"The atlatl weight or bannerstone has been assigned many different interpretations over the last ... more "The atlatl weight or bannerstone has been assigned many different interpretations over the last one hundred years of study. Multiple experimental studies have attempted to determine the effect of increasing the weight of an atlatl on the mechanics of atlatl performance. Other studies and publications have focused on the stylistic and symbolic characteristics of these artifacts. Efforts to determine the function of these items have not produced conclusive results. There is still no consensus on why these items were originally manufactured, what they meant to the people who made them or what aspects of life they affected. In this study, I begin to resolve this uncertainty through a systematic experimental test of the hypothesis that adding weight to an atlatl creates a mechanical impact on weapon use. I tested this hypothesis by developing, and using an atlatl launch machine to control for all sources of variation in atlatl performance. This allows for the testing of the weapon effects instead of the human ones (e.g., skill, temporary physiological conditions, and the projection of expected results.) A statistical analysis of the data shows that compared to an unweighted atlatl, a weighted atlatl typically produces shots that travel shorter distances, but have higher levels of precision. These results lend themselves to the assertion that the atlatl weight or bannerstone did not just have symbolic function, but that it was likely used as a way to enhance the efficiency of the atlatl."
"The atlatl weight or bannerstone has been assigned many different interpretations over the last ... more "The atlatl weight or bannerstone has been assigned many different interpretations over the last one hundred years of study. Multiple experimental studies have attempted to determine the effect of increasing the weight of an atlatl on the mechanics of atlatl performance. Other studies and publications have focused on the stylistic and symbolic characteristics of these artifacts. Efforts to determine the function of these items have not produced conclusive results. There is still no consensus on why these items were originally manufactured, what they meant to the people who made them or what aspects of life they affected. In this study, I begin to resolve this uncertainty through a systematic experimental test of the hypothesis that adding weight to an atlatl creates a mechanical impact on weapon use. I tested this hypothesis by developing, and using an atlatl launch machine to control for all sources of variation in atlatl performance. This allows for the testing of the weapon effects instead of the human ones (e.g., skill, temporary physiological conditions, and the projection of expected results.) A statistical analysis of the data shows that compared to an unweighted atlatl, a weighted atlatl typically produces shots that travel shorter distances, but have higher levels of precision. These results lend themselves to the assertion that the atlatl weight or bannerstone did not just have symbolic function, but that it was likely used as a way to enhance the efficiency of the atlatl."
Uploads
Papers by David Cain