Extended Temporal Overlaps of Atlatl and Bow Technologies in the Great Basin and Other Parts of North America

Summary

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.

There is a large literature that discusses the prehistoric introduction of the bow and arrow into the various regions of North America. The dates of the introduction vary greatly. Erroneously, it is sometimes assumed that this “technological innovation” quickly replaced the atlatl and dart. However, there is a growing corpus of data that indicate, in some locations, that it took 1,500 years or more before the atlatl and dart were totally replaced. In most areas, the introduction of the new technology did not result in any immediate changes in technological tradition or economic practice. An examination of this transition in various cultural contexts provides insights into the factors that may have influenced the adoption of the bow and arrow.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• 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

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39606.0