https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384435067_The_gravity_of_Paleolithic_hunting
Don’t know that it’s quite a meme, but it was recommended I crosspost it here!
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As an atlatl expert (I watched several YouTube videos) they have an upward launch trajectory and seem to be ideal for longer-ranged flat ground engagement. This would suggest more utility for forest and open plains hunting where terrain advantage does not exist.
The loss of accuracy and more cumbersome handling seems to outweigh the increase in power?
Seems like I would just want to carry 2 spears, throw one after the other?
The atlatl darts used in this research were much lighter than the spears, as is usual for atlatl darts. So you can carry more of them. Also, atlatl darts are faster and more accurate - the difference demonstrated here is of energy on impact, which is more important when hunting big game - and of relative differences in performance when elevated vs. even ground.
So, if you’re an atlatl expert I see it.
But this is why we transitioned to crossbows from longbows, takes a lifetime of training to make a good longbowman.
Then again, not like they had anything better to do.
As I understand it, the atlatl enabled much more efficient and powerful throwing without much loss of accuracy. A brief search for figures says it can hit a grapefruit at 40m range
“For an experienced atlatl thrower, the mechanical advantage of the atlatl over throwing with the arm alone is about 6:1. Thus, if you can throw a dart 15 meters with your arm alone, you could throw it about 91 meters with the atlatl.”
This is the lab behind the poop knife. They are absolutely experts in this kind of thing.
I need to read the whole paper, but I suspect the weight/wind resistance ratio of the javelin is better, and that the motion of launching an atlatl dart is affected by the downward angle. The railing on the scissor lift likely has an effect, too.
This post is awesome!
