Simple machine

How do you throw a spear? Just hold it up and throw, right? Well, ancient peoples of various parts of the world figured out that using a notched lever called an atlatl or spear thrower, to throw spears made it travel farther and hit harder than it would if thrown by arm-power alone. This was due to the mechanical advantage of using the lever as an extension of the throwing arm.

Mech. Adv. of a lever= length of effort arm ÷ length of resistance arm

In this case, arm(including atlatl) ÷ spear

The word "atlatl" is from Nahuatl, the language used by the Aztec people of what is today part of North and South America.

This tech dates back to prehistory, and has been found all over the world in different variations. Including large dartlike spears nearly 2m long, and smaller spears with rope attached for fishing. The spear thrower predates the bow and arrow by many thousands of years, and the mechanical principles still apply, of course. So if you ever find yourself with the need to throw a spear or large dart, remember the atlatl.