Woomera (weapon)

Aboriginal products ; From left: Woomera spear thrower, throwing wood for hunting, returning boomerang

A sharp stone at the end of the handle

A woomera is a spear thrower of the Aborigines in Australia comparable to the American Atlatl . The name "woomera" was coined by the Eora tribe , who originally lived in the area that is now Sydney .

Woomeras were used in many ways, especially in the desert regions of Central Australia. They were often made in such a way that they could accommodate absorbent plant material on the inside that had previously been soaked in water. People drank by sucking out. In contrast to other containers, this transport is safe from spilling the scarce water.

The handle was often made of the rubber of the spinifex plant. A sharp flint was often attached to the opposite side , which meant that the woomera could also be used as a cutting tool . Some versions were made into a kind of saw on the side edge , which was used to kindle fire with fire saws with the help of an Australian fire shield .

Web links

Aboriginal technology

Individual evidence

↑ Helen Hales: Aboriginal Australia , "Weapons", Pitt Rivers Museum, 2011 (online PDF 461 MB) ( Memento from October 17, 2017 in the Internet Archive )

[Nr.1-1] Helen Hales: Aboriginal Australia , "Weapons", Pitt Rivers Museum, 2011 (online PDF 461 MB) ( Memento from October 17, 2017 in the Internet Archive )