How to Throw a Stiff Spear With an Atlattel

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Without the flecks if you try to throw up a stiff spear with an atlattel the spear would fishtail in the air because all the energy going into the rear of the dart needs to go somewhere. At lattle darts on the other hand flexes while you're throwing so right as you're about to throw the dart flexes storing that energy keeping the point straight on target and then that flex releases as you finish flicking the atlattle which causes it to flex in the air but stay on target the whole way. Lattle darts are thicker in the front than they are in the rear which means there's a taper usually from about half inch at the tip half inch

Spears! Sharp rocks! Ancient blades, bows and arrows and ...atlatls? What’s an atlatl? Experimental Archaeologist and decades-long ancient tool enthusiast Angelo Robledo is as passionate as an ologist can get. You likely have never heard of an atlatl, but by the end of the episode you’ll be carving one out of old lumber. Also covered: early axes, Indigenous traditions of Central and South America, ancient graffiti, tales of field work, archeology heroes, what to do if you find artifacts on a hike, and the physics of how far you can lob ancient weaponry, plus: the World Atlatl Association.

Follow Angelo Robledo at Twitter.com/idigit1st or Instagram.com/idigit1st

Check out the World Atlatl Association at WorldAtlAtl.org

A donation went to Black Trowel Collective:https://blacktrowelcollective.wordpress.com/

Listen to Angelo's podcast, Sample Excavator

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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris