Gravity may explain why Neanderthals failed to adopt advanced weaponry
Spear-throwing tools called atlatls allow humans to launch projectiles over great distances, but Neanderthals apparently never used them ? and an experiment involving a 9-metre-tall platform may explain why
Neanderthals hunted cave bears, but probably not using atlatls Stocktrek Images, Inc. / Alamy
An ancient spear-throwing tool enabled prehistoric hunters to boost the distance they could launch a feathered projectile ? but the unexpected negative effects of gravity on the tool may explain why it was never adopted by Neanderthals and some Homo sapiens groups.
The spear-throwing tool ? which is known as an atlatl ? is a handheld stick with a groove at the end for holding a projectile. It acts as a lever to amplify the projectile-flinging momentum that can be achieved by the human arm.