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Thethrowing stick orthrowing club is a type of projectile weapon: a wooden rod with either a carved pointed tip, a heavy bulbous rounded head, or a spearhead or other metal fitting attached to one end, intended for use by throwing and especially for hunting.
Throwing sticks or clubs are likely among the earliest weapons and tools made and used by humans, first appearing inprehistory due to their simplicity and ease of production from common materials—chiefly various types of wood. Numerous forms and styles of throwing sticks have been developed across many cultures over millennia, showcasing a wide range of shapes and appearances depending on their place and culture of origin.
Generally speaking, throwing sticks are either straight or roughlyboomerang-shaped, and are typically much shorter thanjavelins. The throwing stick became obsolete asslings andbows became more prevalent, except on theAustralian continent, where thenative people continued refining the basic design.
Throwing sticks shaped like returning boomerangs are designed to fly straight to a target at long ranges, their surfaces acting asairfoils. When tuned correctly they do not exhibit curved flight, but rather fly on an extended straight flight path. Straight flight ranges greater than 100 m (330 ft) have been reported for certain throwing sticks by historical sources as well as in recent research.
Theancient Egyptians used throwing sticks to hunt small game and waterfowl, as seen in several wall paintings. The18th-dynastypharaohTutankhamun was a known lover of duck hunting and used the throwing stick in his hunts, and a number of throwing sticks were found in the tombs of pharaohs.
Menceys, the kings of the ancientGuanches of theCanary Islands, also used throwing batons.Gimel, the third letter of many Semitic alphabets, may have been named after a weapon that was either a staff sling or a throwing stick, ultimately deriving from a Proto-Sinaitic glyph based on anEgyptian hieroglyph.
The Greeks used thelagobolon or kalaurops, which was a versatile hunting weapon.[1][2]
TheAboriginal peoples of Australia are well-known for their use of the boomerang. Although returning boomerangs are found in many Aboriginal cultures and will return to the user if thrown properly, the choice weapon of the Indigenous Australian peoples and most cultures was the heavy throwing stick, known internationally as the kylie.[citation needed] It was primarily used to killkangaroos,wallabies, andemus from afar, though it could also be swung like a club.
Some Native American tribes such as theHopi, as well as all southern California tribes,[3] utilized the throwing stick to huntrabbits and occasionallydeer.
TheTamil people of theIndian subcontinent usevalaris made from either wood, ivory, or metal as both a melee and throwing weapon.
The throwing stick was also one of the first weapons used by European stone age people to hunt. Stone carvings inBrittany,France have been found depicting throwing sticks.
Though originally designed for hunting and survival, the throwing stick can be used as a weapon in human conflicts, though the heavy non-returning boomerang was the only variant ever to become truly effective against a human opponent.[citation needed]
As a survival tool, the throwing stick is one of the most effective and easiest tools to obtain. It can be used as a digging tool for making fire-pits and underground shelters in addition to its function as a weapon. A curved branch will suffice as a basic throwing stick. Ancient throwing sticks were made of hardwood with a weighted or curved end to one side to impart momentum so the stick stays straight and does not wobble in mid-flight.
Some variations of the throwing stick are 2 to 3 ft (61 to 91 cm) long pieces of thick hardwood, usually about the circumference of the user's wrist. They are intended to be thrown with spin, creating the image of a blurry disc.
Pommel point throwing sticks are noted for their slightly blunt points that can crush skulls if thrown at sufficient speed. Thus, they are also dubbed the "skull crusher" throwing stick.
Return boomerangs have a flat convex surface and must be thrown about 10-15 degrees from upright with a sharp flick of the wrist, but throwing sticks are thrown horizontally.