Atl-atls

Atl-atls are one of the most important technological breakthroughs for ancient hunters of the Americas. These tools first appeared in the western hemisphere approximately 13,000 years ago (11,000 B.C.E.), and revolutionized hunting practices for indigenous peoples (Hirst, “The Atlatl”). Atl-atls were used as spear throwers, allowing for hunters to exploit the larger game in the area for subsistence (Hirst, “The Atlatl”). With this tool, hunters could safely target animals such as mammoths and bison from a distance!

Atl-atls, such as the ones pictured below, have a large shaft with a hook on the proximal end. These hooks were used as stabilizing agents and were placed into a small hole on the end of a spear or other projectile (Whittaker, “Coaching the Atlatl”). Using an overhead throwing motion, the projectile would be released from the shaft and embedded into its target (Whittaker, “Coaching the Atlatl”). Atl-atls allowed for the thrower to propel a spear farther and with more force than can be achieved by hand (Britannica, “Spear-thrower”).

To see these tools in action, make sure to check out this video published by the Cherokee Nation- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3nghNGEUO8.

Atl-atls were used throughout the western hemisphere for thousands of years, until the invention of the bow and arrow in 1,000 B.C.E. While the bow and arrow became a preferred tool for many hunters, several cultures in Mesoamerica still used the atl-atl (“About Atlatls). Accounts from Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century describe that the Aztecs used these tools to defend invaders and that they were able to pierce through their metal armor (Hirst, “The Atlatl”).

Work Cited

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopedia. “Spear-thrower.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Aug. 2013, https://www.britannica.com/technology/spear-thrower. Accessed 2 May 2023.

Hirst, K. Kris. “The Atlatl: 17,000 Year Old Hunting Technology.” ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/what-is-an-atlatl-169989. Accessed 2 May 2023.

Whittaker, John. “Coaching the Atlatl: How a Spear Thrower Throws a Spear.” World Atlatl Association, Feb. 2002, revised 20 April 2023, https://worldatlatl.org/how-to-throw-with-an-atlatl/. Accessed 2 May 2023.

“About Atlatls.” World Atlatl Association, https://worldatlatl.org/about-atlatls/. Accessed 2 May 2023.

Credit to Liley Bozard and Olivia Lee