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Atlatl (also known as "Spear Thrower," "Throwing Board", "Throwing Stick" and by a variety of regional or ethnocultural names)
ABOVE: ATL64: first of two Inuit spear throwers (both carry the same catalogue number: E002267) from the Anderson River area; 1866 or earlier; Northwest Territories, Canada (see location map below); first of six views. Source: Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/anth)
ABOVE: ATL65: second view of spear thrower described above; second in sequence of six images from Anderson River beginning with frame #64. Source: Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/anth)
ABOVE: ATL66: another Anderson River spear thrower (note it shares the same catalogue number with the above artifact); first of two views; third in sequence of six images from Anderson River beginning with frame #64. Source: Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
ABOVE: ATL67: second of two views of atlatl described above; fourth in sequence of six images from Anderson River beginning with frame #64; 1866 or earlier. Source: Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/anth)
ABOVE: ATL68: fifth in sequence of six images from Anderson River beginning with frame #64: Anderson River, Northwest Territories, Canada; image by Bryan and Cherry Alexander Photography (www.arcticphoto.co.uk). Source: Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
ABOVE: ATL69: sixth in sequence of six images from Anderson River beginning with frame #64: location of Anderson River. Source: Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/anth)
ABOVE: ATL70: Aleut spear thrower from Alaska, described as “Alutiq - Sugpiaq Ethnotechnology”; Old Harbor, Kodiak Island, Alaska; “top” side; slotted rectangle at far left indicates position of missing ivory peg; 19.25 inches (488.9mm); catalogue number 1-1933-9427; first of two views. Source: Alaska’s Digital Archives (http://vilda.alaska.edu
ABOVE: ATL71: second of two views of spear thrower described above. Source: Alaska’s Digital Archives (http://vilda.alaska.edu)
ABOVE, LEFT: ATL72: Spear thrower, Kalgoorlie Region, Western Australia; 25.25 inches (641.35mm); 19th to early 20th century; wood, spinifex resin, sinew, stone. Source: the Metropolitan Museum of Art (http://www.metmuseum.org) ABOVE, RIGHT: ATL73: modern day spear thrower use: “A young man from the Tanami region [central western part of Australia’s Northern Territory] launches a spear with a "pikirri" or woomera (spear thrower).” Source: http://www.ozoutback.com.au EDITOR’S NOTE: Although the term “woomera” is often employed as a generic term for the Australian spear thrower, “woomera” is technically the name used by the Eora, the indigenous people of the Sydney region. Other examples of tribal or cultural names for the spear thrower include “amirre” (the Arrernte people) and “mirru” (the Pintupi people). Source: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Woomera_(spear-thrower)
ABOVE: ATL74: modern day spear thrower use: “Warlpiri youth practices launching a spear ("kurlarda") with a…pikirri ….”; Tanami region, central western part of Australia’s Northern Territory http://www.ozoutback.com.au
ABOVE: ATL75: spear thrower from Little Whale River on the eastern side of Hudson’s Bay, Quebec, Canada; rare example of a “socket” type spear thrower: the butt of the spear fits into the socket or pocket rather than onto a protruding spur or peg. It was collected at Little Whale River by Dr. Walton Haydon between 1878 and 1883 and in the absence of further details, the source suggests that this artifact “may be Innu.” Also see the next image, taken of two Innu igloo builders beside the Little Whale River in 1872. Source: Pitt Rivers Museum (http://webprojects.prm.ox.ac.uk/arms-and-armour/o/Spears/1888.43.2/)
ABOVE: ATL76: two Innu men building an igloo on the shore of Little Whale River, Quebec, Canada, in 1872. Photographer: James Laurence Cotter. Source: the McCord Museum (http://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/)
ABOVE: ATL77: spear thrower “typical of the north-west and Western Australia.” It is described as having 35 small notches along one edge, suggesting its use as a musical rasp – apparently not uncommon in the Gascoyne - Kimberley area. Source: Pitt Rivers Museum (http://webprojects.prm.ox.ac.uk/arms-and-armour/o/Spears/1898.75.25/)
ABOVE: ATL78: some of the 100-plus petroglyphs pecked into the stone of Atlatl Cliff, a volcanic field feature in Little Lake, California. Source: Donald Austen, http://www.petroglyphs.us/
ABOVE: ATL79: several spear throwers and animals are depicted in the Jeffers Petroglyphs, southwestern Minnesota; dated to approximately 5000 – 2500 Y.B.P. Source: Kevin L. Callahan, Anthropology Department, University of Minnesota (http://www.tcinternet.net/users/cbailey/atl.html)
ABOVE: ATL80: Atlatl hook; Davis Co., Indiana; 2.0 inches (50.8mm); found with banner stone (spear thrower weight) and handle; only the wooden (presumed) handle is missing (see next image); date 8000 to 5000 Y.B.P. Source: Lithic Casting Lab (lithiccastinglab.com)
ABOVE: ATL81: second of two views: spear thrower hook, banner stone/weight and bone handle. Source: Lithic Casting Lab (lithiccastinglab.com)
ABOVE: ATL82: fisherman, c1908, using an atlatl on Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico; republished work by Project Gutenberg: “In Indian Mexico” by Frederick Starr, originally published 1908. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16183/16183-h/16183-h.htm
ABOVE: ATL83: Late Magdalenian spear thrower mammoth carving; approximately 12,500 Y.B.P.; Montastruc rock shelter, Tarn-et-Garonne, France. Tusks have broken off and the hook is a repair done in ancient times because the original had broken off; 4.88 inches (124mm). Source: British Museum (http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_prb/s/mammoth_spear_thrower.aspx) >
ABOVE: ATL84: Late Magdalenian spear thrower made from mammoth tusk, depicting two reindeer swimming; approximately 12,500 Y.B.P.; Montastruc rock shelter, Tarn-et-Garonne, France. "This is one of the most beautiful pieces of Stone Age art ever found. It shows two reindeer, one behind the other. The figure in front is a female with smaller body and antlers. Her coat is delicately shaded. The larger male figure is not shaded but his strong body is clearly carved. On both animals the antlers are laid along the back and the legs are folded underneath, with the exception of the back left leg of the male which originally extended behind. The sex of each animal is clearly shown.
With their noses up and antlers back the carving appears to show the reindeer swimming. Other swimming reindeer are known, for example in a painted frieze in the cave of Lascaux. The tapering shape of the mammoth tusk may also have decided the shape of the animals, which are perfectly modeled from all angles." Source: British Museum (http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_prb/s/mammoth_spear_thrower.aspx) ABOVE: ATL85 AND ATL86: Unangan (Aleut) throwing board called “haassk” in the Unangan language of Unangam Tunuu; Aleutian Islands, Alaska (exact location not specified); 19.29 inches (490mm); first two of five associated views (large-format, highly detailed views can be seen at the link below; their format does not allow copying, hence the low-res versions shown above). Source: Smithsonian; National Museum of the American Indian (http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=44) ABOVE: ATL88: fourth of five views beginning with frame #85: the same Unangan hunters in two-man kayak demonstrating hunting technique with spear and spear thrower; photo from History, Ethnology and Anthropology of the Aleut (fig. 17) by Waldemar Jochelson, 1933. Source: Smithsonian; National Museum of the American Indian (http://alaska.si.edu ABOVE: ATL87: third of five views beginning with frame #85: Unangan hunters with spears and throwing boards; these may be for sea otter hunting given the relatively small spear size; hats described as “wooden hunting hats” and brightly colored --- although also referred to in caption that accompanies next image as “chief’s hats,” which sounds odd; their over-garment is waterproof gut of unspecified species; 1909-1910, Aleutian Islands, Alaska; photo from History, Ethnology and Anthropology of the Aleut (fig. 17) by Waldemar Jochelson, 1933. Source: Smithsonian; National Museum of the American Indian (http://alaska.si.edu) ABOVE: ATL89: fifth of five views beginning with frame #85: Unangan hunter in a 1778 illustration by John Webber (official artist on Captain James Cook’s third voyage, 1776 – 1780); spears lashed down behind hunter are described in museum descriptive text as mammal darts. Source: Anchorage Museum of History and Art but cited by the Smithsonian, National Museum of the American Indian (http://alaska.si.edu) ABOVE: ATL90: western Australian spear thrower; 31.1 inches (790mm). Source: http://www.aboriginalartcoop.com.au ABOVE: ATL91: radio carbon dated (Simon Fraser University Radio Carbon Lab) to approximately 2,000 years old, the Quiltanton Lake Atlatl was discovered in the lake mud when the water body was drained (located in the Highland Valley east of Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada). It is made of antler which is most probably caribou given the size criteria and other characteristics. The separate handle is missing; length is 19.8 inches (505mm); width max. is 2.48 inches (36mm); max. thickness is 0.33 inch (8.5mm). This atlatl does not appear to have employed a spur or peg; this is therefore of the variety referred to as a “female” spear thrower: one in which the butt end of the dart rests in the recess at the end of the slot. This is the only atlatl found in British Columbia to date. ABOVE: ATL92: detail of Yup’ik Culture spear thrower, southwest Alaska, 1927 or earlier; called “nuqaq”; full views only available at http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=345 (Smithsonian Institute) ABOVE: ATL93: second of two views: Yup’ik hunter, c.1928, using spear thrower; described as wearing a hunting hat and [seal] gut parka. Source: Smithsonian Institute (http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=345); photo by Edward S. Curtis ABOVE: ATL95 AND ATL96: atlatl described as “Eskimo” from Nunagiak, Wainwright Quad, Alaska; catalogue number shown. Source: Smithsonian Department of Anthropology http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/anth ABOVE: ATL97: atlatl described as “Eskimo” from Barrow Quad, Alaska; catalogue number shown; first of two views. Source: Smithsonian Department of Anthropology http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/anth ABOVE: ATL98: second of two views of atlatl described above. Source: Smithsonian Department of Anthropology http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/anth ABOVE: ATL99 AND ATL100: atlatl described as “Eskimo” from Nunagiak, Alaska; catalogue number shown. Source: Smithsonian Department of Anthropology http://collections.nmnh.si.edu/anth |
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©2010 J Keffer |
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