Throwing Technology
THROWING TECHNOLOGY HAS ARRIVED
The throwing stick, or non-returning boomerang has been in use for tens of thousands of years. Cultures all over the world, including the Americas, Australia, Egypt, and India, used this weapon to hunt game on the ground and birds in the air.
A simple stick evolved to a weapon of sophistication capable of sustained flight and surprising ballistic power.
Hunting sticks in the Americas were used mostly for small game on the ground and birds in the air. The most classic American model is the southwestern Rabbitstick. Made from natural tree "elbows" about 2 feet long, they were thinned out to produce flying wings that hovered over the ground for great distances.
Desert rabbit hunting sticks in particular could fly as fast as a cottontail, and skip over the ground with the ballistic power of a chasing predator.
The Mammoth Ivory Boomerang Project
Our first project in throwing technology here was replicating this famous archaeological find from 23,000 years ago, in what is now Poland. The original was made in ivory, and is thought to be a throwing stick for hunting.
Although called a boomerang, it would never have returned in flight and was designed to go in a straight path toward target, with enough ballistic power to cripple even large game animals. Please check out our video here of the testing of our replicas.