atlatl

(noun)

A wooden stick with a thong or perpendicularly protruding hook on the rear end that grips a grove or socket on the butt of its accompanying spear.

Related Terms

Examples of atlatl in the following topics:

  • Eastern Woodland Culture

    • Many Woodland hunters used spears and atlatls until the end of the period when those were replaced by bows and arrows.
    • Bow and arrow technology gradually overtook the use of the spear and atlatl, and agricultural production of the "three sisters" (maize, beans, and squash) was introduced.

  • Mesolithic Art

    • Along with humans, there are several animals, including a dead deer or buck, impaled by an arrow or atlatl, lying in the bottom center.