Then you're in for a treat! The atlatl is the first known missile weapon that allowed early man to strike and kill animals at a distance.

In an early draft of my story "Silence of the Stone Age" (forthcoming in anthology from Akashic Books), I say that the atlatl enabled mankind for the first time to alter his environment. That from the moment they could begin to harvest large, dangerous animals at a distance, mankind began to disrupt the natural balance. I'm not sure if this is actually true -- but it was perfect for the story.

Check out www.atlatl.com to learn more and maybe even to buy an atlatl of your very own.