Windchills are minus 8 to 15 in the Northeast as we start off this week but we are looking ahead to spring and a variety of upcoming events!
We have a good stock of atlatls and darts ready for you to get out and start practicing with your atlatl Bob Berg and crew have been busy during the winter stocking up our inventory.
We are starting to schedule events for the 2007 season. So far, we have plans to travel to Maine, Virginia, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York. We just returned from Kentucky and Texas. We will be updating out event list in the next week to let you know where we will be and what is going on with the World Atlatl Association, the International Atlatl Society, various state organizations such as the New Atlatl Association, Pennsylvania Atlatl Association, Ohio Atlatl Association, Michigan Atlatl Association and others.
There are great atlatl discussion sites at Paleo Planet – thanks to the efforts of Tom Mills. The link is: http://p081.ezboard.com/fpaleoplanet69529frm68
There are also great discussions on Dennis Lantz’ Atlatls ‘n’ more site. We will be working on updating our link pages so you can find these pages easier. Keep Warm! Spring is just around the corner!

Aztec Atlatl Battle Picture in Pencil

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Aztec Atlatl Battle in Oil on Linen Canvas

These are my recent interpretations of a picture carved into the stone of a pyramid in Honduras. The cape and quilted arm armor are as described in a book by Bernal Diaz – The Conquest of New Spain, used to fend off darts and arrows. The feather headdress follows closely the original carving. I don’t know if the colors are correct in the oil painting. My art work is a little primitive but it shows what I wanted it to show.
The People of Middle America of around 700 to 1000 years ago had developed a high degree of sophistication with the atlatl. In other places where the bow and arrow were introduced or invented the atlatl went out of favor but not in Middle America. The Aztecs favored the weapon over the bow perhaps because of ceremonial reasons. It may have been the Aztec weapon of choice because of the Aztec’s origins. The atlatl and dart are very good for catching fish from a boat. Perhaps because the Aztec village of origin was on an island in the middle of a lake the Aztecs never stopped using them. In any case when Cortez tried to conquer the Aztec empire they found the atlatl and dart to be effective against their metal armor, which the bow and arrow could not penetrate. © 2007 Bob Berg

Thunderbird Atlatl will be at the Jim Strader Expo Sports Show in Louisville, Kentucky, February 23, 24 and 25! We are looking forward to introducing the atlatl to this large audience of sports enthusiasts! If you are in the Louisville area, take some time and stop by the show.
Every May we are involved in an atlatl fishing contest in the Land Between the Lakes in western Kentucky. We will be promoting that event and the joys of fishing with an atlatl harpoon at the show.
Following the show, some members of the Thunderbird Atlatl staff are heading off for a few days of atlatl hunting in Texas. We are looking forward to a great time!

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Winter finally hit the northeast this week! Still spring is just around the corner and the atlatl season will be in full swing. For those in warmer climates, the atlatl season is still active and we have a great inventory for those interested in getting a new or second or even third atlatl. Check out our web page or give us a call at 1-800-836-4520 to see what we have in stock.
We are starting to set up our 2007 season of events. If you have an event you would like to see us at let us know! Right now we are tentatively looking at shows in Kentucky, Florida and Georgia in the next couple of months. We will be traveling to Virginia in June and possibly Maine in July. We will be in Pennsylvania in August and, of course, at the annual Stonetool Show at Letchworth State Park in August which is closely followed by the annual program at Flintridge State Park in Brownsville, Ohio over Labor Day Weekend. September programs include Chimney Point Historic Site in Vermont and the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, Mass.

A new year for atlatl contests, hunting and all sorts of atlatl fun! The staff at Thunderbird Atlatl wishes everyone a very Happy New Year! We are all geared up with a good selections of atlatls and darts, give us a call at 1-800-836-4520 and we would be happy to help you with your order.
There are many new plans in the works for 2007 for Thunderbird Atlatl Bob Berg is busy coming up with a some new designs and is constantly improving production.
Leave us a message if we aren’t available to answer your call and we will get back to you. You can also reach us on our cell phones: 607-743-4379 or 607-222-9873.