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Claude Terry's Atlatls
by Claude Terry
3/21/2009
Here are some atlatls collected or made by Claude Terry of Atlanta, Georgia.
1. A "flayed horse head" design, in reindeer antler and birch, based on a fragment from a cave (Mas d' Azil) in France, 18,000 yrs. old, by Pascal Chauvaux, 2003.
2. An ibex faun, looking back over its shoulder at a "turd bird", which is the dart hook. Based on an atlatl from Grotte du Mas d' Azil. Probably the most famous design from cave finds, an 18,000-year-old scatological joke, many variations found in caves. In moose antler and myrtle, by Claude Terry, 2009.
3. A composite, with a "copy" of a 25,000-year-old ceramic bear, from Dolni Vestonice, Czech Republic, as the weight; a white tail deer antler hook carved as an otter; with a zebra wood handle and dart support. Claude Terry, 2009.
4. A splendid atlatl of snakewood and ivory, by Doug Leeth, truly a work of art, circa 2006.
5. A composite, with a catlinite (pipestone) frog weight, and a moose antler handle. Claude Terry,
2008.
6. A twin-beam composite atlatl, with nacerano (purple heart) handle and spur holder, a copper
weight, and twin kevlar shafts. Claude Terry, 2006.
7. A beech wood atlatl, in the Australian woomera style, about 3' long, made when I was a graduate student. Carved from a sapling, shortened a couple of inches due to aging (both the wood and me). Circa 1960, Claude Terry.
8. A nuqaq, of the type used by the Inuit on their kayaks to hunt seal. Made ambidexterous (two faced), since it is asymmetrical. Based on specimens in the Smithsonian Museum Collection. Made of found wood, probably redbud. Claude Terry, 2004.
9. A cane-shaft atlatl, with a geometric catlinite weight and a white-tail deer hook. Claude Terry, 2008.