The Atlatl, Woomera, Miru and Throwing Board

updated on 16 March 2024

The atlatl is a device that is used to throw a light weight spear called a dart with considerable mechanical advantage. Atlatls were used worldwide before the advent of the bow and arrow. Atlatl (pronounced like 'atlantic') is an Aztec word for spear thrower. In Australia, the Aborigines call it the Woomera. The oldest known atlatl is more than 19,000 years old. It is believed that the atlatl was in use for more than 40,000 years. With the atlatl, humans gained a tremendous hunting advantage and this accelerated the extinction of many large mammals throughout the world. The power that the atlatl imparts to the spear is so great that the Aztecs started reusing atlatl technology to pierce the armor of Spanish Conquistadoras in the sixteenth century.

Today, many people are rediscovering the atlatl for the recreational purposes of competition and hunting game. Competition involves the following events: long distance; accuracy and target throwing. Some competitions are restricted to the use of primitive materials and technologies. Other competitions allow the use of modern high tech materials and construction methods.

The World Record for long distance currently stands at 848.56 feet. This throw was made by Dave Ingvall of St. Joseph, Missouri, USA on 15 July 1995 in Aurora, Colorado. Dave used a carbon fibre atlatl with an aluminum dart of his own construction.


The Price of All Items with a will have regular price reductions until they are sold.
North America and Native American Artifact
Item Code
Price (USD)
Description
Click on Photo Below
A79
$1127
Prehistoric Bone Atlatl

Eskimo - 3,000 B.C


Oceanic and Indonesian Artifacts
New Zealand
Item Code
Price (USD)
Description
Click on Photo(s) Below
A25
$526
Maori Spear Thrower

Single Branch with Incised Art


Previously sold atlatls can be seen on the following links:

These items were sold from the North American Artifacts web page
Item Code
Description
Price (USD)
AG1
Prehistoric Bone Atlatl
$2000
TB357
Eskimo Atlatl Spear Thrower with Cedar Bird Dart
$1600
AF4
Mississippian Atlatl (Spear Thrower) from Kentucky
$1403
AB9
Eskimo Atlatl
$850
AB6
Inuit Atlatl Bird Dart with Spliced Cedar shaft and Ivory Tip
$687
AB3
Eskimo Atlatl Made of Bone
$300
AF8
Meso-Isthmus Mexican Atlatl
$252
A91
Prehistoric Eskimo Bone Artifacts from St. Lawrence Island
$241
AF3
Mexican Atlatl and Dart
$200
A96
Atlatl Finger Hold
$133
TB147
Lake Texcoco Fishing Atlatl, 19th Century
$75
TB107
Lake Texcoco Fishing Atlatl, 19th Century
$75
TB80
Lake Texcoco Fishing Atlatl, 19th Century
$68
TB146
Lake Texcoco Fishing Atlatl, 19th Century
$63


These items were sold from the Oceanic Artifacts web page
Item Code
Description
Price (USD)
AE2
Spear Thrower and Dart from PNG
$396
AG5
Spear Thrower from PNG
$72

These items were sold from the Australian Aboriginal Artifacts web page.
Item Code
Description
Price (USD)
AF2
Queensland Woomera
$900
GH34
Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower
$270
TB49
Miru with Incised Totemic Markings
$185
TB45
Cape York Woomera with Bivalve Shell
$166
TB07
Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower
$155
TB48
Miru with Totemic Markings
$146
TB22
Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower
$145
A20
Aboriginal Woomera - Miru
$144
TB20
Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower
$140
TB288
Central Desert Woomera
$138
TB54
Large Miru Spear Thrower
$123
TB47
Miru Spear Thrower
$123
TB46
Cape York Woomera Spear Thrower
$111
TB55
Small Miru with Cutting Stone Blade
$109
TB377
Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower - Miru
$104
TB23
Aboriginal Woomera Spear Thrower
$61

These items were sold from the Lithic & Artifact Reproductions web page
Item Code
Description
Price (USD)
BR82
Mammoth Hunter Atlatl & Dart Set + 2 Blowguns
$109
TB62
Atlatl by Norm Blaker
$53
TB61
Atlatl by Norm Blaker
$48


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