The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is slightly larger than the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber), and he modifies its environment to a higher degree than almost any other mammalian species in North America. These alterations change water chemistry, local hydrology,…

When hiking across the rocky expanses of the American Southwest, it is very likely to walk through pinyon-juniper woodlands. The pinyon pine (Pinus edulis or Pinus monophylla) in these woodlands looks like a humble, twisted little tree struggling to survive…

When we talk about wilderness survival and emergency shelters, we usually think of debris huts, tarp configurations, or lean-tos. But if you want to look at one of the greatest large-scale survival construction feats in North American history, you must…

This is the third and final installment of our series on ancient weapon technology. After exploring the global history (Part 1) and mechanical anatomy (Part 2) of the atlatl, we now dive into the bio-mechanics of the launch sequence, calculate…

This is the second installment of our three-part series on ancient weapon technology. While part one explored global history, this article breaks down the engineering, dimensions, and parts of traditional North American atlatls and darts. Part three will cover launching…

This is the first installment of our three-part series on atlatl weapon technology. In this article, we explore the global history of the atlatl. Part two breaks down atlatl components and design, and part three covers launching techniques and historical…