The way I understand it, atlatls were in use for hunting and probably for defense long before bow and arrow technology came about. In fact, there is archaelogical evidence that atlatl use was as old as 17,500 years ago. I had an archaelogical "expert" tell me many years ago, that the intermediate points in size were not spear or arrow points, but undoubtedly were very old (greater than 5000 years old) and were atlatl points. On our driveway and throughout our property, there are 1000's of chips of black obsidian from more recent times and a few arrowheads, but we also have found these much older atlatl points.

Here are a couple of atlatl points that we've found in the garden.



Here are a couple of rocks (raw material) of chert and obsidian that were made into more modern arrow points. The atlatl points above, as I understand it, are much older.


There are probably people on this forum that are a whole lot more knowledgeable than I am on this subject. I hope they chime in to better educate me and others.

You are correct with your atlatl history. Use varies regionally, but atlatls were in use thousands of years b4 archery and continued to be utilized up to and after European contact.

Atlatls are amazing tools. Very simple lever physics.

I am no good with one, but they are fun to play with.

Thanks Swamp Wolf and k snow. You guys are obviously much more educated than I on atlatls.

There is a World Atlatl Association. Several active members here in WI.

World Atlatl Association

Awhile back someone on this forum posted a picture of deer that young son harvested witha atlatl

A couple modern atlatl and Dalton blade.

The folk on the Yukon Delta still hunt seals with an atlatl type tool. Maybe Yukonjeff has some pics. I was on a boat once when they were doing that. No pics tho.

An atlatl is to a bow and arrow what a 458 win mag is to a 308, my opinion anyways


Like said above there fun to play with and it’s amazing just how far and hard you can throw a spear with one, and how accurate you can be with it with some practice, for myself I am decent with one but I know some that are so much better it’s phenomenal

The Aztec’s made heavy use of the atlatl you can see it in a lot of their artwork

Thanks for the info and share, Jack.

I like that top one that they added weight to it for more power and maybe better balance..Never seen one like that before.

Upstate, I personally made that atlatl and it was fashioned after one I seen years ago. I'm sure there are alot of theories on the use of atlatl weights. Balance, power and silencing properties are few I have heard of.

Very nice! What is it made of,,and what do you use for the dart/spear?

I remember reading some time ago about an atlatl interest group. They supposedly had some guys that could puncture a hay bale from a football field length away.

Years ago before you could go on places like Amazon and buy them there were already groups throwing them, I remember going to one of those throws back 89/90 or so and the final round they were throwing at old duck decoys from a hundred yards away and regularly hitting them as well, it was amazing to see and is what got me interested in it which really picked up when it became so easy to just buy what you want because my crafting skills suck


By the way some form of Atatl is found around the world from those used by the Australia aborigines to the head hunters of New Guinea or native hunters in various parts of Africa ect just like bows the form might change to meet local materials and usage but its there just like bows makes you wonder especially when you look at some of the isolated places and think did it come from outside or was it some spark of inspiration

Upstate the handle is made of persimmon wood and the spur is made from deer antler. I used a slate type stone for the weight didnt do anything fancy just a couple grooves for attachment to the handle. I use river cane for the atlatl dart. Deer antler tips foreshafted in the ends just for practice.

As I understand the mechanics of the throwing handle and the weight:
The handle is flexible in various amounts. The weight added makes the handle flex more when swung forward with the combination of the weight of the dart and also the speed in which the flex returns it's power into the dart . The weight is moved up or down to get it tuned for the most flex and power. Each piece of wood is different in thickness and flex, therefore tuning was an art. A well tuned handle would increase speed and accuracy with less effort.
Never used one, but have found points and seen weights.

Gulo, I believe that black and red obsidian chunk came from around my stomping grounds. Glass Buttes, Central Oregon. Have been told it is unique to this area?

That red and black obsidian sure has travelled across North America, I have seen several worked artifacts in Manitoba.
As time passed it was learned that only a small area is needed to pierce the hide to get to the vitals. Physics 101 was even back then, Mass times velocity squared.
A small projectile can go much faster than a heavy atlatis more arrows can be carried. Therefor the wooded inhabitants carried more arrows as they travel through the twigs to dispatch.

4 or 5 thousand years does put some heavy patent on the sunny side of some of those projectile points, making them hard to see with an untrained eye. My first 6k year old projectile was not realized till I turned it over to see the fracture points across the obsidian found on a beach ridge of Lake Agassiz