This is a relatively simple device to create and use, but was a shock for the more advanced conquistadors who had never seen anything like it. The Atlatl itself is not a weapon, but was used to throw long darts. The darts were the equivalent of a javelin, the main difference in that they were thinner and much more flexible.
The Atlatl is basically a carved piece of wood about eighteen to twenty four inches. One end is either hollowed out into the shape of a cup or a point. This is where the butt end of the dart is placed. The other end is the handle. The dart’s length can vary from four to six feet. The longer the dart the more speed and force upon impact. The dart is tipped with sharpened flint and although it cannot penetrate steel breastplates, it is quite lethal in the hands of a trained and accurate thrower.
The dart is laid across the Atlatl with the handle in the direction of where the warrior wants to throw. When the warrior swings the Atlatl forward like an extension of his arm, the dart bends and then springs from the end of the weapon at a much higher velocity than would be humanly possible if the dart had been thrown by hand. The darts are capable of traveling at over ninety miles an hour. In less than fifty feet away, you still won’t have much time to get out of the way.
