Atlatl (Other Keyword)

DOCUMENT Citation Only William S Webb.

J. Whittaker: Reviews world atlatl types: most forms rigid, they increase length of arm. Paleolithic "weighted" forms (large carving with hook) are as inflexible as straight "unweighted" ones, so no advantage. Atlatl's importance in Archaic explains why is treated ceremonially in burials, but weights are not "bannerstones". “Enormous” numbers of fakes made 1890-1930 and on. Changes from 4000-1500 BC led to greater efficiency. Archaic and Basketmaker atlatls are "elastic devices for...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Ulrich Stodiek. Harald Floss.

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...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Jean Pierre Lansac.

J. Whittaker: [“On a chronological framework for the use of the spearthrower and the bow.” In French] Hunting weapons (spears) are known from at least Middle Paleolithic times, and common opinion is that spearthrowers begin at least by Solutrean, but bow not until Mesolithic. Two methods of evaluating this chronology: “direct” evidence of the weapons themselves, and “indirect” evidence of the projectile points compared to ethnographic and experimental information. Describes basic use, and male,...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Nicolas Geertsma.

J. Whittaker: Red deer antler segment with hole like shaft-hole hammers but with no good hammer end and a small hook is proposed as possible atlatl hook. Photos, reconstruction. [Plausible but not conclusive - need dates.]

DOCUMENT Citation Only Dick Baugh.

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...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Richard A Baugh.

J. Whittaker: Atlatl is a lever, operating principle is “Wrist torque applied to the length of the atlatl allows wrist rotation to increase the velocity of the dart.” Simple computer model to predict velocity of dart, affected by mass of dart and length and mass of atlatl. Horizontal force and wrist torque versus hand position derived from video record of throws; two other variables are hand mass and hand radius of gyration. Some horizontal force applied by hand, but most force from wrist...

DOCUMENT Citation Only D P Engvall.

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...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Jeffrey S Couch. Tracy A Stropes. Adella B Schroth.

J. Whittaker: Point size makes no difference in throwing distance. [Weak experimental design (small sample human throws) and dubious theoretical orientation (Perkins) but conclusion correct. However human variability in throws should be expected to outweigh difference in points, and the real useful info here is the demonstration that all point sizes work about equally, so point size is not necessarily a good marker of atlatl vs bow]

DOCUMENT Citation Only Teej Anspach. Rebekah Merrill.

J. Whittaker: unpublished class paper, Grinnell College. Throwing at ISAC target with Berg darts, atlatl unweighted and 81 gm weights at 3 positions. For each condition, 18 composite scores of five shots each. Proximal weight poorest; no weight and middle position show no signif diff; distal weight improved accuracy. Suggest improvement is from balancing dart while aiming.

DOCUMENT Citation Only William R Perkins. David Wescott.

J. Whittaker: Dart is most important part of "spring mass mechanical system" - it flexes, and mass of point resists force, helps flex dart and store energy. Longer darts need bigger pts with more mass to flex efficiently. Distance tests - variation +1.5 gm around a 9 gm mass is ok Temporal trend to smaller points reflects faster darts, but more sensitive, so need more standardization of points in each local tradition [inadequate example given, and what about resharpening?] Stone points...

DOCUMENT Citation Only William R Perkins. David Wescott.

J. Whittaker: Dart is most important part of "spring mass mechanical system" - it flexes, and mass of point resists force, helps flex dart and store energy. Longer darts need bigger pts with more mass to flex efficiently. Distance tests - variation +1.5 gm around a 9 gm mass is ok Temporal trend to smaller points reflects faster darts, but more sensitive, so need more standardization of points in each local tradition [inadequate example given, and what about resharpening?] Stone points...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Wm Jack Hranicky.

J. Whittaker: [Again a mixed bag. The short atlatl section is not useful - out of date, relies on strange flexing theories.]

DOCUMENT Citation Only Edward Mcewen. Robert L Miller. Christopher A Bergman.

J. Whittaker: Bow developed end of Upper Palaeolithic, earliest examples are Mesolithic, earliest composite bows 3rd millennium BC in Asia. Experimental bow comparisons should use correct reproductions of old bows and arrows proper to each bow. Velocity is used as measure of comparison. Arrow velocities achieved were 30-60 mps from a variety of self and composite bows. Compared to 195 gm, 152 cm dart thrown with replica Basketmaker atlatl at 23 mps.

DOCUMENT Citation Only Bernd Karger. Hubert Sudhues. B P Knewubuehl. BRINKMANN B..

J. Whittaker: Medical experiments, longbow, compound bow, crossbow. Pig carcasses, soap, gelatin targets at 8 m. Velocity 45 m/s longbow to 67 m/s compound bow. Penetration in non-bone tissue 17-60 cm, depending on velocity and type of arrowhead. Ribs always perforated, thick bone not, extraction from bone difficult. Although arrows are light and low velocity, much less kinetic energy than bullet, but they penetrate by cutting and stabbing, and have high sectional density, i.e. they are long so...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Steven E Churchill. William L Hylander. Daniel Schmitt.

J. Whittaker: Argues that Neanderthal humeri are asymmetrical, with right more robust. They are wider front to back, compared to Upper Paleolithic humeri which are rounder, consistent with (tortional) throwing loads. Neanderthal asymmetry more likely to result from thrusting spears, and the Lower and Middle Paleolithic spears so far found are large and heavy, better for thrusting than throwing. In an underhand thrust, the strong hand is at the back, and takes most of the (bending) stress....

DOCUMENT Citation Only Martin J Smith. Megan Brickley. Stephany Leach.

J. Whittaker: Stone point wounds in bone hard to identify without embedded point. Experiments show can be done both macro and microscopically, and stone points often leave embedded fragments. Used longbow + flint points, shot into bones with some soft tissue [carcasses would have been better]. Also points attached to mechanical striker calibrated in joules (kinetic energy) to compare penetration and tangential strikes on cattle scapulae (structurally similar to human cranium). Several...

DOCUMENT Citation Only James T Pokines.

J. Whittaker: Spanish Upper Paleolithic, transition from Solutrean to LM included intensification of deer, ibex, salmon, mollusc use and shift from lithic points to antler. Points are unbarbed, with beveled bases. Experiment to determine use-life factors. Used fresh N. Am. elk antler, 20 pts made with modern tools. Beveled, modern glue join to hardwood shaft, all used with same mainshaft, round, 31 mm diam, 2 m long. Hand thrown at 3-5 m at goat carcass. Total 249 throws, of which 51 were...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Gene L Titmus. James C Woods.

J. Whittaker: [Note individual variation: L vs R patterns] Use vs manufacture breakage of Elko corner-notched forms. Manufacture: perverse [and bending] breaks, mostly barb or stem in notching. Effects of hafting. [Not enough statistical treatment.] Surprisingly long survival of some points in use, but 70% damaged by 1 throw, average 2.1 throws. Bending fracture most common, especially at neck, espec in yielding material. Crushing - mostly distal and marginal [includes impact flutes] and hard...

DOCUMENT Citation Only George C Frison.

J. Whittaker: Clovis points used on culled elephants, observations on hafting and effectiveness, herd behavior and strategy. Hafted on wooden foreshaft socketed into mainshaft, spear weight 358-432 grams [very heavy for atlat - were they flexible or more like harpoon?], but heavier got better penetration. Penetration ends when larger shaft reaches hole, so long foreshaft better, but longer breaks more easily. A taper to socket fit for foreshaft worked well if tight; shoulder + plug broke, taper...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Anan W Raymond.

J. Whittaker: Atlatl makes arc, but NOT with the diameter = arm + atlatl, i.e. nock and spear follow straight line, with handle going down. [Not correct throw, lacks power – he misunderstands normal atlatl mechanics, although he is right about diameter (apparently responding to Butler). His drawing of the throw shows that he does in fact flip the atlatl, but to keep to his model, bends his body forward at the waist, bringing the arm down – very poor form.] Velocity of 70 gm dart...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Orville H Peets.

J. Whittaker: Weight makes no difference to distance of cast. Weights probably for balance of spear on hand. [Motion not described, but inaccuracy mentioned. Recognized problems of consistency in throwing, but sample size is not mentioned.]

DOCUMENT Citation Only C. Mau.

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DOCUMENT Citation Only C Mau.

J. Whittaker: Experiments with distance as criterion. Points of copper tube, 1/8 to 1 oz, darts lengths 2.5-5.5 ft, atlatls 12-30 inches long - 24" best. Best distance (180-200' usual) with unfletched 36", 3/8" diam, wt 2.5 oz, pt 1 oz, balance ca. 31% from tip. Fletched shaft allows use of lighter points, balance less important, reduced range. Speculations on prehist point styles. Bannerstones - pipe of different weights at different places on atlatls. Best was moderate weight, ca. 5 oz,...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Christopher Ellis.

J. Whittaker: Good article, nice compilation of ethnographic data on point use, good consideration of +/- factors in use of stone tips and alternatives. Not much directly related to atlatls. Conclusions: stone tips make more effective, improve light projectiles, usually indicate large game hunting.

DOCUMENT Citation Only Pierre Cattelain.

J. Whittaker: [Typological notes on prehistoric bone artifacts, book 2, Spearthrowers] First finds by Lartet and Christy 1864 Laugerie-Basse, identified as harpoon tip with barb, recognized in publication by de Mortillet 1891 (and unknown correspondant from Ireland in 1864). Distinguishes three types: male, female, and androgenous [hook + groove like Basketmaker]. Considers only specimens that are clearly parts of atlatls, 118 pieces. Hook wear: slight ring depression around tip, scratches on...