I just have to call spear points “arrowheads.” That’s the way I was “brought up.” It probably does not make any difference. The arrow is a much more modern invention than the spear. Sharpening a long stick was a major advance by primitive people over using a rock for collecting fish, reptiles, and small birds and mammals. Tying a sharp rock onto a stick must have been a great day for the remembered praise for the inventor. The practice surely spread rapidly, regionally, and only by personal demonstrations. Before people added rocks to sticks they were throwing spears with incredible force using the atlatl (pronounce it at-ul-at-ul)
The atlatl was a throwing stick, a device with a hook at the end that went into the end of the spear. The device added distance to the thrown projectile and force against large prey.
It was a spear “handle” that effectively gave the thrower a longer than natural arm. Later a doughnut shaped stone was added to the atlatl. With each throw, the stone slid from the hand up the atlatl toward the spear. These had to have been the first delvings into applications of ideas about centrifugal force.
A sport has emerged and there are pockets of interest. An association exists and I think new interests will be gained from people traveling less, becoming more attached to their past, and becoming more interested in primitive weapons and survival techniques and surviving.
I have plans for a Spear-Throwing Group within my dream of Rural System.
Blogs are good for every one where we get lots of information for any topics nice job keep it up !!!
Posted by: dissertation | May 10, 2009 at 11:53 PM