Atlatl Weights as a Counter Balance

6 days ago! So glad to hear of you. Hope it is all going well. Thank you for the video, it's been a while :)

Also agreeing with you about banner stones, they were really hard to manufacture, I find it hard to believe they could have been atlatl weights, even if there is research about such stones making atlatl more silent but I believe it's irrelevant difference. Well, we'll never know :) Just typing to keep myself warm...

I agree about the bannerstones. Could they have been some sort of handled throwing weapon?

Wow! Thank you for your research. I love the history lesson. One generation forgets how the other lived. For example, my grandparents didn't grow up with refrigeration, no icebox either. They grew up on farms, but they didn't kill a hog every day. I'm a fan of Naked and Afraid. I have wondered why they don't make an atlatl or a field expedient re-curve bow...other than a lot of it is scripted or changed in production.

I've found two bannerstones that are now in my collection. One partially drilled and one fully drilled thru. It looks as if the partial drilled was discarded due to a crack that formed in the drilling process. The other has seen heavy use as it was once polished and is now beat up.

I agree they wouldn't be weights as they are not really heavy at all. Also the holes are not very big at all and if your shaft was that thin it would be prone to breaking at that point. I actually just measured the hole and it's 1/2 inch across.

Best theory I've ever heard about banner stones. I've argued many times that the hole size in banner stones would not have allowed them to be mounted on an atlatl and it's more likely they were used on the dart shaft somehow. I never would have come up with the idea that they were used to manufacture the dart shaft.

Thank you

thats a pretty atlatl, no wonder y'all are so durn proud of'em! thanks for the lesson!

Banner stones are atlatl weights, it's a proven fact by performance

we love ya Bob!

Thanks for sharing, I made my handles longer and heavier to compensate for the heavier arrows. I' know where to get some river cane for lighter arrows. I like to multi purpose everything in my primitive tool/weapon set. Some arrows I will leave natural wood point so it also can be used as hand drill, would primitive hunters have done that?

my atlatl got broke during a move and I found a great atlatl weight that started out as an atlatl weight and got passed along as the atlatl was phased out and it finished up its life as a shaft straightener with the resulting groove highly polished and halfway or more through the weight and smooth as glass. My question is what do you think of using an old pool stick for the best top quality wood and spring action for me to make another self made atlatl?? I will upload a video of the weight I found as it is quite odd and a great find to find one that was passed along and ended up as a shaft straightener.

also I want to add that I am in the camp that the weight was not for balance but its inertia made the stick more stable during the throw and that in hundreds of throws they found that it DID increase accuracy even though it was impossible to analyze the micro physics of a single throw. You would be a good one to do lets say a hundred throws at a well numbered target taking close score then another hundred and take score again after a few days to rest maybe the test would have to be done several times for a good average. That way you are the one doing the work and hundreds of throws not me. However they do say its well proven with the weight--it stabilizes the stick for accuracy barely noticeable.

This weapon always fascinated me but with my shoulder there is no way I could use one .

A little physics here...
Rotational inertia is affected more by placement of the weight than by total weight. The high rotation wrist motion at the end of your throw is greatly affected by this. As such, you'd be better off adding a heavier weight near your hand, than a lighter weight closer to the tip of the atl atl.
A very fast wrist snap will put more speed in the dart than a faster shoulder push.

arrows too long

how about using carbon fiber tube for a dart? Is it better than bamboo or wood ?

Thinking a 8 ball would be perfect counterweight. Weither its used as the launching weight or lower down the shaft. A drill can make perfect work on a poolball.

Hi I'm writing you from the archaeological back Waters of mid Michigan where I have found many interesting discoveries. Some may be appearing in a book soon. So I basically tied together the Jackson Grand Rapids River headwaters tribes with tribes around Manistee. But anyway enough about me I believe that you are very close to being right on with the bannerstone theory. I've often thought this myself. Depending on how flat the whole is and it's an entrance or exit depending on your philosophical belief that it would actually serve to cut and trim a fairy smooth shaft is a result of a spinning motion as you described. Unfortunately I have not found any pain or stones. I lived on a tributary of the Grand River and it was more than likely a hunting ground I my acreage although I did find many many many teeth which makes me wonder if it wasn't a funerary spot. I actually found a figurine carved in what I think is basalt yeah Heaven Got A tested which is our super rare fine for the tribez they came up the Potawatomi Trail.. it anyway I'm getting off topic so I believe you're correct that was your theory thanks for the video

Cool, so the banner stone was more like a dowel jig for making straighter darts.

Found a broke bannerstone yesterday in sc uploaded to my channel

Wouldn't that wear the hole in the banner stones out? With the abrasive?

I have a stone I swear is an attlatl weight! If so I’d think it was used for heavy darts! In also wondering if these weren’t use in case you threw a spear but then needed to take on a close combatant with the handle which was already in hand?

I like you videos. I like you atlatls also. I have had on of them for many years - nearly 15 years. I use it several times a summer - max cast is just over 70 yards, power is surprising, an easy throw on my lawn accidentally hit a branch on a tree, the branch was three inches thick, the dart went right through the center of it, it split the branch and penetrated about six inches. Such force! While slower than an arrow, it hits so much harder for it's speed. A broadhead would do so much damage. It's fun to train with. Your atlatls are well made, long lasting and fun. They are made right and inexpensive for what you get. Nothing has broken, loosened or worn out. When I take out my atlatl for a bit of fun, the cost is long forgotten.

Great explanation 👌 👍 👏...

Best I have heard to date.

^5

That’s the most logical explanation of what a banner stone could have been used for that have ever heard. Thank you!

Spindle whorl.
Dart smoother.
Atlatl weight.
Fishing weight.
Teepee tie.
Other ideas...?

With the points and triangular design of all these atlatl weights, I've always thought that they were a very good design to be used as a club to dispatch an animal after getting a couple darts in them to immobilize them. One tool two uses.

Makes good sense to me

Could bannerstones have been used as a friction proof handle when using a bow drill; spinning a stick through them to make fire? That could give them great ritual significance and make them a perfect grave companion- keeping one warm forever. Often found in graves. Any chance?

Interesting video.
The use of the banner stones as you describe really makes since.
It would make all the darts a uniform diameter.

Great explanation

Who knows!! Interesting ideas though. I like.

Bannerstones don't exhibit abrasion-marks that would support this theory. There would then be "cast-off", oversized, oblong-holed junk laying around and there isn't.

Why do none native people make things that was never use on native tools just quit

There not atlatl weight