Before the advent of bows and arrows, and certainly before guns, many prehistoric cultures around the world relied on a weapon known as an atlatl. It comprised of a thin spear and a hooked throwing stick and was used to increase greatly the distance, force, and accuracy of traditional spear hunting.
It was also used with incredible versatility, bringing down not only fish and deer but a larger game such as mammoths and sizable predators; mainly things you can't get close to or wouldn't want to be near.
The way it works is the hooked stick notches into the base of the spear and uses a lever action to exert considerable thrust and speed to the spear, far extending its range. Using an atlatl takes a great deal of patience and skill, but knowing how to construct this formidable weapon, and use it, could mean the difference between life and death out in the wilderness.
To learn how to build and use this ancient weapon, continue to the next page.
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easy to make to
Already made one out of things in my back yard, random turkey feathers for flights bamboo for the dart shaft and sharpened bone for the tips, and shaved a branch down for the atlatl.
Terran Messer
Great weapon just takes practice to get good with one
Brent Bush
Have one at the house.
Doesn’t really explain how to make the thrower, how to position the two together or a lot of other pertinent information.
We made these in middle school . We also went on a excavation of an Indian village.
Love the Atlatl
Following
I’ve made three. They are harder to use than they are to make. I am not skilled with the atlatl I am dissappint.
Good luck that$#%&!@*is an art
Takes plenty of practice
Get 2 work Taylor Scott
Lol one day
They just outlawed these for hunting in PA. not near dependable enough for a clean kill.
These are awesome but they fail to tell you the skill required to be accurate with one of these
Thomas Maier
Michael Hurst
That would be very nifty to know how to use