Technology comes in many forms, and is constructed from a variety of materials. Today, technology is referred to most often regarding electronic devices such as computers and cellular phones or products that help us extend the reaches of our knowledge to the limits of the universe. The term technology actually refers to the technique or means for making or doing something, regardless of time period.

People through time have employed various technologies to aid them in everyday tasks. Over time, improvements were made in technology and those new innovations continue today. This section will discuss one tool, the atlatl, that was seen as an important technological advancement in methods of hunting large game animals.

After learning about atlatls, consider the many tasks you perform each day. How were those tasks performed by people 100 years ago? One thousand years ago? How have those tasks been made easier over time by the development of new tools?

Atlatls

The atlatl (pronounced either aht-laht'l or atl-atl) is a device that allows a user to throw a lightweight spear or dart approximately six times the distance and with 10 times the force a normal hand throw would achieve. In other words, if you can throw a spear about 50 feet, just using your arm, you can probably throw the same dart about 300 feet using an atlatl. Atlatl is an Aztec word that means dart or spear thrower. However, the use of atlatls is much older than the Aztecs. The atlatl has been found throughout the entire world on every continent except Antarctica, and has a documented history of approximately 25,000 years. The oldest atlatls have been uncovered from archaeological excavations in Northwest Africa. The oldest documented atlatl finds in the United States come from dry cave sites in Utah, Nevada, and Oregon dating to about 8,000 years ago, although many think that the atlatl traveled to North America about 12,000 years ago with migratory hunters from Asia.

Archaeologists at Lubbock Lake Landmark have uncovered also portions of an atlatl that Native Americans used over 8,000 years ago. While excavating, the field research crew found a Bison tooth that had been reshaped to fit as a hook in an atlatl. The hook allowed Native peoples to notch their spear into place so that they could throw it.

Atlatls are usually made from wood, bone, antler, or stone and consist of three major parts: (1) the handle; (2) the shaft; and (3) the spur. The handle is where you hold the atlatl. The shaft has a groove or socket where the spear rests. The spur is the end section of the atlatl opposite the handle that has an imbedded hook used to hold the notched end of a spear in place.

Some people in Papua, New Guinea and Australia still use the atlatl for hunting purposes. Others in Canada, the United States, and Europe use the atlatl, however, in these places it is used today for sporting events.