Archaeological Evidence for Use of Throwing Sticks

The earliest secure data concerning atlatls has come from several caves in France dating to the Upper Paleolithic. Early atlatls in France are works of art, such as the fabulous example which is 52 centimeters long and carved out of reindeer bone decorated with a carved ibex and birds. This atlatl, called in French "le faon aux oiseaux", was recovered from the cave site of La Mas d’Azil, and was made between 15,300 and 13,300 years ago. A 50 centimeter long atlatl, found in the La Madeleine site in the Dordogne valley of France, has a handle carved as a hyena effigy; it was made about 13,000 years ago. The Canecaude cave site deposits dated to about 14,200 years ago contained a small atlatl (8 centimeters) carved in the shape of a mammoth. The very earliest atlatl found to date is a simple antler hook dated to the Solutrean period (about 17,500 years ago), recovered from the site of Combe Sauniere.

The name atlatl is a Nahuatl, or Aztec language term. The name was recorded by the Spanish conquistadors when they arrived in Mexico and discovered that the Aztec people had a weapon that could pierce armor. Other terms in use around the globe include spear thrower, woomera (in Australia) and propulseur (in French).

The Raging Cow

At Raging Cow this year, the attitude was definitely one of friendly competition. Five targets made up the festivities, a foam deer, the Flying Pig, the Tic Tac Toe game, the Raging Cow (-10 points if you hit the udder), and, the only serious game going, the International Standard Accuracy Contest (ISAC). ISAC has very strict rules on equipment, distance, and judging. The WAA tracks the best ISAC scores of throwers around the world and maintains a list of the top throwers. The top atlatlist on the planet would have to be Mark Bracken of Georgia, who has scored 98 out of a possible 100 points on five separate occasions.

No records were set at this year’s Raging Cow, although the new Iowa City team edged out Grinnell (the world’s first collegiate atlatl team), for the Intercollegiate Trophy, a plastic cow. In the words of John Whittaker, organizer of the event, the point of the Raging Cow is to “introduce students and the public to a challenging prehistoric technology in the context of an enjoyable sport.”

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Thanks to John Whittaker and Kathy Kamp for the invitation to the Raging Cow, and to John for assistance with this article. Any mistakes, as usual, are mine. Under normal circumstances, I'd assemble a bibliography for this project; but John Whittaker has assembled a thorough, annotated bibliography easily available on the web, and linked in the side bar.

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