Hi Katana,
You're right about the puzzle, I think. Actually, the current atlatl record is closer to 800 m (check Wikipedia), and thrown spears can hit harder than arrows do. In many ways, atlatls and bows are equivalent. One of my favorite anecdotes comes from the Spanish conquest of Mexico, home of the name atlatl. The Aztec soldiers used atlatls to send obsidian-tipped spears through the steel breastplates that the Spaniards were wearing. Personally, I think that if the Indians had had any immunity to smallpox, the conquest wouldn't have happened. But I digress.
Anyway, the question is: why use a bow? Three reasons, at least for bow hunting: it's more accurate (you can sight down the shaft), less obvious (you don't have the big throwing motion with an arrow, just a pull and release), and it takes less room (because of the throw. A bow is easier to use in a forest and especially in brush). For warfare, I'd venture to guess that you can't use an atlatl on horseback, but someone might prove me wrong on that. Arrows definitely have a faster firing rate, too.
Getting back to the question of why there are no spear throwers in Africa, at least in the last few thousand years, I'll admit I'm not sure. Since in general bows replaced atlatls in most of the world, I suspect that it's partly practical and partly social. Still, I was surprised in reading that atlatl performance was as close to bow-and-arrow, especially in range. These are definitely underappreciated weapons.
F
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