atl-atl, an ancient weapon

a demonstration of the ice-age spear thrower, called the atl-atl, at Meadowcroft rock shelter in Avella PA

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• atl-atl
• spear
• thrower
• ice
• age
• Meadowcroft

[atlasperros]

this weapon is very effective in the

RIGHT/PROFESSIONAL hands

[Fyremael]

Actually, the earliest ones known are from France, and they're about 30-40,000 years old, if my information is correct. The aztecs did use them, yes, and extremely well, but they likely did not invent them, though it is possible they could have come about independently all over the world. No demonstration, by the way!

[umidontno040394]

@jukio02 yes, atlatls were used on every continent. but most native americans abandoned this when they invented the bow (about 2 thousand years ago). the aztecs still used them however untill their demise.

[umidontno040394]

@Fyremael it is highly likely that they became indepentent invented in many places. for atlatls are/were found on every continent. several things have been invented independently. the bow and arrow, for example, in at least 2 places. native americans didnt have bows untill about 2,000 years ago, the old world had them much earlier. its highly unlikely they had contact.

[vvinblog]

I almost killed my friend with that thing, when we were kids, i made that thing, and i told my friend to go to other stadium side and wait for arrow, so that he could ick it up and bring it faster. What I did not expect was that the spear will go so far and it almost hit my firend like landed few metres from his left lol.

[jukio02]

native americans used this right?

[ShrubliiPrudukchinz]

when i built this i had 3 cats now i have... oh to soon

[Commentgal12]

uh...idk who else used em, but i know that the MAYANS used them

[GuamKomudo]

That's what I heard, but there's lots of stories, either way, it was so long ago that they were not even "Europeans" anyway. Just people wondering around.

[abe2517]

@Fyremael Fair enough, I probably shouldn't have used the word viking interchangeably with European. I just thought it might sound a bit insensitive to say the "White man gave it to the Red man".

[Fyremael]

@abe2517 That would be pretty fascinating, except that I don't know of any archaeological or literary evidence that the Vikings used atlatls or any form of spear thrower, and I have studied/practiced ancient Norse/Germanic warfare quite a bit, to put it lightly. The Norse/Germanics would throw spears, but always by hand, never by atlatl or amentum. And I must correct my former post. The earliest known atlatl is 15,000 years old or so, not 30,000.

[abe2517]

@Fyremael Read the Myths of Quetzalcoatl dude, a Viking philosopher-king brought them over to the new world in roughly 850-900 ad. Great stuff. Faved.