D.C. Worchester (The Philippine Islands 1898, p. 297) mentions examples made of buffalo horn from the wild tribes of North Luzon. He adds, “To perform this operation successfully requires long practice. I have yet to see a white man who professes to be able to do it..how the savages first came to think of getting fire in such a way is, to me, a mystery.”
In many ways the fire piston is still a mystery. It is a mystery how it was discovered, and how to make a successful model. But it is also challenge, and in a world of “absolutes” the challenge presented by the centuries-old Tachypyron could be refreshing.
The author (foreground) competes against other modern-day “abos” in the accuracy competition held annually at the Rabbit Stick Rendevous (photo by Linda Jamison).
David Wescott
An Introduction to the Atatl
. . . if a major league pitcher can hurl a fast ball at 100 miles per hour, just think what you would have if you could fit a gorilla with 20% longer arms into that same uniform (although you may have trouble getting it to wear that little cap).
The atlatl (pronounced similar to rat-rattle by some and rattle-rattle by others), dating back over 40,000 years, is perhaps the world’s oldest compound tool (compound—a combination of two or more elements or parts) and perhaps the world’s oldest machine (machine—any contrivance or apparatus designed to produce or utilize power or energy), and is indeed the first of the great developments in hunting implements. The word atlatl, as it applies to this specific style of weaponry, comes to us from the ancient language of the Toltec, meaning spear thrower (Tate 1987).
Atlatl technology, used for both defense and offense, is certainly one of the most widely adopted and longest used technologies on earth. Artifacts have been found on every continent in the world except Africa and Antarctica, and predate the development of the bow and arrow by over 10,000 years. Many civilizations continued use of the atlatl until well after contact with the modern world. In fact, there is evidence to show that some, such as the Australian Aborigines, preferred their woomerahs over the bow and arrow even though their closest neighbors, the Asmats of New Guinea had switched to bows and arrows centuries before. Mexican Indians have used the throwing boards well into the twentieth century, yet they posses artifacts that have dated to thirteen thousand years ago. The northern tribes of the Eskimo used both the throwing board and bow and arrow as contemporaries.
It is believed that the reason for the continuous use of the atlatl in only certain areas was due to (1) the simplicity and adaptability of the technology; and (2) the specific survival needs of the people.
Simplicity and Adaptability
The Australian primitive simply removed a slab of wood from a tree, shaped it with simple pebble tools or used it as is. As the technology was refined and expanded, its adaptability became more evident through the variety of designs, materials and modifications employed in the many geographic areas that it is found. As man evolved from the close-range interaction of megafauna and thrusting spears, to a need for longer range weapons to be used against faster and smaller game, the atlatl was a natural solution. As game became even smaller and faster, the bow and arrow took over.
Survival Needs
The natural shape of the aboriginal woomerah allowed them to adapt its use to a variety of daily chores, thus reducing their need for a lot of specialized gadgetry. It was used as a music maker, digging stick, scythe, two-man fire saw and much more. A flint chip was also imbedded into the handle with spinifex gum so it could be used as an adze or chisel. As the use of the technology continued, the knowledge of animal life and the stealth and body control needed to master it as a hunting tool continued. Once the need for stealth or dexterity dwindled as a result of modern weaponry, so did the basic survival skills of the people.
In most literature, the technology of the atlatl has been lumped into one category—that of a projectile propelled by a solid hand-held extension. Very little has been written about atlatls that helps to distinguish the broad variety of styles separated by design, construction and use. Without looking at the various types of atlatl as distinctly unique from one another, we fall into the trap of comparing throwing boards to casting sticks because they are both atlatls, but dissimilar in other ways.
This lack of distinction has caused some confusion when trying to decipher why the atlatl works, as well as interpret the many items found in association with different atlatl-using cultures (ie. weights, bannerstones).
Atlatl Systems
The following categories have been enlisted to provide a simple classification for deciding what type of system (the atlatl and projectile must be made as a set) you may wish to produce based upon local tradition, materials available and what you want to do with the set you make. The categories do not establish a hierarchy or distinguish one class as any more valuable than another. They are only divisions that may help you to determine what it takes to make the set you desire, the level of skill and technology you may have to employ, and the principles involved that make it work.
Throwing Board
A throwing board was employed primarily in the northern regions to propel a harpoon into fish or mammals. A similar style of rigid board was used in Mexico to catch fish. The board was very rigid with the grip and finger loops either carved into it (integral) or provided by pegs that are added. The harpoon was a relatively heavy projectile that carries a detachable toggle point. Once the point entered the prey, the shaft fell away and the hunter retrieved his catch by means of a line attached to the toggle. The atlatl allowed the heavy shaft to be propelled with power from a sitting position and added thrust to the shaft when it was thrown into the water. Since wood was at a premium in the north, the shafts were relatively short and were detachable so that they were easily retrieved. In the south, the fishing spears were very long and may or may not have employed a detachable point. Both shafts were heavy so as to carry the force delivered by the atlatl. The atlatl’s main function was to increase leverage.
Spear Thrower
The spear thrower system was used by mankind through most of our hunting tradition. Some flex may have been built into the system by either the atlatl, spear or both, but it was not a highly tuned device. Its main purpose was to deliver a long, heavy spear a fair distance into prey that was either too fast or too lethal to get close to, or increase the accuracy of the placement of the spear. The extra power from the thrower and the mass of the spear delivered incredible kinetic energy (knock-down power) to the prey.
Ivory throwers from the times of the Neanderthal to the modern woomeras of contemporary Australian Aborigines fall into this class of atlatl. The spears were a solid shaft with either a fire-hardened tip, hafted point or detachable foreshaft. The detachable foreshaft allowed the hunter to retrieve the spear and reload with a new foreshaft, ready to fire again. Thus the weight of additional spear shafts was exchanged for numerous foreshafts-not to mention the extra labor needed to produce a full-length spear.
Flexible System