Weapon Technology Changes Over Time
Early hunters hunted animals using a spear. A stone point was fitted into a slot at the end of a long wooden pole and bound with glue and thread. The spear was either thrown at or thrust into animals. The photo on the left below shows how a spear point was attached to the end of a wooden spear. The photo on the right below shows how a spear was thrown.
At some point (scientists do not agree on a date) hunters began using a spear thrower or atlatl. Holding an atlatl made it seem as if the throwing arm was longer, thus making the spear go farther. The photos below show how atlatls were used.
Sometime during the Late Woodland Period the bow & arrow appeared in Missouri. This gave hunters better accuracy and greater distance than the earlier spear and atlatl. The photos below show how the bow & arrow was used.
