On the (Non-)Scalability of Target Media for Evaluating the Performance of Ancient Projectile Weapons
When they work, controlled experiments can efficiently and clearly reveal essential characteristics of the functions and performance of ancient hunting and fighting weapons. However, homogenous target media must be carefully validated to ensure that controlled tests capture the same variables that m...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
De Gruyter
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Open Archaeology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2022-0295 |
| _version_ | 1797810883504635904 |
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| author | Pettigrew Devin B. Bamforth Douglas B. |
| author_facet | Pettigrew Devin B. Bamforth Douglas B. |
| author_sort | Pettigrew Devin B. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | When they work, controlled experiments can efficiently and clearly reveal essential characteristics of the functions and performance of ancient hunting and fighting weapons. However, homogenous target media must be carefully validated to ensure that controlled tests capture the same variables that made weapons effective in their original application. Although homogenous flesh simulants have proven effective for studying firearms, the same simulants cannot be assumed to be effective when testing low-velocity cutting/piercing projectiles, which have significantly different performance characteristics than bullets. We build on past research showing that two flesh simulants that are commonly used by archaeologists, ballistics gelatin and pottery clay, fail to capture how atlatl darts and arrows perform when penetrating biological tissues. In accord with forensic research of knife-thrust attacks, natural and polymeric skin simulants may prove effective in future experiments, but this requires further research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:15:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e47f476f6cd141bfa8e0ad2811677d8b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2300-6560 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:15:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Archaeology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e47f476f6cd141bfa8e0ad2811677d8b2023-06-05T09:17:54ZengDe GruyterOpen Archaeology2300-65602023-06-019179982010.1515/opar-2022-0295On the (Non-)Scalability of Target Media for Evaluating the Performance of Ancient Projectile WeaponsPettigrew Devin B.0Bamforth Douglas B.1Anthropology Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United StatesAnthropology Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United StatesWhen they work, controlled experiments can efficiently and clearly reveal essential characteristics of the functions and performance of ancient hunting and fighting weapons. However, homogenous target media must be carefully validated to ensure that controlled tests capture the same variables that made weapons effective in their original application. Although homogenous flesh simulants have proven effective for studying firearms, the same simulants cannot be assumed to be effective when testing low-velocity cutting/piercing projectiles, which have significantly different performance characteristics than bullets. We build on past research showing that two flesh simulants that are commonly used by archaeologists, ballistics gelatin and pottery clay, fail to capture how atlatl darts and arrows perform when penetrating biological tissues. In accord with forensic research of knife-thrust attacks, natural and polymeric skin simulants may prove effective in future experiments, but this requires further research.https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2022-0295terminal ballisticstip cross-sectionskin simulantflesh simulantexperimental archaeology |
| spellingShingle | Pettigrew Devin B. Bamforth Douglas B. On the (Non-)Scalability of Target Media for Evaluating the Performance of Ancient Projectile Weapons Open Archaeology terminal ballistics tip cross-section skin simulant flesh simulant experimental archaeology |
| title | On the (Non-)Scalability of Target Media for Evaluating the Performance of Ancient Projectile Weapons |
| title_full | On the (Non-)Scalability of Target Media for Evaluating the Performance of Ancient Projectile Weapons |
| title_fullStr | On the (Non-)Scalability of Target Media for Evaluating the Performance of Ancient Projectile Weapons |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the (Non-)Scalability of Target Media for Evaluating the Performance of Ancient Projectile Weapons |
| title_short | On the (Non-)Scalability of Target Media for Evaluating the Performance of Ancient Projectile Weapons |
| title_sort | on the non scalability of target media for evaluating the performance of ancient projectile weapons |
| topic | terminal ballistics tip cross-section skin simulant flesh simulant experimental archaeology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2022-0295 |
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