Atlatl
Yanmei Ho
P.2
Atlatl Project
An atlatl is a stick with a hook on the end. The atlatl is used to increase leverage in throwing a spear. The spear (called a dart or yaomitl) is more like an arrow. It has fletching added to stabilize flight
History of Atlatl
An atlatl may be one of the first compound weapons used to enhance human power. Archeological evidence dates the atlatl to be about 25,000 years old, but it is believed to have been used for over 40.000 years. The atlatl allowed early humans to hunt big animals such as the mammoth and wooly rhino. Later on the development of the bow overtook the atlatl. This is because the bow was much quieter and easier to carry; and after the big animals were gone, the atlatl’s strength was not needed to hunt the remaining smaller animals. People began using the atlatl in Europe during the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age, around 17.00 B.C. Many hunters used atlatls in North America during the Paleo-Indian and Archaic periods, and the migrating people took them to South America. It was first introduced to North America during the immigration across the Bering Land Bridge which was an ancient land bridge about 1000 miles wide. This bridge connected Asia with North America during the Pleistocene ice ages. In the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors invaded Central America, the Aztecs re-adopted the atlatl. The Aztecs weren't able to compete against the Spaniard firearms, but many conquistadors were surprised to see that their steel armors were pierced both front and back by a dart. Dave Ingvall set the World Record for throwing the atlatl with a distance of 848.56 feet in 1995. There was also an atlatl dart that was found in a melting patch high on the Rocky Mountains close to Yellowstone National Park. This dart was made from birch sapling and still carried the ancient hunter's markings.
Physics of Atlatl
Both the atlatl and dart are springs that store energy. When both of the arms move forward, they will
P.2
Atlatl Project
An atlatl is a stick with a hook on the end. The atlatl is used to increase leverage in throwing a spear. The spear (called a dart or yaomitl) is more like an arrow. It has fletching added to stabilize flight
History of Atlatl
An atlatl may be one of the first compound weapons used to enhance human power. Archeological evidence dates the atlatl to be about 25,000 years old, but it is believed to have been used for over 40.000 years. The atlatl allowed early humans to hunt big animals such as the mammoth and wooly rhino. Later on the development of the bow overtook the atlatl. This is because the bow was much quieter and easier to carry; and after the big animals were gone, the atlatl’s strength was not needed to hunt the remaining smaller animals. People began using the atlatl in Europe during the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age, around 17.00 B.C. Many hunters used atlatls in North America during the Paleo-Indian and Archaic periods, and the migrating people took them to South America. It was first introduced to North America during the immigration across the Bering Land Bridge which was an ancient land bridge about 1000 miles wide. This bridge connected Asia with North America during the Pleistocene ice ages. In the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors invaded Central America, the Aztecs re-adopted the atlatl. The Aztecs weren't able to compete against the Spaniard firearms, but many conquistadors were surprised to see that their steel armors were pierced both front and back by a dart. Dave Ingvall set the World Record for throwing the atlatl with a distance of 848.56 feet in 1995. There was also an atlatl dart that was found in a melting patch high on the Rocky Mountains close to Yellowstone National Park. This dart was made from birch sapling and still carried the ancient hunter's markings.
Physics of Atlatl
Both the atlatl and dart are springs that store energy. When both of the arms move forward, they will