Atlatl
A spear-thrower that increases the range and velocity of darts, a significant hunting and military innovation.
Core metadata
- ID: atlatl
- Era: Ancient
- First known date: -29000 (millennium)
- Region: Maisieres-Canal, Belgium / Upper Paleolithic Europe
- Review status: source_checked
- Maturity: N/A
Prerequisites
Dependents
Fields
- None.
Node sources
- Terminal ballistic analysis of impact fractures reveals the use of spearthrower 31,000 years ago at Maisieres-Canal, Belgium (Scientific Reports / PubMed Central, 2023, primary_paper) • Supports: node
Locator: The article reports impact-fracture evidence for spearthrower use at Maisieres-Canal around 31,000 calibrated years before present, supporting an Upper Paleolithic spear-thrower chronology. - Spear-thrower (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2026, textbook) • Supports: node
Locator: Britannica defines spear-throwers as devices that extend the throwing arm and increase projectile force, matching the scoped technology.
Prerequisite edge evidence
Edge/source evidence summary:
- Prerequisite edges: 1
- Average edge confidence: 68%
- Prerequisite sources: 1
- expert_inference: 1
| Prerequisite | Type | Confidence | Evidence level | Note | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hafted Stone-Point Spears (composite_tools) | enabling | 68% | expert_inference | Composite Tools provides a capability that enables this technology without being the only possible path. |
|
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