weaponry of the native americans

[Frontierman01]

Hello all, as per the topic title. base on what I watched on the tube growing up. i know that Native Americans used archery and also adapted the use of firearms from Europeans and Americans. was this pretty much standard. or did different Native American tribes used weapons that were specific to their group. Thanks

[old salt]

Here are some areas right here on the site that may help you

http://traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com/forum/index.php?topic=19904.0


http://www.hollowtop.com/atlatlbob.htm

http://traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com/forum/index.php?topic=9716.0

[Frontierman01]

thanks for the posts. those weapons look like they could put a serious hurting on you if you are on the receiving end. Didn't realize the Native Americans utilized the Atlatls.

[old salt]

The atlatals predates the bow and arrow by thousands of years

[redhawk]

I have found 2  1/2 Atlatals around here along with a number of spear heads .  Most of them date 6,000 to 10,000 years ago  I found the 1/2 Atlatal  when we were grading the drive way into my house.  I spent a number hours looking for the other piece .  I guess it is buried in the driveway.  I think it is cool to find something made 6-10,000 years ago.  I don't think anything I have made will be around here that long.

[Winter Hawk]

During the Russian occupation of Alaska, they forced the Aleuts to hunt sea otters for their hides.  These Natives used kayaks for their water craft and atlatls to kill the sea otters.  Imagine the skill THAT took!  Out on the ocean, bobbing around in large waves, your prey also bobbing around in the waves, and yet being able to connect with a spear thrown by means of another stick.  Amazing!  That wasn't all that long ago, either.

~WH~

[Hanshi]

I have found 2  1/2 Atlatals around here along with a number of spear heads .  Most of them date 6,000 to 10,000 years ago  I found the 1/2 Atlatal  when we were grading the drive way into my house.  I spent a number hours looking for the other piece .  I guess it is buried in the driveway.  I think it is cool to find something made 6-10,000 years ago.  I don't think anything I have made will be around here that long.

10,000 years!  Wow!  That means that hotfxr must have used them, too.  He probably made the ones found under the driveway! 

[Dogshirt]

No, he just took them apart to see how they work. 

I have found 2  1/2 Atlatals around here along with a number of spear heads .  Most of them date 6,000 to 10,000 years ago  I found the 1/2 Atlatal  when we were grading the drive way into my house.  I spent a number hours looking for the other piece .  I guess it is buried in the driveway.  I think it is cool to find something made 6-10,000 years ago.  I don't think anything I have made will be around here that long.

10,000 years!  Wow!  That means that hotfxr must have used them, too.  He probably made the ones found under the driveway! 

[hotfxr]

I wouldn't have thought that the "old ones" spoken of by my ancestors would have gotten close enough to us to bury their weapons under someones driveway.

Hanshi's snarkiness aside, I have made several atlatl's to play with. Like everything else there is much more to them than meets the eye, and they do take a bit of skill, natural talent and lot's of practice to become useful. Since I lack the first two of those, I will stick to the weapons that go boom.