On September 19, 1998 students from Rutland High School participated for the second time in the Third Annual Northeastern Open Atlatl Championship held at Chimney Point State Historic Site in Addison, Vermont. This was the kick-off event for Vermont Archaeology Week 98. Rutland students joined with atlatlists (atlathletes ?) from as far away as Missouri to show off their paleotechnology skills and test the effectiveness of the reproduction atlatls.The atlatl is an ancient and versatile spear throwing device that has been found everywhere man hunted game. Some of the most beautifully carved artifacts associated with the Cro Magnons were probably atlatl parts. Atlatls have also been used as maps and musical instruments. Although it was replaced by the bow and arrow in many cultures, atlatls continued to be used in historic times by many peoples including the Inuit, Australian Aborigines and the Aztecs. In fact the word atlatl is adopted from the Aztec Nuhatl language and translates literally as "throwing on water."

Rutland High School students crafted a variety of atlatls and darts using traditional and some not-so-traditional materials and techniques. ( (above: Original watercolor by Sally Olson of the atlatl she made - approximate length 575 mm [note use of turkey spur.])
 

While some of the students already had skills in fling knapping, none of them had ever fabricated an atlatl before. They experimented with different materials, tools and techniques.(Allyson Gee uses a bandsaw to shape an Inuit style throwing board.)
 
 
 
 

The day of the competition dawned clear and bright although the wind off of Lake Champlain would later prove to be a hindrance especially in the accuracy throwing events. Mr. Carleton Beil (late of the American Museum of Natural History) performed a fire lighting ceremony and accompanied himself on the drum with a call to council.
 
 

Before the actual competition began students were able to examine the various exhibits and question demonstrators about their crafts. (Matt Marro checking out various paleo tool and weapon reproductions.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Students waited on the sidelines to compete and kept Rutland's cheering section company. (left to right: Heather Giddings, Sara Gosinski, Sara Massey, Anne Bannister [back], Brittany Pye, Joanne Pye [back], Leslie Bannister, Brianna Kuk [in hat], Laura Peterson, Colter Peterson.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Some of the students gathered for one last group picture before the competition began. (left to right: Marcus Buckley, Sara Gosinski, Elisabeth Binder, Sara Massey, Janelle Howard, Claire Rowe, Melissa Thurston.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In the Championship they competed in three categories: accuracy, distance and authenticity. After hearing the range rules they waited patiently for the opportunity to hurl their darts at the various targets. ( Matt McKane in striped shirt, Jesse Baker holding dart with red fletching, Joe Puchalski on far right.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Their skills with the atlatl came in handy about a month later when Rutland High School was attacked by giant mutant frogs left over from one of Mr. Gilbert's ecology labs. (left to right: Joe Puchalski, Claire Rowe, Clyde Dunton-Gallagher, Matt Marro, Allyson Gee, Sally Olson - three-eyed froggosaurus in the background)
 
 
 
 
 

At about this time we were contacted by teacher Dan Deneen from the Sharon Academy in Sharon, Vermont. His students were doing a hands-on unit on paleotechnology and he asked if some of us might visit the Sharon Academy and demonstrate our atlatls. (Joe Puchalski [center] uses a copper rod to pressure flake the edge of an obsidian blade.)