nnascati  | 24 Feb 2020 5:33 p.m. PST |
Reading through the Primeval rules from Mana Press, and comparing them t9 my preferred skirmish rules Fistful of Lead. Primeval does not allow Neanderthals to throw spears. I wonder where that idea came from. I picture Neanderthals certainly throwing spears to kill prey. Any thoughts? |
| Korvessa | 24 Feb 2020 5:47 p.m. PST |
Well, I doubt there's any written evidence… ;-) But why wouldn't they?
Animals are dangerous, the farther away you can be to get them the better. |
| nnascati | 24 Feb 2020 6:03 p.m. PST |
That was my thought exactly. |
| Rakkasan | 24 Feb 2020 7:08 p.m. PST |
Current research indicates they could:
link |
| nnascati | 24 Feb 2020 7:12 p.m. PST |
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| Thresher01 | 24 Feb 2020 8:57 p.m. PST |
Of course not, because neanderthal mothers prohibited that, since you could put an eye out with those things. |
| Stryderg | 24 Feb 2020 9:24 p.m. PST |
I believe only the neanderthooligans threw spears. Everyone else used them like proper gentlemen. |
 Herkybird | 25 Feb 2020 2:56 a.m. PST |
Neanderthals were stronger than HS's, if slightly squatter.
Since it is known that most of us have neanderthal DNA in our makeup, I think the answer is a firm YES! One thinks, however, that spears were probably kept for close combat, unless they had spares?! |
| DrSkull | 25 Feb 2020 5:50 a.m. PST |
I think I remember what the argument for Neanderthals not being able to throw spears was. Since Neanderthal skeletons had a lot more damage from close-combat with animals (presumably) it was argued that they probably usually rushed the animals and stabbed them rather than threw spears at them. |
| HMS Exeter | 25 Feb 2020 10:14 a.m. PST |
I seem to remember the prevailing wisdom was no. They had spears, but did not throw. One of the other evo lines did throw, but Homo Sapiens pioneered the atlatl that changed everything. |
 Bobgnar | 25 Feb 2020 8:17 p.m. PST |
From what I have read about Neanders, they hunted in groups against herds which they ran into traps and over cliffs. Mass killed, not one on one. In any event, what is to stop a player from modifying rules to suit his interpretation of history. I have heard this is sometimes done :) |
| nnascati | 28 Feb 2020 8:47 a.m. PST |
Thinking about the atlatl, is it logical to assume that a cro-magnon would be likely to carry more than one javelin? |
| HMS Exeter | 28 Feb 2020 8:54 p.m. PST |
No doubt a CM would see the value of being able to hurl multiple javelin/spears. It would be exceedingly difficult to hurl one while carrying more. Either he'd have to keep picking the others up and putting them down, or, more likely, several "chukkers" would have been serviced by an underage "bearer/armorer" whose sole job would have been to carry a boat load of projectiles for the throwers. |
