Aurora1959
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Is there any explanation for how this knowledge was lost as people moved from Asia to Alaska?
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? about ancient bow-and-arrow technology
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traveller777
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Here is one explanation which makes sense to me. Read explanation by Laszlo Tamas. Hope you can open the link.
https://www.quora.com/profile/Laszlo-B.-Tamas
How did ancient Native Americans discover the use of the bow and arrow?
Answer (1 of 6): I can shed a little light on this Question, from a northern angle (Alaska and the Arctic) - see this article: The bow and arrow in northern North America. The very north country was a bit unique - and therefore instructive - because over the last 10,000 years: * it saw a wide...
tomytye
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Maybe it wasn’t lost. It may have been “discarded” as they figured out better ways to do things. In order to make certain styles of bows you need certain types of woods. Different woods have different compression and stretching characteristics. Might not have the right wood to make the old style bow so you have to design a new style to work with the wood you have available.
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Archery in the cold is very different than in warmer climes.
Then as mentioned is the crafting of bows.
Humidity affects a bow. Subzero temps affect humidity. Keeping a bow steady in moisture content when it's often raining or snowing has it cased . And a cased bow is not instantly at hand.
Atlatls might have preceded bows here. I say might have.
An arrow kills by hemorrhage. Yes there are spine hits ect. that can incapacitate. But that's a small target at much distance.
Thus cut by the stab , a hefty game animal can travel a ways. If it does not cross a tough river or plunge into a swamp , great. If it spots a human and decides to even things up , it has some time depending where hit. A double lung shot is fatal. But certainly not instant.
Yet presents a bigger target margin of error , and softer part of animals to punch into. Hit a rib maybe vs heavier bone elsewhere.
And atlatl dart /arrow allows more mass and through that , more energy on impact to reach vitals.
And larger cut /more vital tissue damage.
Launching a dart can be done easier with cold hands/fingers.
That is worth considering with big game.
Small game a "rabbit" stick or similar , or trapping can work.
An arrow spent (lost or broken) is labor .time ,and material spent. Spend them wisely!
If you encounter some large goose feathers or turkey feather (domestic are fine) , save them.
Check for lice , or freeze them to store them.
Then study how to select and cut them for fletching.
A daughter and I tried varied ways. Even took whole feathers and wrapped them onto shafts. Surprisingly they stabilized fairly well.
An atlatl is not hard to make. Keep your eyes open around limbs and brushpiles ect. Seasoned wood obviously more stable. Choose your length to suit your size and start building.
Cane from garden centers are cheap in bundles.
There is an art to straightening crooked ones , and uniform diameters and weights are good.
Heavy nails work for tips. No , not for hunting big game. But for a target in the yard.
I dislike golf , but wooden tees make a good cheat for the "nock" end of darts in hollow canes.
Then as mentioned is the crafting of bows.
Humidity affects a bow. Subzero temps affect humidity. Keeping a bow steady in moisture content when it's often raining or snowing has it cased . And a cased bow is not instantly at hand.
Atlatls might have preceded bows here. I say might have.
An arrow kills by hemorrhage. Yes there are spine hits ect. that can incapacitate. But that's a small target at much distance.
Thus cut by the stab , a hefty game animal can travel a ways. If it does not cross a tough river or plunge into a swamp , great. If it spots a human and decides to even things up , it has some time depending where hit. A double lung shot is fatal. But certainly not instant.
Yet presents a bigger target margin of error , and softer part of animals to punch into. Hit a rib maybe vs heavier bone elsewhere.
And atlatl dart /arrow allows more mass and through that , more energy on impact to reach vitals.
And larger cut /more vital tissue damage.
Launching a dart can be done easier with cold hands/fingers.
That is worth considering with big game.
Small game a "rabbit" stick or similar , or trapping can work.
An arrow spent (lost or broken) is labor .time ,and material spent. Spend them wisely!
If you encounter some large goose feathers or turkey feather (domestic are fine) , save them.
Check for lice , or freeze them to store them.
Then study how to select and cut them for fletching.
A daughter and I tried varied ways. Even took whole feathers and wrapped them onto shafts. Surprisingly they stabilized fairly well.
An atlatl is not hard to make. Keep your eyes open around limbs and brushpiles ect. Seasoned wood obviously more stable. Choose your length to suit your size and start building.
Cane from garden centers are cheap in bundles.
There is an art to straightening crooked ones , and uniform diameters and weights are good.
Heavy nails work for tips. No , not for hunting big game. But for a target in the yard.
I dislike golf , but wooden tees make a good cheat for the "nock" end of darts in hollow canes.
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Bow and arrow is/was a relative new technology in my time line here.
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No genius.
A couple folks introduced a daughter and I to atlatls and multiple builds.
We built from thier.
A family heirloom was an atlatl dart head. Step Grandma's father unearthed it plowing a field to plant pickles in.
He had two cigar boxes of relics on a basement rafter that disappeared after he died.
He had given one point to Dad. Who had it roughly aged and I.'D.. So when introduced to using atlatls , I was familiar with them in theory , from that relic.
When Dad died , I tried not to be the person running around grabbing things.
Saw the relic with a knife display and let everyone know it's history.
Don't know where it ended up!
Did find a picture of it.
We have all been gracious , so it's unlikely someone took it in secret.
I just missed where it went and inquiring turned up nothing , but a sister asked if I've been through all the boxes I hauled home. (I have not.)
And both surviving sisters would put stuff in boxes without telling me. As did nephews...
I'm not particular who ends up with it , but would write up a letter of exactly what area it was recovered from and the hands it went through since "Grandpa (Grandma's Dad) gave it to my Dad.
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