing Board (2001)
J. Whittaker: Instructions for making rigid rectangular board with inset male hook, shaped handgrip. Traditional measurements by hand size.
Aleutian Islanders: Eskimos of the North Pacific (1944)
J. Whittaker: [Exhibit guide, general info, not too useful], “The spear-thrower is like a rigid sling...it acts as an extension of the arm and therefore enables the hunter to throw the spear with greater momentum and force. Modern experiments have shown that the spr and sprthr lack the accuracy of the bow and arrow but possessed greater penetrating power...advantage in hunting tough-hided sea mammals. Other advantages...are its lack of recoil and fact that it does not require use of both hands.”...
Annual Report to the State Historic Preservation Office Fiscal Year 2012 (2012)
The protocol between Bureau of Land Management-Alaska (BLM) and the Alaska State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) calls for an annual report to provide basic information to the SHPO on the year's cultural resource management activities. This report contains the required information from the BLM's Anchorage Field Office (AFO) for the 2012 federal fiscal year (October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012). The report is organized alphabetically by quadrangle name, and separates the Section 106...
Another Look at the Bannerstone (1984)
J. Whittaker: Early crude forms not likely ceremonial objects (Knoblock). Webb atlatl theory flawed because "no drilled stones actually found on an identifiable spearthrower assembly," some antler hooks "quite fragile...do not seem suited for atlatl service." Battering and breakage of hole ends not from atlatl use. New hypothesis: sliding hammerstone for flintknapping. Indirect percussion easiest to learn, better yet if hammer and punch linked - hammer slides down shaft to strike shoulder of...
Appendix 2. the Atlatl or Spearthrower. in Archaeological Investigations Along Sr 359, Mineral County, Nevada, By Peter F. Matranga, Jr. and Steven M. Stearns (1982)
This resource is a citation record only, the Center for Digital Antiquity does not have a copy of this document. The information in this record has been migrated into tDAR from the National Archaeological Database Reports Module (NADB-R) and updated. Most NADB-R records consist of a document citation and other metadata but do not have the documents themselves uploaded. If you have a digital copy of the document and would like to have it curated in tDAR, please contact us at comments@tdar.org.
Applying Age-Old Physics (2001)
J. Whittaker: Uses atlatl, trebuchet, and fire-plow to teach physics. Compares force of hand-thrown and atlatl spears, gives formula.
Archaeological, experimental and mathematical evidence supporting the use of the atlatl as a primary big game procurement weapon of prehistoric Americas (2000)
J. Whittaker: “Atlatl is not a spear thrower, it is a dart launcher.” – requires flex of dart to spring off hook. [Unexplained concept of oscillations invoked too.] Flexing force proportional to length of dart, shorter requires less, thus needs smaller point. Most efficient is L Dart = L Atlatl x Pi, best at middle ranges, so shorter for closer, longer atlatl for longer distance. Archaeological evidence of multiple lengths from rock art [not reliable]. Flexible atlatl adds efficiency, but hard...
Are Two Hands Better Than One? (2007)
J. Whittaker: Experiments with two-handed long atlatl - difficult and not too successful.
The arrow (1895)
J. Whittaker: [Fascinating early article by one of the first experimental archaeologists.] Arrow was invented before bow. Study specific for general laws of man’s development. Good quotes on above, personal and individual nature of anthro, philosophy of study and need for replication. His discovery of arrowmaking. Arrows described (SW example). "Knapping" direct, indirect, pressure described. Arrow making includes straight and smooth w/stone, grooved grinder for foreshafts, wrenches....
Arrowheads and Projectile Points with a Classification Guide for Lithic Artifacts (1974)
J. Whittaker: [Most of the book is devoted to an eccentric and not very useful splitter typology scheme based on 35 attributes, with point names unused by anyone else and quite unnecessary.] Discusses design influences on points, including bows: N. Am. relatively weak, would use light arrows, thus average arrowhead should be 4 gm, although up to 17 gm possible. Various possible point hafting techniques. Atlatls: darts depicted on pre-hispanic art (Nuttall) suggest lengths 26-50 inches [Too...
Art and Moche Martial Arts (2008)
J. Whittaker: Nothing to suggest coordinated formations, or attacks on fortification, most agree essence of M war was one-on-one combat for captures. Larco (2001) major source of info; in his museum distinguishes darts from lances (over 2 m long), no dart specimens. Darts always shown as compound weapons with long pt and thicker shaft. Lances or long spears rarely shown in M art. Copper spikes 25-50 cm long Larco thinks lance pts, but could be dart pts, would need counter weight on shaft to...
Article Review: Experiments in the Function and Performance of the Weighted Atlatl (Raymond 1985) (2005)
J. Whittaker: Raymond concluded slight advantage in distance with weights (negligible), but important conclusion is weight increases angular momentum which contributes stability to the throw, improving accuracy. Why Ray uses weighted atlatl.
At Long Last, An Atlatl of Your Very Own (1988)
J. Whittaker: Modern atlatl for experiment and sport, Leininger and Perkins featured. Does not occur as claimed in print version of that issue of Sports Illustrated.
The Atlatl and Dart (1998)
J. Whittaker: [A very good study, well written, the most thorough work in English. He covers the available literature in detail, and also relies on his own experiments and experience of Madden, Strischek, and Chauvaux.] Begins with ethnographic information on Arctic and Australian atlatls with good references, distribution of types, reports of use. Chapter 4 is History of Experimentation, good summaries. Chapter 5: The Motion. Differences are between short range accuracy throw and longer throw...
The Atlatl and Dart Workbook (2000)
J. Whittaker: Detailed instructions on making atlatls and darts, and general information on throwing, contests, hunting, and other stuff. [Easy to read, generally good information. The atlatls are all rather modernized, but despite this, most are unnecessarily complicated for the beginner. Instructions are well illustrated. Suggests (incorrectly) that atlatl weight transfers its momentum to dart. Includes ISAC rules, list of sources (but lacking many important ones).]
Atlatl and Dart ‘Parameters’ as it Relates to Equipment and Throwing Technique (2006)
J. Whittaker: Too many unaccounted variables in experimentation, it’s only personal experience, so experimenters should describe details of relevant parameters and not expect too wide an application. Lots of variability present and past = no one right equipment.
The Atlatl Assessed: A Review of Recent Anthropological Approaches to Prehistoric North American Weaponry (1985)
J. Whittaker: [Thorough review, good references, some mistakes.] Seems to accept theory of lengthened contact with spear rather than lever or spring. Most experiments show weights are no help. Atlatl survived for advantages in aquatic hunting and warfare.
Atlatl darts: the long and the short of it (2006)
J. Whittaker: Distance throws require lots flexibility, but that’s a liability for target accuracy. Best dart ca 3 x atlatl length and properly spined. Shorter darts require fletching.
Atlatl Dating and Violence in Rock Art in the American Southwest (2024)
This is an abstract from the "The Global “Impact” of Projectile Technologies: Updating Methods and Regional Overviews of the Invention and Transmission of the Spear-Thrower and the Bow and Arrow" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Atlatl-related motifs are prominent in a limited area of the prehistoric American Southwest. The motifs include atlatls and darts and images relating to hunting and violence, all socially and symbolically important. While...
Atlatl dynamics (1981)
J. Whittaker: Video digitizer and mathematical model used to predict velocity of darts under given conditions. - horizontal force, wrist torque, mass of hand, radius of gyration, weight of dart, length of atlatl. Simpler model than Cotterell and Kamminga 1989. Hand-thrown dart has short lever action (hand+wrist) while atlatl is much longer lever. Conclusions: Atlatl length (between .3-.75m) has little effect on velocity, although optimum length was .45 m. Adding a weight to atlatl can increase...
Atlatl flex: irrelevant (2006)
This resource is a citation record only, the Center for Digital Antiquity does not have a copy of this document. The information in this record has been migrated into tDAR from the EXARC Bibliography, originally compiled by Roeland Paardekooper, and updated. Most of these records consist of a document citation and other metadata but do not have the documents themselves uploaded. If you have a digital copy of the document and would like to have it curated in tDAR, please contact us using the...
Atlatl Flexibility Analysis Via Computer Modeling (2002)
J. Whittaker: “Extravagant claims made for increased dart velocity with flexible atlatl.” Uses computer model to show that to get 11% increase in kinetic energy, need to deflect the tip of the atlatl ca. 10 cm. [Possible with some very flexible atlatls.]
Atlatl from the Baylor Rock Shelter, Culberson County, Texas (1940)
This resource is a citation record only, the Center for Digital Antiquity does not have a copy of this document. The information in this record has been migrated into tDAR from the National Archaeological Database Reports Module (NADB-R) and updated. Most NADB-R records consist of a document citation and other metadata but do not have the documents themselves uploaded. If you have a digital copy of the document and would like to have it curated in tDAR, please contact us at comments@tdar.org.